Baseball!

[Smmenen]

I know some of TMDers are baseball fans.    Speak up!  What teams do you root for?   What do you think of the season so far?    Can the Yankees compete for the AL Wild Card?  What did you think of the All-Star game?  Did La Russa blow it by not batting Pujols?   

The only subject I'm not interested in talking about is Barry Bonds - so please, no debate/discussion on Barry Bonds except as it relates to who may someday surpass him.

Me, I'm a huge Detroit Tigers fan and could not be happier.    The Tigers are poised to walk into the World Series once again this year. 

I'm gonna see the Tigers play the Yankees the weekend after Gencon.    Speak up!   Who do you follow?

[Nefarias]

As a New Englander, I'm a Red Sox fan through and through. It's looking really likely that your Tigers and my Red Sox will meet in the ALCS.

I watched most of the All-Star Game, but regrettably missed the last inning and a half, so I don't know the exact Pujols situation. I do know that he's probably one of the top five hitters in baseball, so not playing him in a clutch situation does seem to be suspect, but even the best players only get on base about 40% of the time, so it's tough to say it was the difference between winning and losing.

Even though numerically, I don't think however many games out of the wild card the Yankees are is insurmountable, the fact that they have to pass over so many teams to do it makes it seem highly unlikely at best.

A-Rod will surpass Bonds barring any tragedy. They put up some ridiculous statistic during the game yesterday that said at A-Rod's age (31), the top three HR guys of all time (Aaron, Bonds, Ruth) all had less than 400 homers. A-Rod has 497. Even if he only hit like, 30 a year (waaay below his average, which I'm too lazy to look up), he wouldn't even be 40 years old when he surpassed Aaron, and I don't think Barry will make it too far past 755.

[zulander]

Barry might go to 800 but Arod's on pace for over 1k. As long as he doesn't get injured or walk away early he's going to break the record.

[kirdape3]

Bonds this year is on pace for 32 or so homers, putting him at 766.  I'm not sure that he'll even play another year.  If he does, he's looking at probably topping out at 790-800 maximum - does anybody really think he has more than 35 HR in a season in him?

Rodriguez's WORST year in which he played more than 100 games was 1997, when he only hit 23 HR.  His average year under such circumstances? 42 HR.  This year, if he only tops out at that it will be an extreme disappointment; it's expected for him to hit 50, say, and his career totals go to 514 at the age of 32.  In order for him to hit 800 by the age of 40, he'll need to average 36 HR/year - six under his nominal average.

It's entirely possible that he unfortunately turns into Ken Griffey, Jr. (who will still hit 600 and if he stays healthy has a real shot at Willie Mays), but if anybody actively playing can break 800, Rodriguez is the most likely suspect.

[KrzyMoose]

Interesting fact: Detroit didn't have a Baseball team until about a year or two ago.*

Then, suddenly, this team called "the Tigers" popped up, and they were pretty decent.  Very strange.

S'all good, though.  They're actually the most exciting team in either League, and, barring a complete burnout (though, they did last year), should easily surpass the R-Sox for first.  I wouldn't be surprised if we surpass 100 wins.

They're my pick to win the Series, but, either way, the AL is going to win it; it'll just be whoever survives the postseason run.  The NL is pretty weak.

*We still don't have a Football team...

[GrandpaBelcher]

Everything I know about baseball I learned from the Dugout:  http://dugout.progressiveboink.com/

Okay, not really.  I root for the Red Sox as a personal choice and my hometown Cleveland Indians (Go Tribe!), but all I really care about is that the Yankees lose.

My favorite games to go to are minor league games.  I'm still hoping to get to the Toledo Mudhens and the Dayton Dragons at least this year.  I got to see Andy Stankiewicz play the last three innings of a game in Oklahoma City!

[Frost]

So being from the middle of Ohio makes you a Tigers fan? Interesting.

Up here in Minnesota there is only one team worth watching... the defending AL Central champs the Minnesota Twins. 

While I won't rule out the Yankees competeing for the wild card, I think that this year there are too many good teams in the AL for them to pass over. Toronto, Seattle, Minnesota, Oakland and Cleveland all look to be fighting for the wild card, I think that it is unrealistic to think that the Yankees can surpass all those teams. Although, stranager things have happened in baseball. I thought it was unrealistic for the Tigers last year to get swept by Kansas City and give the Twins the AL Central, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt. 

