BF2S Forums A Thread for Discussing Major League Baseball

Yeah right.  Mofuggin Halos.

Going to Opening Day tonight.  My family has had season tickets to the Angels since 1978.

Little known fact: KEN-JENNINGS dove into second base after the Angels beat the Yankees in the '02 divisional series (first time Halos ever won a playoff series).

Another little known fact: K-J also went to jail, got put on probation, and received a 3-year stadium ban for above action (too bad I was at opening day the next year )

Mets major question marks at starting pitcher.  A healthy Pedro for the playoffs would be a big plus.  I do give them the edge in a weaker National League.

In the American League, the Yankees, Redsox and Tigers should be really good.

Honorable Mentions: Indians, White Sox, Phillies, St. Louis & Twins

Yankees or Redsox win it all this year.

I know I'll be back to this thread later in the season, but for now all I'll say is that I don't care who wins as long as the Yankees lose.

cowami wrote:

Alright, I'm going to attempt this: A thread purely for talking baseball. Some of you may be saying "Search, n00b!" but there is no thread for the pure discussion of baseball, only ones for recruiting for fantasy baseball.

So, to start things off:
Who do you have winning it all? I have the Mets. All loyalties aside, they have probably the best offense in the National League, and as they demonstrated yesterday, they can beat the best teams in baseball.

Mets have a really good offense, but the Cards are by far NOT nearly the best in baseball. They had a HORRIBLE record last year and only made the playoffs due to the National Central sucking so much ass. They turned it on at the right time to get past everyone. It's the only reason the won the WS last year. Mets won yesterday on groundballs, any team can do that. But, the Mets do have a stellar offense.

I'm placing any of the following 4 teams in the World Series this year: Tigers, Mets, Yankees or BoSox. I doubt anyone will beat the Mets (they just need to get pitching mid-year and they're set). Tigers' pitching is too good for them not to get back to the WS.

I have the Tigers winning it all though. Pitching > offense.

I want to see what the Rangers can do this year. I think Buck was a waste of oxygen in their club house. He needs to stick to ESPN. I think Sammy will have a break out year, just to shut all the haters out there that say he's no good anymore. It'll only help us get to the playoffs.

Watch out for the Yankees too. If they're in good shape come May, the Rocket is probably going to sign with them and put them into contention right away.

This year is pretty bleak because the pitching kinda sucks, but it'll be a fucking bad ass offensive year.

Bonds will end up with 780 homers (if they pitch to him). I can't wait.

Last edited by too_money2007 (2007-04-02 13:09:20)

cowami wrote:

superfly_cox wrote:

Mets major question marks at starting pitcher.  A healthy Pedro for the playoffs would be a big plus.  I do give them the edge in a weaker National League.

In the American League, the Yankees, Redsox and Tigers should be really good.

Honorable Mentions: Indians, White Sox, Phillies, St. Louis & Twins

Yankees or Redsox win it all this year.

Ergh, a Yankees/BoSox whore . The Yankees have their own question marks at starting pitcher (Carl Pavano for Opening Day? I laugh). The Red Sox have their issues too. There's no guarantee Matsuzaka will own (although I want him to, he's on 2 of my fantasy teams), J.D. Drew had to take a contract with an option for the Red Sox to opt out, and then there's Manny being Manny (we all remember that play where he cut off a Johnny Damon throw to the plate, don't we?).

To be honest, I kind of want to see an A's-Mets World Series. It would have Rich Harden (greatest name EVAR) and David Wright (best Virginian EVAR). Of course, the Mets would win, but only when Rich Harden wouldn't be pitching.

The A's won't make it. They suck this year. Angels are far better than them, and the Rangers actually have a shot, if their pitching holds up. Milwood has been such a loser since getting him. I think our problem isn't the players, but the coaches. I mean, Milwood led in ERA two years ago and last year, had a 5+ ERA. AND, he gave up 10 runs in his last spring game. Pathetic.

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

Angels have one of the best starting 5 in the AL, THE best bullpen, and some decent hitting.  That should translate to at least an appearance in the ALCS, barring injury of course.

You think the Angels can over come the Tiger's talent? The Tigers' pitching dominated everyone last year. Only time will tell.

I wanted the Tigers to win last year, but I'm glad Pujols got a ring.

Last edited by too_money2007 (2007-04-02 13:15:25)

cowami wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

Yankees won't win because they don't have a team.  They just have a bunch of stars that can't work together when there is pressure.

Red Sox are not well-rounded enough.

Angels have one of the best starting 5 in the AL, THE best bullpen, and some decent hitting.  That should translate to at least an appearance in the ALCS, barring injury of course.

Is Bartolo Colon back from the DL yet?

Nope.

Did anyone else see Alex Gordon's first major league at bat? Bases loaded, one out against Curt Schilling. He eventually struck out, but I'd say he handled both the high heat and the splitter pretty well.

superfly_cox wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

Yankees won't win because they don't have a team.  They just have a bunch of stars that can't work together when there is pressure.

