2011 MLB Season Discussion

[Tom Servo]

Well, for what it's worth I hope they pull it together Yankees against Rays in the post season is "meh". Yankees vs Red Sox for the chance to make it into the World Series has been and always will be epic

Jose Bautista was traded to the Yankees? Since when?

you really don't think Granderson is a contendor for MVP, being second in home runs, leading in runs, leading in RBIs and leading in triples? Come on

And they were never underdogs...ever. You can't be a 210 million dollar team and be underdogs. They are just another good team in the division.

They certainly weren't the medias favorites to win the Division at the beginning of the season...or even to make it into the post season, as this pre-season article shows

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/1243/bps-projected-al-standings-yanks-in-third


espn in particular was big on giving the Division and the World Series to the Red Sox You can even see that mindset in this thread if you turn back the pages a bit.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview/2011/news/story?page=11expertpicks

Granderson is a contender obviously, but he's not a slam dunk as RAMA wrote, and I suspect that Bautista would win. Hell Ellsbury is just as much in the race as Granderson. I shamelessly stole this info from another site, but "10th in fWAR (Ellsbury has a .6 lead on Bautista for 1st, ftr), 10th in wRC+ (Ellsbury is 6th), 9th in OPS (Ellsbury is 6th), 8th in AVG (Ellsbury is 5th), tied for 15th in HR (Ellsbury is tied for 9th), tied for 2nd in RBI (Ellsbury is tied for 8th)."

As for them being underdogs, I get that in the preseason that they we're not the favored team, in light of the Red Sox moves, and I honestly believe that had it not been for the injuries to the rotation (not an excuse, just saying that no team can win with their 7-8-9 starters in the depth chart as their 3-4-5) that they would have won the division. The Yankees got healthy and took off, the Red Sox didn't. Hopefully if they get to the postseason that can change. However, they weren't underdogs, you can call them that. They weren't favored, but they weren't the Rays either.

 

[Skywalker]

Ugh, what a horrible month this has been for the Sox. If only the season ended in August instead of September.

But calling the Yankees underdogs is a complete joke. The Rays (especially after their roster was gutted during the offseason) were underdogs. The Blue Jays and Orioles (especially the Orioles) would be underdogs. The Yankees and Red Sox are never underdogs.

 

[clint g]

Well, the yanks are certainly playing like a team that spent the whole night drinking

 

[Starbreaker]

Way to go Yankees...actually underdogs when they started the season to the Bosox, they not only win the AL East title, but no team is even 5 games close to the Yanks win total for home field advantage in the playoffs with 7 games left to play! They have the AL MVP, two solid starters, and the 3 best relievers in the game going into the playoffs!

RAMA

I'll give you Mo, but you might want to meet a guy named Jonny Venters.

 

[clint g]

Manny plans on making a comeback

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110922&content_id=25062802&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

After being told he could not play winter ball in the Dominican Republic as long as he remains on the inactive list, Manny Ramirez said Thursday he will formally request reinstatement.

According to a report by ESPNdeportes.com, Ramirez said he will serve his 100-game suspension for a second violation of Major League Baseball's drug policy upon being reinstated.

I really hope this wife-beating junkie stays far, far away from the MLB...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If Manny thinks any team will sign him, he's even dumber than I thought.

It's not just that he was juiced. It's because he was a bad teammate - a "clubhouse killer". In essence, a JERK.

 

[Starbreaker]

Marlins closer Leo Nunez has been living in the States under a false identity.

And... the Yankees are flopping and trying to get the Red Sox out of the playoffs. Painfully obvious.

 

[clint g]

Lol no, only the Red Sox can keep themselves out of the playoffs. Don't blame anyone else but them. They got themselves into this situation. They lost every single game while the Yankees were beating the Rays.

 

[Skywalker]

Lol no, only the Red Sox can keep themselves out of the playoffs. Don't blame anyone else but them. They got themselves into this situation. They lost every single game while the Yankees were beating the Rays.

Ugh. Don't remind me.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Love this one thing Howie Rose (the Mets radio guy) said after the last Mets/Cardinals game, when the Cards were collapsing in the 9th inning.. he said it was the most polite booing he had ever heard.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Yay Diamondbacks!!!!!

 

[Skywalker]

Good for the Diamondbacks.

 

[RAMA]

Way to go Yankees...actually underdogs when they started the season to the Bosox, they not only win the AL East title, but no team is even 5 games close to the Yanks win total for home field advantage in the playoffs with 7 games left to play! They have the AL MVP, two solid starters, and the 3 best relievers in the game going into the playoffs!

RAMA

I'll give you Mo, but you might want to meet a guy named Jonny Venters.