[A.-1.]

I've been an Atlanta Braves fan since I was six. One of my earliest baseball memories was the 1991 World Series (Atlanta vs the Minnesota Twins). One of favorite players after that Series became Kirby Puckett and my favorite team the Braves even though they lost. The Braves went 1-4 in the World Series in the 1990s losing two of them to the dreaded evil empire. So I also root for the Red Sox to bury the Yanks. We're two games out in a very poor NL East right now and I'm hoping we can leapfrog the Mets but realistically I'm shooting for the wild card.

Tony La Russa could have and should have pinch hit Pujols for either O Dawg or Rowand. Granted K Rod couldn't find the strike zone against O Dawg and might have walked Pujols in that spot anyway but with no where to put him why not put Pujols in for Rowand? Of course this would be a moot point, if Bud Selig would have never made the All-Star game count for anything. I suppose that home field advantage doesn't really matter anyway since the AL will destroy whatever team the NL fields. Unless some fluke like the Cardinals last year happens again.


I can't really feel sorry for Detroit fans though. You've won NHL and NBA championships recently and a lot of you were alive when they last won MLB. But when it comes to the NFL - fire Matt Millen. I'm a Penn State fan but he has got to go.

[Meddling Mike]

I actually actively maintain a Boston sports blog I'm quite proud of (see my sig).

I'm 100% Red Sox fan, but I respect Cleveland for it's dedicated fan base and the Padres for doing so well on such a small budget. I love when a small market team can compete with the sky high salary teams through excellent management and good young talent.

This has to be the most boring AL East race in years. Red Sox lead on Toronto/Yankees? 10 Games. Other division leaders leads combined? 11 Games. Despite what Derek Jeter said at the All Star Game, it is an extreme longshot that the Yankees will be able to compete for the AL East. This isn't 1978, the 2007 Red Sox have much greater depth than their '78 counterparts, the '78 team that blew the AL East lead was purely an offensive team, the current Red Sox have an excellent balance of Offense, Defense and the best pitching in baseball. Terry Francona isn't Don Zimmer, Francona is babying his bullpen giving his relievers scheduled off days, Francona isn't pushing anybody too hard with Schilling taking a DL stint despite a clean bill of health from the MRI/Doctors. Our true Ace Josh Beckett missed a start and we STILL gained ground on the Yankees. The offensive production of JD Drew, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and especially Julio Lugo is down significantly from their career numbers and we still have the best record in baseball. The second half for the Red Sox is also chock full of fluff:

From my Blog:

75 Games left, 15 (that's 20%) of those games are against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the team with the worst record in the AL, the team currently on an 11 game losing streak, the team that just got swept in 3 games by the sox including the embarrassing rout last night. The schedule beyond that is also somewhat unimpressive with only 20 Games against teams with records above .500 (4 v. Twins (.512), 2 v. A's (.518), 4 v. Indians (.600), 3 v. Seattle (.561) and 7 v. Angels (.612)). I'm a superstitious man at heart, so all I will say is that the Yankees certainly have their work cut out for them to catch the Sox in the second half.

Whether the Yankees can compete for the Wild Card is another story as they currently sit 8.5 back from the Cleveland Indians in that regard. This lead is certainly not insurmountable, but will require the Yankees to go on a tear to grab the interest of the fans and make up some ground against a weak patch in their schedule. I think they can make the wild card, but probably won't. Joe Torre and Yankees GM Brian Cashman will quit/get fired and there will be a massive overhaul of the Yankees management and roster.

Tony LaRussa screwed up, no doubt about that, but to say that he blew it is something we'll never know. Maybe if he put Pujols in he would have struck out, the guy is not an automatic hit. That said, Francisco Rodriguez was clearly struggling, gave up two walks, hadn't recorded an out, his pitching was erratic as Jorge Posada had to move significantly to avoid wild pitches and passed balls. There was something wrong with Francisco Rodriguez mentally, maybe he was intimidated, maybe he was afraid, maybe he didn't like the way Posada was looking at him, maybe he threw that first bad pitch and it all went downhill from there. Putting in a guy like Albert Pujols, one of the most notorious hitters in baseball could only have served to shake up Francisco Rodriguez even further and I think Pujols had an excellent opportunity to tie or win this game. I personally think Jim Leyland screwed up just as badly leaving Rodriguez in there after the first walk, or the second walk to load the bases for that matter, when he has Hideki Okajima waiting to pitch.

