The Official MLB 2007 Thread

[sterlingice]

Anyone not watching football should check out Boston/Baltimore

SI

[molson]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Anyone not watching football should check out Boston/Baltimore

SI

I wish ESPN would have cut in for the last inning.

[sterlingice]

Yeah, no kidding

SI

[molson]

Live on ESPN now

[sterlingice]

Mercifully. I'm sure some K-State fans around here will bitch incessantly

SI

[sterlingice]

Pretty pitch to end the game

SI

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

He's baaack! http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

Yes!!! Let's go Braves!!

[sterlingice]

What the heck was Torre doing having a bat confiscated in a game against Tampa Bay?

SI

[Buccaneer]

SI, my friend, you do realize that you take a risk for bringing up baseball news on FOOTBALL SATURDAY?

[sterlingice]

I was even silly enough to bring it up in the College Football thread but thanfully (for me), nobody noticed

SI

[korme]

Damn you Ankiel!

BTW, I wish the best for Juan Encarnacion. He's too young, 31, to have an eye in jeopardy and I hope he will continue to be able to play baseball.

[lordscarlet]

Walkoff for Ryan Zimmerman! two years (to the day) in the league and he has 7 walk-offs.

[sterlingice]

Brian Bannister just keeps rolling. 8 IP, 1 run against the Twins- 0 BB, 1 K. I don't get how he's doing it.

SI

[Logan]

10 minutes from Pedro finally taking the mound. 5 solid innings is all that's needed today.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Logan

10 minutes from Pedro finally taking the mound. 5 solid innings is all that's needed today.

Delivered.

5 innings, 3 runs (2 earned), 5 hits, 3 walks, 4 Ks. Hit 90 on the gun. Left with the Mets up 4-3, now up 6-3.

First inning, got hit hard a couple times, included a ball that Moises Alou misplayed into an RBI double. He was throwing in the low 80s at that point, but once he started letting loose a bit more and hitting 88-89, he was much more effective. Battled to get out of a tough spot in the 5th. Also picked up his 3000th career strikeout.

[Buccaneer]

One of the main reasons Greg Maddux is my all-time favorite pitcher:

Maddux extended his streak without a walk to 49 1/3 innings over seven starts

Maddux set the record with 72 1/3 innings without a free pass in 2001

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

One of the main reasons Greg Maddux is my all-time favorite pitcher:

Of all Maddux's numbers and accomplishments, the most amazing to me is that if it weren't for 2002 when he pitched 199.1 innings, he'd be shooting for his 20th straight year of 200 or more innings pitched.

[korme]

My stat of the day
First 56 games as Reds manager
Jerry Naron 31-25
Pete Mackanin 31-25
Narron would win his next four....and move to 35-25

[lordscarlet]

Jesus Flores!!!

[MikeVic]

Curtis Granderson has some awesome stats this year... According to ESPN.com, he needs one HR and three SB to be only the third man in history with 20 or more doubles, triples, homers and stolen bases in one season.

That's awesome.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

One of the main reasons Greg Maddux is my all-time favorite pitcher:

An even bigger reason to love Maddux is that the previous streak ended with an intentional walk. And I guarantee he wouldn't hesitate to do end this streak in the same way.

[miami_fan]

Chipper talked about Turner Field needing the QuesTec system. Is there a non-monetary reason for the system to only be in 11 ball parks as opposed to all of the stadiums?

[molson]

Still trying to figure out the Red Sox.

Best record in baseball, on the verge of their first division title in years, and yet, they don't seem like a great team. It's been a pretty boring season outside of some exciting rookie performances over the last few weeks.

[k0ruptr]

ok, Honestly now. Did anyone at all really expect the White Sox coming into this season to possibly be the worst team in baseball? what a collapse since 05

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by k0ruptr

ok, Honestly now. Did anyone at all really expect the White Sox coming into this season to possibly be the worst team in baseball? what a collapse since 05

Does all this losing make Ozzie Guillen a "faggot" now?

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by k0ruptr

ok, Honestly now. Did anyone at all really expect the White Sox coming into this season to possibly be the worst team in baseball? what a collapse since 05

PECOTA had them at 72 wins, at which point all of the Chicago press made all the "Computers SUK" and "NERDS BASEBALL IS PLAYED ON THE FIELD" jokes. Right about now, they look like idiots.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by k0ruptr

ok, Honestly now. Did anyone at all really expect the White Sox coming into this season to possibly be the worst team in baseball? what a collapse since 05

What crapshoot said, they were picked by pecota to finish last in the Central this season. Their '05 team was seen as an Ozzie smartball team, but they actually scored over 40% of their runs off of homers that season. As they move closer and closer to the "smartball" team Ozzie wants, they lose more games.

Ozzie can call it what he wants, but there's nothing smart about giving Podsednik and Erstad the ABs they've been given. Especially when you consider they'd have a lot more if they could stay healthy.