I should clarify...I meant on one team...obviously there are some closers right behing Rivera...but Robertson has been the best middle reliever in years this year, and Soriano is a great set-up guy.

 

[RAMA]

Way to go Yankees...actually underdogs when they started the season to the Bosox, they not only win the AL East title, but no team is even 5 games close to the Yanks win total for home field advantage in the playoffs with 7 games left to play! They have the AL MVP, two solid starters, and the 3 best relievers in the game going into the playoffs!

RAMA

Jose Bautista was traded to the Yankees? Since when?

And they were never underdogs...ever. You can't be a 210 million dollar team and be underdogs. They are just another good team in the division.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox descent in to hell continues. This month has been a perfect storm of bad luck, injuries, and bad performance from some of their most reliable guys. While its not necessary their faults, I am starting to wonder, that if they complete the collapse (they are 5-16 this month, holy shit), if Francona, or Theo goes? Not necessarily fired, but moving on to another position, or in Tito's case retirement. The poor guy has seem completely and utterly distraught for the past week. Hopefully they can back into to playoffs and regroup from there. There is not a dominant team this year in the playoffs (cept maybe the Phils), so hopefully they can catch a few breaks.

Grandersons numbers are better overall...Bautista has 1 more homer and has a better avg, slugging and OBP...but Granderson is way out ahead on Runs and RBIs (to me the two most important stats in offensive baseball) and has more doubles, triples, and actually steals bases too!

People also forget CANO!! He leads the majors in extra base hits with 80, is hitting .305, 27 homers, and a career high with 116 RBIs.

RAMA

 

[clint g]

Yeah Robertson has been one hell of a surprise this year. He has come a long way since last season and may one day take Rivera's spot

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Question about the wildcard: Since the Yankees can't play against whoever the WC ends up being (Redsox or Rays), given that they're from the same division, then the WC will play against either the Tigers or Rangers. But as of now, those last two teams are tied. If the season ends with such a tie, who does the WC play?

 

[Pegaritaville]

Marlins closer Leo Nunez has been living in the States under a false identity.

Wish he could have kept his identity a secret a week longer- I have him on both of my fantasy teams. Doesn't matter much for my TrekBBS team (didn't make the playoffs), but I'm still battling for 1st in my yearly league.


The Twins season just keeps getting better. Yesterday OF Denard Span's car rear-ended 3B Danny Valencia's on the way to the airport and neither were able to play. Nothing has gone right this year- I'm starting to think the Twins may not manage to avoid 100 losses.

 

[timothy]

The TEXAS RANGERS all the way baby!! were going to the world series agin and this we will win.

 

[Tom Servo]

Way to go Yankees...actually underdogs when they started the season to the Bosox, they not only win the AL East title, but no team is even 5 games close to the Yanks win total for home field advantage in the playoffs with 7 games left to play! They have the AL MVP, two solid starters, and the 3 best relievers in the game going into the playoffs!

RAMA

Jose Bautista was traded to the Yankees? Since when?

And they were never underdogs...ever. You can't be a 210 million dollar team and be underdogs. They are just another good team in the division.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox descent in to hell continues. This month has been a perfect storm of bad luck, injuries, and bad performance from some of their most reliable guys. While its not necessary their faults, I am starting to wonder, that if they complete the collapse (they are 5-16 this month, holy shit), if Francona, or Theo goes? Not necessarily fired, but moving on to another position, or in Tito's case retirement. The poor guy has seem completely and utterly distraught for the past week. Hopefully they can back into to playoffs and regroup from there. There is not a dominant team this year in the playoffs (cept maybe the Phils), so hopefully they can catch a few breaks.

Grandersons numbers are better overall...Bautista has 1 more homer and has a better avg, slugging and OBP...but Granderson is way out ahead on Runs and RBIs (to me the two most important stats in offensive baseball) and has more doubles, triples, and actually steals bases too!

People also forget CANO!! He leads the majors in extra base hits with 80, is hitting .305, 27 homers, and a career high with 116 RBIs.

RAMA

However, you can't use RBI's and runs as compelling stats in this case, because it's not Bautista's fault the jays lineup around him sucks. Not his fault he can't drive those in on base in front of him, or have them drive him in, if they aren't hitting. As you even said, in the true individual stats, OBP, Avg, and in HRs, he beats Curtis in every category. Put him in the Yankees lineup and see what happens.

As for Cano, good numbers, but he's still behind Bautista, Granderson, Ellsbury, Verlander and Gonzales for consideration, atleast as I see it.

 

[tomalak301]

Congrats to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They deserved it and I'm rooting for them to win the world series. Anyone but New York, Boston, or Philidelphia.