[Polynomial P]

I am a third-generation Cubs fan, so this is the part of the year where the Cubs make a pseudo-run which will inevitably be followed by the mantra of a 100 years: "Wait 'til next year". What does give me hope is that the Cubs have finally seemed to get past the Prior and Wood injuries. They have not been played this year and the Cubs have managed to stay in the race, at least in part, thanks to a weak division and good play by Soriano and Zambrano. I think that the Cubs *could* win the central division *if* they do not have any major injuries between now and the end of the season. With Zambrano back on track and Ramirez back from the DL the cubs have gone from 9.5 back to 4.5 back in two weeks.

I am just glad they are ahead of the Cardinals. It hasn't been easy for a Cubs fan living in St. Louis...

[Sextiger]

I don't watch baseball really anymore but I suppose I am a Red Sox Fan. 

Hopefully Bonds dies in a car crash or something in the new week or so.   

[LordHomerCat]

I'm just happy my hometown Milwaukee Brewers are finally having a good year, and am hoping they can hold on and make the playoffs for the first time in 25 years.  Cmon Brewers, not too much longer!

[Scott_Limoges]

I am a baseball fan!  While I respect the Tigers talent, I can't stand the players.  Just look at their franchise players/leaders:

Sheffield
Ordonez
Rogers

These players have zero class, no ethics and treat the fans like garbage.  On a human level, how can anyone route for these players?  Maybe thats why they play the game.

I do respect Verlander and Guillen though..

That being said, I'm a Cubs fan...

[PhilipJFry]

What is so bad about Ordonez?  Rogers and Sheffield, sure, but Ordonez?  I must have forgotten something.

I am a Minnesota boy married to a New England gal, so our household is pulling for the Twins and the Red Sox.  The Sox are in the driver's seat, so all is good on that front.  The Twins have their work cut out for them, but a Cleveland/Detroit fade could see the miracle Twins pull off another one in '07.

[Scott_Limoges]

I've recently began to root for the Twins.  The team has that likable spirit and they grow on you.  With the best starting pitcher, closer, catcher, firstbaseman, and outfielder in baseball and lowest team salary, their a fan favorite.  I hope they can hold those players after arbitration...Mauer, Nathan, Morneau, and Hunter.

[PhilipJFry]

I've recently began to root for the Twins.  The team has that likable spirit and they grow on you.  With the best starting pitcher, closer, catcher, firstbaseman, and outfielder in baseball and lowest team salary, their a fan favorite.  I hope they can hold those players after arbitration...Mauer, Nathan, Morneau, and Hunter.

This is the constant dread for the Twins fan.  They keep everything together with bailing wire and bubble gum, salary-wise.  For a while, they were being real proactive in getting guys under contract, but now Morneau and possibly Cuddyer are going to get them real bad in arbitration this offseason, Hunter is either going to get a big money deal or be gone, Santana and Nathan are done with their deals after next year and Santana at least will take huge money to re-up.  Mauer is under contract until 2010, when the new stadium opens, but who knows who else will be there by that time.

Then again, they have stayed good since 2002 with the only carryover being Hunter, so maybe they know what they are doing.

[Scott_Limoges]

Two teams that always suprise me are the Marlins and Twins.  Farm teams and drafting are important.

[Lou]

I LOVE the Chicago Cubs. I really mean that. In 2003, and still on occasion when it (the Bartman debacle) is brought up, I will cry for my team. I try not to, but the heart ache can come on strong.

The Cubs are looking mad strong right now. We just swept the Astros after a great finish to the first half.

They'll be here in Denver right before Gencon for a FOUR game series, and even if it's in the rock pile (the cheap seats), I'll be at every game.

The best though are the four tickets I have for Wrigley against the Brewers right after Gencon. Old Style on tap? Yes, please!

[Klep]

In a stunning, come-from-behind victory, I predict that the World Series will be won by the New Orleans Saints.

[MadManiac21]

Red Sox, born and raised.

I am slightly concerned by the current moves being made by the Yankees - i.e. winning games. If they make the pennant race interesting, awesome. If the Sox manage to collapse, and not even make the playoffs, it's going to take a lot of effort to not just kill myself.