This year they seem to having quite a few off years, but Dye is actually only 20 points off his career OPS, Pierzynski is about 30 points off of his, and Konerko is right in line with his career numbers.

This team has had so many career years the past 2 years that some regression has to be expected.

[k0ruptr]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

Does all this losing make Ozzie Guillen a "faggot" now?

nah, cuz they still won a world series .. he gets 1 more year.

[k0ruptr]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

PECOTA had them at 72 wins, at which point all of the Chicago press made all the "Computers SUK" and "NERDS BASEBALL IS PLAYED ON THE FIELD" jokes. Right about now, they look like idiots.

hmm, thats a good point, but I'd bet that 72 wins wasn't the worst team in baseball. havent seen the numbers tho.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by molson

Still trying to figure out the Red Sox.

Best record in baseball, on the verge of their first division title in years, and yet, they don't seem like a great team. It's been a pretty boring season outside of some exciting rookie performances over the last few weeks.

I agree. I think I've watched parts of a couple of Jays games, and that's it this year so far. No team screams "WORLD SERIES" to mee right now. Although for some reason I'd probably be pulling for a team like Milwaukee or the Padres, with no one in the AL really exciting me.

[miami_fan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3008832

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates began to reshape their front office under new principal owner Robert Nutting by firing general manager Dave Littlefield on Friday.

Littlefield's dismissal is effective immediately, the team said in a statement. A formal announcement will come at a news conference Friday afternoon. The decision comes after six-plus seasons in which the team showed little progress on the field or in its farm system.

The firing came with only three weeks left in the season and the Pirates in their customary spot in last place in the NL Central, with a 61-79 record -- three losses away from a 15th consecutive losing season, one off the major league record.

No decision on the status of Littlefield or second-year manager Jim Tracy had been expected until after the season. Managing general partner Kevin McClatchy, who has run the day-to-day operations since 1996, is resigning when the season ends and his successor was expected to evaluate Littlefield and Tracy.

"It's tough," Tracy said upon hearing the news. "It's real tough. He's more than a friend to me."

Littlefield, a former executive with the Marlins and Expos, succeeded Cam Bonifay midway through a 100-loss season in 2001 and was expected to make major changes in a team that had shown no headway since winning three division titles in the early 1990s.

But Littlefield's efforts to rebuild the Pirates failed, and the Pirates never had fewer than 87 losses or finished higher than fourth in a full season during his stay.

"After eight months of listening and analyzing the situation, it has become clear that this decision was necessary to move our organization forward," Nutting said in a statement. "While there are many bright spots for us to build from, I am not satisfied with the overall performance and progress that has been made. I'm committed to building a successful organization and this is an important step in that process."

Nutting said he felt it was best to announce the move now rather than at the end of the season.

"I felt the time was right to announce my decision to ensure that the organization is in the best possible position to attract the very best general manager candidates," Nutting said. "In addition to allowing us more time to search for a replacement, it should allow more time for our new general manager to make the necessary evaluations and staffing decisions."

Brian Graham, Pirates senior director of player development, will serve as interim GM.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[sterlingice]

Tigers, 4 in the 9th to win 5-4? Are you kidding me?

Please catch the Yanks and knock them out of the playoffs. k, thx

SI

[k0ruptr]

Originally Posted by k0ruptr

nah, cuz they still won a world series .. he gets 1 more year.

hmm, apparently I was way off. Not sure how I feel just yet on his contract extension through 2011. I'll see next year.

On another not, Javier Vazquez is having a pretty solid season imo - 12-8 3.9 era, 180k's and 47 walks.. bright spot for the sox this year.

[Jas_lov]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Tigers, 4 in the 9th to win 5-4? Are you kidding me?

Please catch the Yanks and knock them out of the playoffs. k, thx

SI

I think it's pretty much over. The Yankees are up 5 games in the loss column with 17 to play for the Yankees and 15 to play for the Tigers. If the stupid Devil Rays had held on to either of their leads the past 2 nights, the Yankees might have had a shot at the division. They still do if they sweep the Sox in Fenway, but that's not likley.

Anyway, apparently there's a new incentive to finish 1st in the AL this year. The team with the best record gets to choose whether or not they play the series that gets an extra day off for the first round meaning that they could set it up so their best two pitchers could pitch games 1, 2, 4, and 5 on full days rest. Does anyone think that Boston, Cleveland, or Anaheim would take advantage of this? People on tv have been saying Boston wouldn't because of their depth in the starting rotation. And that Cleveland and Anaheim would, but they'd be playing the Yankees and that would work into their favor as well getting to pitch Wang and Pettitte twice each.

[Chief Rum]

Thome hits his 500th career dinger with a bottom of the ninth walkoff to win the game today.

Even as an Angels fan, I have to admit that's pretty cool. Way to go, Thome.

[sterlingice]

That's quite a cool way for that to go.

SI

[k0ruptr]

beautiful.