Red Sox are not well-rounded enough.

Angels have one of the best starting 5 in the AL, THE best bullpen, and some decent hitting.  That should translate to at least an appearance in the ALCS, barring injury of course.

Being a good team only gets you into the playoffs.  As we've seen the recent years, its all about who gets hot during the playoffs that determines who wins.  Think of all the recent world series winners that nobody thought had a chance: Marlins, Angels, White Sox, Cardinals.  I'm not saying that these were bad teams, but they certainly weren't favored by anybody.

Saying that the Yankees won't win because they don't have a team and don't work together under pressure is just baseball over-analysis.  Baseball is the most individual team game there is.  In the end its the pitcher and the batter and a pitcher who is on top of his game can dominate any great hitting team.  Even great teams lose 4 out of every 10 games which is hardly dominating.  Yanks haven't won in recent years because they didn't have the greatest starting pitching and because they came up against hotter clubs in the post season...not cause they couldn't handle the pressure.  People rip on Arod but nobody hit in the last three games against the Tigers in the playoffs.

I remember when the Angels won the world series a few years back everyone was saying that you can't win a championship without great starting pitching...that offense can't carry you in the playoffs...guess they were wrong! And honestly, the Cardinals winning the World Series last year (especially after what Detroit did in the AL playoffs) was just shocking...but that's baseball..."who woulda thunk it"

I agree, in the end, the hottest team will win in the playoffs.  It takes a lot to get there though.  Bottom line is, the Yankees DO have the talent to get them into the playoffs, they just can't win.  They don't have a team.  Like you said, look at the teams that won- All high camaraderie, feel-good teams.  Which the Yankees aren't, and never will be with all the egos in the clubhouse.  The Yankees have had 2-3 top rated pitchers on their team for the last 6 years, all without a ring.  They also have had top-rated offense, with no ring.  You need a well-rounded team to be a contender, to make the playoffs, but that little extra to win it all, which I don't think the Yankees have. 

So yes, I feel fully confidant in saying the Yankees will not win, because they don't play like a team.  They won't win, not because another team will beat them, but because they will beat themselves.

A-Rod yesterday - First three at-bats, 0-3, including a strikeout with 2 on - crowd boos.  Last at-bat, 2 run home-run when the game is already decided - the crowd goes crazy.  Talk about performing under pressure.  I'm surprised he didn't slip on the stairs on the way out of the dugout for his curtain call.

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

A-Rod yesterday - First three at-bats, 0-3, including a strikeout with 2 on - crowd boos.  Last at-bat, 2 run home-run when the game is already decided - the crowd goes crazy.  Talk about performing under pressure.  I'm surprised he didn't slip on the stairs on the way out of the dugout for his curtain call.

It was only the first game of the year. He still did more than a lot of others in MLB. He'll still have a very good year with, my prediction, .290 avg, 35-45 hrs, 110-130 rbi.

Yankee fans are fucking idiots anyways. They want their players to be perfect 100% of the time, when they're watching a game where failing 70% is very good. They need to step back and see that they, the fans, aren't playing, because they probably suck, so they just need to watch the game and cheer when something good happens. Booing your own player for striking out is pathetic.

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

A-Rod yesterday - First three at-bats, 0-3, including a strikeout with 2 on - crowd boos.  Last at-bat, 2 run home-run when the game is already decided - the crowd goes crazy.  Talk about performing under pressure.  I'm surprised he didn't slip on the stairs on the way out of the dugout for his curtain call.

With the score tied, he hit a single then stole second and scored the go ahead run.  Next inning he put the game away (it was only a one run lead) with the two run hr.  By any kind of baseball standard you want to throw out there, that is not considered meaningless run production.

And again, I don't buy all that "high camaraderie", "feel-good teams" stuff.  Cardinals a feel good team with Rolen and Larussa ready to slit each other's throats?  You've had teams that had great chemistry win, you've had teams with bad chemistry win.  You've had teams know for small ball, long ball teams, great pitching, great defense all win championships.  There is no formula except for who gets hot in the post season.

To say that the yankees aren't a team and can perform because they have highly paid players in classic yankee envy.  They said barry bonds couldn't perform in the post season but then he did.  They said Kenny Rogers was not a big game pitcher and couldn't win in the post season but then he did.    Consider that if you have a ridiculously high 70% chance of winning each series you play in the post season, your chances of making it through three rounds of playoffs and winning the championship are only 34%.  Realistically, since the competition is much better in the playoffs, your real chances are closer to max of 57% if you're a really good team which would mean that you have something like a 19% chance of winning it all...Pretty easy to predict the yanks won't win when the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that they won't...

@ken jennings: fine, i'm not gonna argue with the guy who dove into 2nd base of a playoff game.  your nucking futs dude