MLB Offseason 2011

[Mr. Laser Beam]

They traded Montero already? Damn.

Oh well, I guess Martin and Cervelli will do fine behind the plate. And the Yanks could definitely use Pineda...

 

[Timby]

Yankees trade Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos.

Yikes. Enjoy your heist, Cashman. Sabathia/Pineda/Kuroda/Hughes/Nova is a pretty damned good rotation. Was Jack Z doing Quaaludes?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

New scoreboard at Wrigley Field...

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Unless it fucks up punts, a scoreboard is rarely news.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ At Wrigley, it is.

 

[Skywalker]

Gio Gonzalez agrees to 5-year, $42 million extension with the Nationals. The deal also includes club options for two more years, which would bring the total value up to $65 million.

Great deal for the Nats, I think.

 

[SmoothieX]

New scoreboard at Wrigley Field...

Maybe they could replace the urinal troughs while they're at it. Those things are nasty.

 

[Timby]

New scoreboard at Wrigley Field...

Maybe they could replace the urinal troughs while they're at it. Those things are nasty.

They just need to blow up Wrigley.

 

[Skywalker]

Yeah, I understand tradition and history and all that, but I feel the same way about Fenway. It's cool to go and see a game there, but despite the renovations they've made over the past decade it's still old and cramped. I'd love to see the Red Sox playing in a modern stadium, but after all the money the ownership group has put into Fenway, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon.

 

[SmoothieX]

Fenway is a pit. I don't know the area enough though to know where they could build a new one.

Foxborough is great 8 times a year for football, but not central enough or well accessible by mass transit to get butts in seats 81 games each season.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I was at Fenway last year, I had a great time. I don't think it's a dump at all. They've done an excellent job keeping it usable. I'm sure it's got at least 20 years of life left in it. It's not anywhere near falling apart, like Wrigley is.

There was at least one new Fenway plan back in '05 (would have been built right next to where Fenway now is). Also there was a different idea to build one down near the waterfront, with a new Pats stadium right next to it. But in both cases, AFAIK, it was the Boston city council who put a stop to it.

 

[SmoothieX]

^Gillette, where the Pats play, opened in 2002. Why would they replace a brand new, sold out facility 3 years after opening?

 

[Timby]

It's not anywhere near falling apart, like Wrigley is.

Wrigley isn't falling apart. There have been tens of millions of dollars poured into keeping it at least somewhat-modern over the last decade-plus. To say that it's "falling apart" is a hilariously hyperbolic statement.

The problem with Wrigley is that it's small, its framework limits any sort of real expansion (the horrific placement and size of the visitors dugout being a prime example), and there's only so much they can do with it at this point. By keeping Wrigley Field as-is, especially now that the Rickettses (who leveraged their purchase) are in control instead of the coffers of the Tribune Co., the Cubs are essentially operating on a fixed revenue stream, and it's directly due to the stadium.

I love Wrigley Field. I grew up in the Chicago area, lived there 'til 2002 and continued to return regularly, and I'd say I've probably gone to at least 200 games at Wrigley in my lifetime. But it needs to go. Salvage the scoreboard, the organ, the exterior marquee, what have you, but otherwise blow the fucking thing up.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ The falling concrete from a few years ago is probably what Laser was referring to.

Eventually some structural problem is going to crop up that can't be fixed. The question is, where to build a new stadium.

Any way they can go back to the "west side" where they started?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^Gillette, where the Pats play, opened in 2002. Why would they replace a brand new, sold out facility 3 years after opening?

This was a different plan from the 2005 one. Before Gillette Stadium existed.

^ The falling concrete from a few years ago is probably what Laser was referring to.

And the fact that almost the entire outer wall has been removed because of the detereorating concrete there.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ That too. The falling concrete got more coverage though, as I remember.

I just hope it doesn't come down to people getting injured or killed if a big portion collapses. Visual inspections can only see so much.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Cubs have interest in Yoenis Cespedes

Cuban defector Yoenis Céspedes said the Chicago Cubs have shown the most interest in him, although the slugging outfielder cautioned that it doesn't mean he'll be signing with the North Siders.

I'm still cautiously excited about the prospect of this guy coming to Chicago. I really hope they land him.

 

[Elmer]

Hi Laser,
I have heard about Tony La Russa retirement and I will miss him for sure.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

V-Mart injures ACL in knee...likely to miss entire 2012 season.

 

[Timby]

Rockies signed Jamie Moyer to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.

God, I hope he makes the roster. I want to see the utter hilarity of a 49-year-old pitching in Coors.