[Apollyon]

The Yankees have the largest payroll in the game. I'm unsurprised that they are winning games.

[Mr. Nightmare]

I generally root for the Cubs, not because I particularly like Baseball, but because living in NY and hating the Yankees is a bad strategy.  At least if I like the Cubs, people feel sorry for me.  You'll never get in a fight saying "I'm a Cubs fan."

[GrandpaBelcher]

You'll never get in a fight saying "I'm a Cubs fan."

Hah, it's like my Cubs-fan friend says: "We're a baby bear!  How can you not love a baby bear?"

I think the best game I ever saw was a Cubs game against the Rockies in Coors Field.  I and three Cubs fans sat in the Rockpile and had the time of our lives booing and cheering with the rest of the Cubs fans.  The game had a little bit of everything--pitcher's duel for the first few innings, big hitting at the end including three home runs, even a little bench-clearing scuffle.  Plus, the Cubs came from behind to win it, and though I have nothing against the Rockies, like I said, how can you not love a baby bear?

[Razvan]

oakland will falter this year after an amazing recovery. like the past 10 years.
sox hopefully will win it again. unlikely though.
blue jays, yey! i hope they make the playoffs.

[Scott_Limoges]

The playoff will look like this:

NL
Mets
vs.          Mets Win
Brewers
                vs.            Cubs Win           
Cubs
vs.          Cubs Win
Padres

                                    vs.                       Cubs Win the World Series
AL                                                            in 7 games!
Red Sox                                                   
vs.          Red Sox Win
Tigers
 
                    vs.           Red Sox Win
Indians
vs.          Indians Win
Angels

[Lou]

The playoff will look like this:

NL
Mets
vs.          Mets Win
Brewers
                vs.            Cubs Win           
Cubs
vs.          Cubs Win
Padres

                                    vs.                       Cubs Win the World Series
AL                                                            in 7 games!
Red Sox                                                   
vs.          Red Sox Win
Tigers
 
                    vs.           Red Sox Win
Indians
vs.          Indians Win
Angels

I don't think there is anyway the Wild Card comes out of the NL Central here Scotty, which you are suggesting by having the Brewers and the glorious and wonderful Cubs in your bracket. They just beat up on each other too much.

Other than that though, I would say this is pretty spot on. The Cubs have the best record in baseball since June 1, and are easily the hottest team. Exciting!

[Scott_Limoges]

The NL wild card slot came down to 3 teams:

Braves
Brewers
Dodgers

Of these teams, the Brewers had the most depth in pitching and hitting although the team is young and inexperienced.  The braves are streaky and lack solid hitting, especially if McCann can't find a groove.  The dodgers are well-rounded average club without standout qualities.  I don't think the dodgers could win 5 straight games ever.

Who were you thinking as the NL wild card?

And I really think the phillies could run if they aquired another arm.  They have solid bats and a young ace.

[BC]

I've lived in St. Louis for 5 years now, during which time I've become a pretty serious Cardinals fan.  They've been good to me the last 5 years, with 4 (I believe) playoff appearances and a World Championship, even though they're mediocre this year.  Even as a Cardinals fan I don't have anything bad to say about the Cubs this year.  They're starting to look really good and the Brewers are starting to look a lot worse.  They should win the division by 5 games.  We all know they will find a way to mess it up in the playoffs, though.  That's a no brainer.

[defector]

I am a Braves fan for the NL and a Twins fan for the AL. I prefer the NL because I like seeing the poor pitcher pick up a bat, seems like a more pure variant to me. I hate on the Yankees at every opportunity I have, even to the point of rooting loudly for Arizona, what a series! I will hate on the Yankees until Steinbrenner quits. I also follow a lot of individual players mainly pitchers. Can't wait to see Glavine go over 300 and hope that Randy Johnson gets healthy enough to cross that threshold himself. As for this year, I think the team of Destiny is going to be Cleveland. They seem to be doing everything right and probably have the right pitching depth to go far the play offs. We'll see though, they play the games for a reason:)
defector

[Scott_Limoges]

Braves fans celebrate today.  They aquired Mark Texiera from the Ranges and a shot at the National League East.  Texiera is of the 5 best 1st baseman in MLB and will boost the Brave's offense.

Partially related - Cubs are .5 games out of first place in the NL Central!!