Official MLB 2012 Season Thread

[moi]

itt: ButteredToast overreacts to Boston injuries for generally minor players (Jacoby is allowed though. What a wonderful player) in an attempt to justify their level of play so far throughout the season . (which needs no justification because man they're about to destroy for that second wild card)

Can I take this time to be pressing something more serious than my initial reply? Topic of players playing through nagging injuries. I feel as if far too often players play through nagging injuries instead of letting them fully recover. These performances tend to hamper the team incredibly throughout the time period. It seems to me mostly nagging muscle injuries (like back, hamstrings, obliques) aren't being taken seriously by players and they continue to return way too quickly, only to find themselves incredibly underperforming. I get that some people were raised with the idea of playing through the pain, but performance would be a much greater reward in my eyes.

 

[ButteredToast]

itt: ButteredToast overreacts to Boston injuries for generally minor players (Jacoby is allowed though. What a wonderful player) in an attempt to justify their level of play so far throughout the season . (which needs no justification because man they're about to destroy for that second wild card)

Are you fucking kidding me? Minor players? I count 10+ former All Stars. Guys who are the big names of our team, our division, and the American League. Who are out for extended periods of time. I also count countless numbers of players who are hurt that are supposed to replace other players on the DL. Do you understand what it means when the guy who you called up to replace someone goes gets hurt? Teams don't usually carry a stack of 10 MLB ready outfielders in the minors just in case of the off chance that 7 guys get hurt at the same time. When things like this happen and there is a major shortage at a postition, a loss of an average guy like Cody Ross turns into a big deal, as his replacement is so far down in the depth charts that the difference in talent is huge. Believe me, I know. I've literally watched this whole thing unfold.

If you used your brain at all or actually paid attention to the line ups we send out, you would see how impacting the loss of a guy like Kalish or Sweeney becomes when he is replaced by literally a AA depth charted player. Or how bad it gets when the 8th pitcher on the depth chart in Aaron Cook gets spiked and gets replaced by a middle reliever who has to make 3+ spot starts in a row. These things are NOT minor. You just have to see past the names on the paper and look at the context of what they currently mean to the team


And for "justifying our level of play", we are over .500 and are one fucking game out of a playoff spot. Our level of play has been far greater than what we could have expected it to be under our circumstances and I take pride in the fact of where we are. The injuries are not an excuse, this is me witnessing something so fucking crazy and inconcievable that it becomes a straight up joke. There is no excuse needed for being a team in the thick of a playoff birth.

 

[moi]

Jesus christ. Did you read the second part of my post? At all? I joked about how serious my response was initially. I get it. Your Red Sox have been injured. You have been overstating some of it (if you don't think so, I can't explain that any further than your replies have made that obvious). I appreciate the attack :) "use my brain at all". The instant shit comes out against your Red Sox, WOAH WOAH watch out.

I will use this to make one thing clear: everyone who talks about how "lucky" the Red Sox have been to be at that spot doesn't realise the amount of talent in that roster. You guys are .500 with starters underperforming. Imagine at all if they were pitching like their career average? Lester, or Beckett? They still boasted one of the best hitting teams, because that's just the way they've been built.

The other annoying thing is christ, you're overstating the injuries and the impact they'll have. Initial reports on Ortiz are good (no complete rupture of the muscle unlike Ryan Howard last year, which is the only time this would be a serious injury). The one risk in that scenario is agitating his heel injury from last year, due to the proximity of the muscles. (http://espn.go.com/fantasy/blog/_/n...ta-david-ortiz-pulled-monday-games-due-injury - Stephania Bell's explanation). Adrian Gonzalez has missed 2 games all year, with this quote being mid season..

“I had to have a bunch of cortisone shots and I had tendinitis and all sorts of stuff going on [last season]. It’s all in the past now,’’ Gonzalez said. “It’s 100 percent now. My shoulder is 100 percent.’’

There was no mention of the back until much later, when he suffered a freak incident...