[molson]

Quite the pitching duel in Boston being overshadowed by the Pats game.

[JeeberD]

J.R. motherfucking Towles?!?

Guess we need to let the kids play more often. That's two offensive explosions in the past week...

[EagleFan]

This should be a fun week. Just 1.5 behind the Mets and keeping you on the edge every game should make for a fun week of baseball (and something to help forget about the Eagles troubles).

If they can get it down to a half game there are going to be some really on edge Mets fans (if they aren't already)...

[miami_fan]

Free advice to Mets fans in South Florida,

It is never a good idea to throw things on the field no matter how bad your team is playing

It is really not a good idea to do it when there are only like 50 people in the stadium.

[Lathum]

The Mets are killing me.

They deserve to not make it the way they have been playing.

[miami_fan]

Will Barry Bonds be playing for your team next year?

http://mlb.mlb.com/players/bonds_bar...nal/latest.jsp

Dear Fans,

This journal will be one of my last entries as a San Francisco Giant. Yesterday, I was told by the Giants that they will not be bringing me back for the 2008 season. During the conversation with Peter McGowan I was told that my play this year far exceeded any expectations the Giants had, but that the organization decided this year would be my last season in San Francisco. Although I am disappointed, I've always said baseball is a business -- and I respect their decision. However, I am saddened and upset that I was not given an earlier opportunity to properly say goodbye to you, my fans, and celebrate with the city throughout the season as I truly believe this was not a last minute decision by the Giants, but one that was made some time ago. I don't have nor do I want any ill feelings towards the organization, I just wish I had known sooner so we had more time to say our goodbyes and celebrate the best 15 years of my life.

I consider the City of San Francisco and you, the fans, my family. Thank you for loving me and supporting me throughout all the highs and lows. I feel a deep connection with you as I have grown up with all of you since the days my dad first became a Giant. The Bay Area has loved my family and friends for so many years and I thank you for that. It is now a time for change, as many athletes have experienced. It is comforting to know that those who have come before me -- Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, to name a few -- have forever remained in the hearts of the fans, as I know I will too.

During my career as a Giant, so many people made significant impressions on my life. I'd like to thank all my past and current teammates. I've had the opportunity to play with some amazingly talented ballplayers who have treated me with respect, supported me and rooted for me throughout the years. Mike Murphy, our devoted Equipment Manager, used to baby-sit me as a little boy at Candlestick Park. There are no words to describe the love and respect I have for him. Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper are the two best broadcasters in the business. Their professionalism, integrity and love for the game, puts them in a league of their own. I thank them for their support and I'm honored to call them friends. It is also important to thank all the men and women behind the scenes at the stadium who come to work every day and make it possible for us all to enjoy a day at the ballpark. I love walking to clubhouse hearing their "hellos" every day.

I would have loved nothing more than to retire as a Giant in the place where I call home and have shared so many momentous moments with all of you, but there is more baseball in me and I plan on continuing my career. My quest for a World Series ring continues.

Until next time,

Barry Bonds

Since he is looking for a World Series ring, I guess that leaves the Marlins out of the mix

[Crapshoot]

I think he ends up in Texas. Either way, highest OPS in the national league this year. I'm sad that he won't retire a Giant, and if that SOB Sabean brings back Randy Winn, Rich Aurillia, Pedro Feliz, Dave Roberts and all while claiming a youth movement, he ought to fired (course, he should have been fired a while back).

[molson]

I'd guess Angels, then Mariners.

[Karlifornia]

I hope he signs with another team, so another fan base can at least get a glimpse of how much fear he can induce.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by molson

I'd guess Angels, then Mariners.

No way in hell Art Moreno approves any contract for Bonds.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Atocep

No way in hell Art Moreno approves any contract for Bonds.

Highly unlikely to be the M's also. There's no room for one thing, with Raul Ibanez, Jose Vidro, Richie Sexson and Ben Broussard already clogging up the LF/DH/1B group and a need to get top prospect Adam Jones in the lineup full-time next year.

Secondly, I don't see the "family-friendly" M's ownership taking on Bonds and all of his juicing baggage.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

I think he ends up in Texas. Either way, highest OPS in the national league this year. I'm sad that he won't retire a Giant, and if that SOB Sabean brings back Randy Winn, Rich Aurillia, Pedro Feliz, Dave Roberts and all while claiming a youth movement, he ought to fired (course, he should have been fired a while back).

I feel for you, that totally sucks. He's still one of the best, if not the best hitters in the game. For 17millionish, he's totally worth it.

That being said, I hope he lands with the Yankees.

The two weeks I watched the Giants this summer were very painful. I can't believe the retreads you guys have out there, all of whom are making 4-6 million or so.

[Logan]

Wow, Tim McCarver decides the 2nd inning is a good time to bring up the no-hit stuff dished out by Oliver Perez today. He promptly gave up a hit. That was the earliest I've ever heard a no-hit jinx.