The MLB Thread

[dave u]

The 'Darryl' tag is genius. Take a bow Stouff.

 

atk, you can fuck off. The lowest of the low. You're enough to make me hope the Yankees win it all. But then you'll probably jump on that bandwagon.

[odris]

Yeah, lowest of the low.

 

[OmarVizquel]

Bad start but one down 161 to go. Jesus they play some games. Can any of the real baseball fans on here confirm if any side other than the red sox nation sell out all games?

 

Sure, lots of teams sell out games here and there. It's a special case there in Boston (that they have a consecutive sell-out streak going) -- (1) they've won 2 World Series recently and put a hugely expensive product on the field, (2) they have a relatively small-capacity stadium in a large city, and (3) they have a largely affluent population that can afford to buy tickets to Fenway (which is very expensive).

 

Cleveland had the longest streak previously, selling out 455 games in a row, which was a major feat in a small market.

 

If you're thinking of visiting Fenway, don't worry about not getting a ticket -- there are numerous ways to snag a ticket, from scalpers outside the park on game days, to online brokers. Be prepared to shell out $50 or more, but it's pretty easy to get in.

[Iantn]

First season that am proper trying to get into Baseball and so far I've witnesses the Pujols contract saga, Wainwrights season-ending elbow injury in Spring training and Holliday's appendectomy.

 

Madness.

[RedKnight]

Red Sox have started pretty badly thanks a pretty atrocious first two games from their starting pitchers, Lester and Lackey. The Rangers shelled both of them over the last two days and the decision to walk Josh Hamilton and load the bases only for Beltre to hit a grand slam homer is pretty indicative of how the first two games have gone. At least Adrian Gonzalez looks to have settled right in and Big Papi's already got two home runs. Red Sox pitching is a big worry, even at this early stage.

[WrongIslander]

Red Sox have started pretty badly thanks a pretty atrocious first two games from their starting pitchers, Lester and Lackey. The Rangers shelled both of them over the last two days and the decision to walk Josh Hamilton and load the bases only for Beltre to hit a grand slam homer is pretty indicative of how the first two games have gone. At least Adrian Gonzalez looks to have settled right in and Big Papi's already got two home runs. Red Sox pitching is a big worry, even at this early stage.

 

I've got faith in both of them and I'm not putting any stock in how things have started.

[Chairman Meow]

Watched the end of the second game when I got up this morning.

 

Even as a novice to the sport the Texas pitcher (can't remember his name) looked way more effective in the Friday night game. Mind you I didn't know what the hell was going on most of the time.

 

That A-Rod fellow who banged Madonna, what the fuck is up with that lump of stuff he chews?

[RedKnight]

Watched the end of the second game when I got up this morning.

 

Even as a novice to the sport the Texas pitcher (can't remember his name) looked way more effective in the Friday night game. Mind you I didn't know what the hell was going on most of the time.

 

That A-Rod fellow who banged Madonna, what the fuck is up with that lump of stuff he chews?

 

They all chew stuff, passes the time. It's usually either bubblegum or if you're a real man, you'll chew smokeless tabacco. A-Rod is banging Cameron Diaz now.

[Chairman Meow]

A-Rod is banging Cameron Diaz now.

 

I took a pretty much instant dislike to him for no apparent as soon as I saw him on Friday night (or Thursday night?)

 

At least now I have good reason to despise him.

[dave u]

Anyone got some immodium for those Red Sox pitchers, they need some help stopping the runs.

 

atk needs to get off their bandwagon, he's killing them since his defection. The Padres are glad to be rid of him though.

[RedKnight]

I've never negged Dave but I'm damn close over here.

[Chairman Meow]

0-4 now. Not going all that well this season.

 

Does this kind of run happen often in baseball.

 

Apparently we are turning to this guy to make the difference

 

Looks a little suspect to me.

 

Red Sox games against the Yankees on ESPN America, Friday @ 7pm and Saturday @ 6pm

[RedKnight]

Losing runs happen all the time but no team has ever started 0-4 and won the World Series. Daisuke was always scheduled to start today so there's no difference there but he is the weakest starting pitcher the Red Sox have so there was hope that we'd get his rotation and be 3-1 or something.

[Chairman Meow]

Is this the pitchers being shit causing the run, or just a form issue with them.

 

I'm assuming that we can't bring any new players in now and have to stick with what we have.