If you don't think that that's actually overstating, I'll reference Keith Law, just yesterday on Baseball Today (podcast he does sometimes on ESPN). Ignore the paraphrasing, but "the impact of Joey Votto's injury over the course of a month is essentially 1 win". Joey Votto is the best hitter in baseball. A couple of games here and there aren't that important when in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't mean much. Oh also this is last minute edited but if you think Ellsbury is a better hitter than Votto you shouldn't be talking. I'm serious, I don't mean this out of spite. Read anything about Joey Votto. He is the best hitter in baseball.

Ellsbury and Crawford WOULD add up to quite a few wins, but the true talent level of the Red Sox is just so high. It pains me when I see Red Sox fans be so negative about their fate. This quote

The injuries are not an excuse, this is me witnessing something so fucking crazy and inconcievable that it becomes a straight up joke.

gets me going every time. The Red Sox are still really good, and you're calling these guys like the Miracles Mets by saying "something so fucking crazy and inconceivable" (I get that I made this comparison on my own. Tone down the language of wording if you don't want that to be made).

Sorry to tweak the Red Sox nerves and sorry that you didn't read where I said I was joking? Either way, you have been overstating, and you shouldn't deny that. I do appreciate the brain attacks too! Just don't make claims that the Red Sox treading water is "something so fucking crazy and inconceivable that it becomes a straight up joke."

 

[Byrne]

Madson is a star closer. With him we wouldn't need Chapman closing and we could get him in the lineup sooner.

Joey Votto hits just as good against anyone lol that's a silly argument. I'd love to see your butt buddies on the Sox going against Strasburg or Bumgardner. What does "AL East" pitching even mean, btw? The only scathe pitchers in that division are Sabathia, Price, and Morrow lol

 

[ButteredToast]

Cody Ross is the best player in baseball.

 

[Rayquaza2233]

For the Blue Jays fans of the world :

Hide

The TORONTO BLUE JAYS have completed a 10-player trade with the Houston Astros. LHP J.A. HAPP, RHP BRANDON LYON & RHP DAVID CARPENTER have been acquired by the Blue Jays, while OF BEN FRANCISCO, RHP FRANCISCO CORDERO, RHP ASHER WOJCIECHOWSKI, RHP JOE MUSGROVE, LHP DAVID ROLLINS, C CARLOS PEREZ and a player to be named later have been traded to the Astros. OF TRAVIS SNIDER has been recalled by the club from Las Vegas (AAA) and will report to Boston in time for tonight’s game.

source

They got to unload the Cordero contract but I'm always nervous about trades that involve prospects :(

 

[moi]

For the Blue Jays fans of the world :

Hide

The TORONTO BLUE JAYS have completed a 10-player trade with the Houston Astros. LHP J.A. HAPP, RHP BRANDON LYON & RHP DAVID CARPENTER have been acquired by the Blue Jays, while OF BEN FRANCISCO, RHP FRANCISCO CORDERO, RHP ASHER WOJCIECHOWSKI, RHP JOE MUSGROVE, LHP DAVID ROLLINS, C CARLOS PEREZ and a player to be named later have been traded to the Astros. OF TRAVIS SNIDER has been recalled by the club from Las Vegas (AAA) and will report to Boston in time for tonight’s game.

source

They got to unload the Cordero contract but I'm always nervous about trades that involve prospects :(

These were guys that used to be more highly ranked in the system but had down years and dropped off.

So AA's betting that they're never gonna develop into anything serviceable to at least field a slightly better club instead of having to dip into career minor leaguers (not that they're that much better).

What is gonna be really curious is what happens to Travis Snider, who got called up. AA said the next time he got called up it would be for good, but does this mean Gose now loses playing time? Or does Rajai Davis now ride the bench.

Gose still needs to iron out his swing, but if Snider proves he can be serviceable at his age, there's a ton of value and promise in that for both short to mid term.

This is probably going to mean AA is gonna sell high on Davis too, actually. (as high as you can sell on Davis..)

 

[Rayquaza2233]

I'm leaning towards Davis going on the bench. I'd personally rather get Gose some playing time over Davis.

 

[Mr.E]

10-man trade? That's a manly deal alright.

