MLB Season Discussion - 2013

My Yankees signed Girardi.

4 years.

I think this is a good thing.

$4 million per season plus bonuses

Good for him.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...dium=newsletter&utm_campaign=new-york-yankees

 

Damn it!

See you guys in another 86 years.

 

This is how sympathetic I am as a Cub fan in a 100+ year and counting drought.

 

If the ALCS is Red Sox / Athletics, I predict they'll call it: Battle of the Beards.

 

And the Cardinals move on to the NLCS.

 

I'm glad the Pirates got some taste of the playoffs. There should be no shame in getting this far and not winning. The Pirates worked hard to get where they got. They should be proud of that.

 

I can speak authoritatively here... right after the playoff loss... it hurts more than not even being close to the playoffs. Dashed hopes are more painful than never having any. You begin to soften up by November though and grow more fond of the season.

 

As much as you have to give the Cards kudos for being a model of consistency, I am disappointed we will see them yet again in the NLCS. It just further precipitates my theory that the NBA and MLB are a waste of time because 95% of the time, it is the same handful of teams at the end.

 

Hmm...

14 times has someone won back to back (or a couple times, 3-peat) championships. Only twice in the last 30 or so years. In that same span, 20 different franchises have won at least once. Even some of the ones we currently think of as terrible. 7 different teams in the past 10 years, with only the Red Sox, Cardinals, and Giants winning twice in that period.

With more money in the game, teams are locking up young stars before free agency, and it's getting about as balanced as baseball is going to get. With so much money in revenue, teams are only cheap because they WANT to be at this point. Marlins, for example, get more in revenue sharing than their entire roster. So before they sell a single ticket or hot dog, they're in the black. Of course, they are a disgrace because of that, but hey, it's on the owner.

Anyway, i think your statement USED to be somewhat more true, but not as much anymore. Some of the old standbys make a run every year, but there's always a few newcomers in the mix. And we're likely looking at a Yankee 'dark period', so might be a chance for a few more mystery teams to jump in. Can't fix incompetent management, though, so some teams will just always suck until that's fixed...

 

Agreed, I think baseball is as good as its going to get with regards to parity especially if you look at some of the payrolls that ended up in the playoffs this year. I struggle with the NBA at times because once a dominant team emerges, they can be tough to unseat at times which is why we have seen multiple dynasty type teams in the last 20 years or so. (Bulls, Lakers, Spurs and current Miami team)

 

At the end of the day, each year has it's version of the Pirates (remember when the Rockies made a run all the way to the World Series?) But, barring one year aberrations, teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Phillies, Giants, Tigers, Cardinals & Braves are always there and teams like the Brewers, Padres, Mariners, Royals & Blue Jays are always on the outside looking in. It's hard to believe parity when you get one Cinderella team that never makes it and then gets eliminated early. I find it incredibly hard to shell out money for a Blue Jays game when I know I'll never see a contender.

Whatever the reason is (incompetent management, low payroll, inability to hold onto good players), it doesn't really matter. In some of these markets, baseball is merely a summer holdover until Hockey or Football comes back because they are never competitive. I'm really find myself meh on the whole sport.

 

Well, my Yankees have stated they want to get under the magic 189 Million mark. Not sure why, I know the penalty is more, but they are the Yankees. Soon to have a new contract with the YES network too is I'm not mistaken.

No "dark" period. Just need to find good young talent like we did in the 90's. Need to find a couple good young arms.

Can't sign any more stupid A-Rod contracts either. Cano's 300+ m 10 year asking price is ludicrous.

Baseball is the toughest sport to draft by far. My Yankees need to get better.

The Pirates were in the "we wont spend $$$" boat for years too. They've always had it, just need to loosen the belt. They've been under new ownership for a few years and we can see the change for sure.

The NBA is the easiest sport to build a winner quickly. Buy a couple superstars and your in the play-offs.

Agree about parity in baseball. Aside from the Dodgers, each team is really taking notice WRT the new luxury tax.

 

Then there's the Cubs who despite having the fanbase and payroll just can't put together a winner to save their lives. Though I'm still holding out for the Back to the Future II prediction of 2015 being our year!

 

The Fish would have to have moved to the AL and change to some gator logo for that to happen.

 

Well, there's an easy explanation for that: The Cardinals are in the playoffs so often because they're GOOD.

 

They most certainly do a great job with their personnel.
They also didn't make the big contract mistake with Albert Pujols.

 

Tigers are on their way to the ALCS.

A little bit of controversy in the bottom of the 9th there and a dramatic end.

I don't like Miggy's earring.

 

Verlander took a nono into the 7th inning. Pity that Sonny Gray couldn't have put up more of a fight this time!

And could somebody please bitch slap those Detroit radio guys. They were really rubbing the A's faces in it the whole time. Especially the color commentator. I don't know who those guys are, but they're like the radio versions of Ken Harrelson.

 

That, and their division is TERRIBLE. Slightly better lately, with the Pirates and Reds getting their shit together a little, but come on. In 2006, when they won the WS, they won their division with 83 games. Would have been good for about 8th place in the AL East. Out of 5 teams. They've been decent for quite a while, but that crap division certainly helps.

As for the Red Sox "always being in it", it may see that way, but last Post-Season appearance for them was 2009 (swept in LDS by LAA). May seem like they're always there, but they haven't been. 2003-2009, excepting 2006, was a good run though. The Blue Jays spent the money, they're just a terrible team. They were the favorites to win the division and so some damage this year, and they shot themselves in the foot. Repeatedly. Money /= good. And I think the Red Sox proved that Farrell wasn't the problem last year for them...

And the Yankees: not sure where the optimism is coming from. They're already locked in as super-expensive, and are losing a bunch of big pieces. They've got several expensive guys that are liabilities at this point, and like a 4 person logjam to try and DH them. Best player is a FA at the moment, and their best hope for getting better is that their most expensive player gets suspended or hopefully banned from baseball. Only 4 years, 116 million left on that one! Jeter can't stay on the field and hurts you when he does, Mo retired, CC looked terrible this year (4 years 96 million left there), Texiera has another 3/67.5M left on his deal, can't stay healthy and has wrist issues sapping his power. Kuroda, your best pitcher, is a FA. Pettitte retired. Granderson's a FA. They have NO farm system, without any 'big' prospects, and their best guys took steps backwards this year, so no help coming there.

In all reality, who would you say is the Yankee's best player right now (excluding FAs)? Gardner (.274 avg, 8 HR, 24 SB)? Nova (9-6, 3.10 ERA, went from 16 wins to 12 to 9 the last 3 years)? Right now, Cano is all they've got, and while he'll probably return, it's not guaranteed. He leaves, there's literally nothing there. Especially for the 189M they're going to try and get under. This has happened a few times in the last decade where we thought the Yankees might fall off and they held it together, but it's starting to seem more and more like the bill for all the bad and expensive signings is starting to come due...

 

I watched the game.

Verlander was a machine last night.

I'll tip my hat to the Gray kid. What is he, 23/24? He did pretty darn well. Why you would pitch inside to Carbrerra is beyond me. Damn... one pitch and he got him.

I like the TBS coverage.

I still am puzzled as to why Jimmy took Verlander out. His pitch count was low and it was obvious the A's couldn't figure him out. It almost cost them... I was praying to a 3 run dinger there at the end. That would have been cool.