 

Also what's the thing when the batter gets to just walk to the first base, is it because of a certain amount of foul pitches or something?

[RedKnight]

No we can still trade for players if we wish. It's not just the pitchers, it's everything. When the pitchers suck, we can hit. When the pitcher have been okay, we can't hit.

 

A batter walks to first if he is struck by the ball or gets four balls where the pitcher doesn't hit the strike zone.

[Allan]

BoSox down 2-0 in the bottom of the first tonight.

 

I wouldn't say Daisuke is the weakest pitcher in the rotation, but he's certainly not the ace the Red Sox hoped he'd be when they paid all that money to bring him over from Japan.

 

Just looking at the Red Sox rotation stats so far this season, and only 1 of them has managed 6+ innings so far. This is a major problem, as the bullpen are being exposed and doing too much work at this time of the season.

 

Lester - 5.1 innings pitched, ERA 8.44

Buccholz - 6.1 innings pitched, ERA 5.68

Beckett - 5 innings pitched, ERA 5.40

Lackey - 3.2 innings pitched, ERA 22.09

 

That's an awful bunch of stats for starting pitching. OK, I know they've only pitched one game, but for top end starters, you'd expect better.

 

The offense has been quiet as well, going into todays game against the Indians, only Dustin Pedroia had a batting average of over .300, with Adrian Gonzalez the closest behind Pedroia.

 

As I type this, the Sox have the bases loaded in the top of the 2nd with only 1 out, so I would expect them to plate at least 1 run in this inning.

 

Not a good start, but there are 157 games to go after today...

[Allan]

Jacoby has tied the game at 2-2. Heading into the bottom of the 2nd now.

[Allan]

Top of the 3rd. 3-2 Indians.

[odris]

It's ridiculous how few people are there.

[RedKnight]

I'd place Daisuke at the bottom of the rotation, I'd have Buccholz above him. The pitching was average last year too, what made that worse is the team was meant to be built on "pitching and defense" last year and they never even got close to achieving that. This year the Sox have added good weapons on offense and some new blood in the bullpen but the main rotation is unchanged. It's like we were hoping that Lackey and Beckett would suddenly pick up when the indications were they weren't going too. Lackey's been a crushing disappointment, especially considering his contract.

[RedKnight]

It's ridiculous how few people are there.

 

That's why I hate watching the Rays, the Trop is always empty and it's a horrible, ugly park. Makes me depressed.

[Allan]

Red Sox fall to 0-5, after the Indians pick up an 8-4 win tonight.

[Chairman Meow]

At this rate I might have to forget that I remembered I like baseball.

 

Would we be likely to have a pick up against the Yankees, in the same way that in another sport in which we all like the same team they seem to pick up against the better sides? Or does it not work that way with Baseball?

 

As I said after the Friday night game even to someone who doesn't know the sport the Rangers pitcher looked way more dangerous than ours, the Yankees pitcher looked dead useful too Sabbatia? or something like that. They just seemed to be throwing way faster than our lot.

[Allan]

At this rate I might have to forget that I remembered I like baseball.

 

Would we be likely to have a pick up against the Yankees, in the same way that in another sport in which we all like the same team they seem to pick up against the better sides? Or does it not work that way with Baseball?

 

As I said after the Friday night game even to someone who doesn't know the sport the Rangers pitcher looked way more dangerous than ours, the Yankees pitcher looked dead useful too Sabbatia? or something like that. They just seemed to be throwing way faster than our lot.

 

I wouldn't read too much into the 0 & 5 start by the Red Sox, they are a better side than their early form would indicate.

 

The upcoming series against the Yankees is at Fenway, so the fans will be right behind the BoSox, and I have no doubt that they'll start to deliver sooner rather than later.

 

I do however think that their more senior starting pitchers are living on past reputation, Beckett and Lackey, and will have to up their game if they want to stay in Boston beyond this season. The Sox normally have a very strong farm system, and as we know, FSG are not shy when it comes to spending to improve.

 

It's a long old season in the Major's, with 162 regular season games to play. Teams will go on a rip from time to time, but they will also inevitably go on a slump at some stage during the season as well, it's how quickly they snap out of the funk that is the measure of a team.

[Chairman Meow]

I'm working on the basis that just because no team has ever started this badly and won the world series doesn't mean it can't happen.

 

Beat the Yankees 3-0 and we are on a par with them assuming we can pull one back tonight. Easy peasy and all that.