Aroldis Chapman hasn't struck out less than two batters while pitching at least an inning since June 13. This dude is just unfair.

also lolnatinals

 

[WaterBomb]

I just wanted to post that one of the SF Giants' pitchers (Lincecum I think his name was?) looks just like pookar. Am I the only person who noticed this? Especially with the hat on...

 

[biggie]

I just wanted to post that one of the SF Giants' pitchers (Lincecum I think his name was?) looks just like pookar. Am I the only person who noticed this? Especially with the hat on...

Nah I think that's pretty common knowledge among people who have 1) Seen Pookar and 2) Know what Lincecum looks like. Easy to spot in a crowd though.

 

[Texas Cloverleaf]

Shopping Pedroia for starting pitching

 

[Wikey]

also lolnatinals

Why oh why didn't it rain harder?

 

[Byrne]

And so the OAKLAND ATHLETICS are tied for second place in the AL Wild Card.

Unexpected/10

 

[THE_IRON_...KENYAN?]

In baseball there are only 2 things to expect: the unexpected and the high amounts of suck the yankees are

 

[ButteredToast]

I just wanted to post that one of the SF Giants' pitchers (Lincecum I think his name was?) looks just like pookar. Am I the only person who noticed this? Especially with the hat on...

A better fact is that Pookar could probably pitch better than Tim Lincecum has pitched this season. Or maybe Pookar kidnapped Tim and is pitching in his place...

 

[WaterBomb]

A better fact is that Pookar could probably pitch better than Tim Lincecum has pitched this season. Or maybe Pookar kidnapped Tim and is pitching in his place...

Perhaps. Pookar is a much better catcher than pitcher. Believe me, I know...

 

[ButteredToast]

Ichiro Suzuki, the MLB record holder for most hits in a single season and current washed up superbum, has been traded to he New York Yankees to join a bunch of other former good players who were once great but are also currently washed up.

Yankees send cash and a pair of pitchers in DJ Mitchell and Danny Farquhar (I think he was in shrek), who are both not all to high rated in a poor farm system. I'm just hoping that this trade works out as well for the Red Sox as the Pineda steal.

 

[TrollFreak]

Well, lets hope Ichiro turns it around for the Yankees (if only the Mets can improve their bullpen now <.<)

More trade news, the Detriot Tigers have given up their top Pitching and Catching prospects Justin Turner and Rob Brantly, along with pitcher Brian Flynn for Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez. Now they have a legitimate 2nd baseman, and maybe a Pitcher that can do what Doug Fister did last year.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/07/tigers-acquire-omar-infante-anibal-sanchez.html

 

[Byrne]

In other news, the Red Sox are a joke lol and the Reds are tearing it up without Votto, albeit against mediocre teams. Still, we're half a game back of the best record in the NL. World series birth?!?!?!?!?

 

[Stallion]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rangers-send-lewis-back-dl-221820308--mlb.html

Fuck.

 

[ButteredToast]

I really thought you were going to say something about the terrible Kinsler ejection today. Umpires are making it impossible to show even a little emotion on the field. Also, I'd like to say that Padilla can go to hell, because I'm tired of him hitting people. With his past and his control in the game, that REAKED of foul play. Guy is straight mental...

Finally, hoping that there is no truth to the rumors that the Sox are shopping Jon Lester...

 

[Stallion]

Yeah honestly I've ranted about how shit the umpires treat Kins and some of our players in general is ridiculous. I have no more words to say on the matter, not only did it probably contribute to our loss but it's a travesty that people can't even look at an umpire these days without getting tossed.

 

[Stallion]

Ps I've always hated Padilla. Even when he was a Ranger I thought he was a headcase

 

[biggie]

Padilla's always been a big bag of crazy.

In other news, A-Rod breaks his hand and is scheduled to miss 6-8 weeks. Bad break, but I think the Yankees will be okay unless Swisher is supposed to miss significant time. Also, Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate traded for pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and the minor league pitcher Scott McGough. Is that really all it took? I understand the guy is having a down year but come on. 1) He's playing under Ozzie who is a nutjob 2) he moved positions to accommodate a free agent signing 3) he's still only 28 with loads of natural talent and ability. To think that the Marlins got more for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante than they did for Hanley is a fucking joke.