MLB Game Chatter Thread

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Why is Yahoo Sports proclaiming the Cardinals the NL Central champs? I know it's a given, but the magic number's one. All of the articles are talking about how they're officially the champs after their win coupled with the Cubs' losing last night.

 

And as if anyone cared, the horrible outings by Maddux and Schmidt along with the recent collapse of guys like Furcal, Loretta and Sheffield have more or less sealed my fate in the addiction known as fantasy baseball.

[mike546 0]

Talk about bad karma for Varitek. Gets in the fight with A-Rod in Boston, then comes to the Stadium and goes 0-10 with 7 Ks in the series.

[Guest Staravenger]

The Cubs ONCE AGAIN screw me over by beating the pants off of the Reds bullpen in the ninth inning to win. IT HAD TO BE ALOU AND BARRETT of all people.

[Brett Favre 0]

Talk about bad karma for Varitek. Gets in the fight with A-Rod in Boston, then comes to the Stadium and goes 0-10 with 7 Ks in the series.

And A-Rod hits a couple of home runs in the series.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Why is Yahoo Sports proclaiming the Cardinals the NL Central champs? I know it's a given, but the magic number's one. All of the articles are talking about how they're officially the champs after their win coupled with the Cubs' losing last night.

Because the Magic Number to win the division outright was 1, but Chicago's loss last night guaranteed that the best that Cubs could do was tie St. Louis. And, since St. Louis won the season series, then they would win the tiebreaker and win the Central Division.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I know that...now. Of course, the Cards could've sealed the deal today, but instead, somehow avoided getting the sweep against the D-Backs. Not having Rolen in there has really made the Cards look a lot less amazing the last week or so.

[Guest Anglesault]

Talk about bad karma for Varitek. Gets in the fight with A-Rod in Boston, then comes to the Stadium and goes 0-10 with 7 Ks in the series.

Poor Fairitek.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

AS, I believe this series keeps you from reasonably complaining about the Yankees. They more or less put a serious dent in the hopes of the Sox winning the East and did it in very convincing fashion.

[Guest Anglesault]

AS, I believe this series keeps you from reasonably complaining about the Yankees.

 

You would think so, wouldn't you?

 

Not until they clinch.

[Guest Anglesault]

In case anyone cares, Pedro did an interview with the Post and listed his favorite movies. Typical Pedro dry humor, so you may not get it.

 

Shrek, The Passion and the Titanic

[Guest Staravenger]

Shrek, The Passion and the Titanic

In honor of Johnny Damon I suppose. The Passion of the Christ I might put on a top movie list, but as a favorite? He must enjoy one of the following...

 

a.) Seeing Christ suffer

b.) Really hates any other kinds of movies.

 

I'm going with b, since he also listed Titanic, so tragedy out-weighs anything else 2-1.

[mike546 0]

My mistake.

 

Varitek went 0-10, with EIGHT Ks.

[Bored 0]

Angles last three losses: 1-0, 2-0, 1-0. Yikes.

 

A's push lead back to three games.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Is there any doubt at this point that Johan Santana is the AL Cy Young? 14 strikeouts today.

[mike546 0]

Santana isn't human.

 

30 INNINGS WITHOUT GIVING UP A RUN!

 

insane.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Best of all, he's helped me beat the Chicago White Sux in the H2H Fantasy league.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Bah. Please speak no more of fantasy baseball, as the collective collapse of the players I mentioned earlier basically saw me fall just short of the number one guy in the league. I must now settle for the stupid consolation brackett.

 

And I'm starting to get this slow, sinking feeling that some how, the Giants are going to fall backwards into the postseason. I know they're not as bad as they seem, but I don't doubt that this team is getting eliminated in the first round should they make it that far.

[Slayer 0]

Santana isn't human.

 

30 INNINGS WITHOUT GIVING UP A RUN!

 

insane.

Only 28 more innings to go

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

New column is up for you guys to check out.

[Guest Anglesault]

Shrek, The Passion and the Titanic

In honor of Johnny Damon I suppose.

And Shrek is Ortiz.

 

The best connection to the Titanic I can make is the Sox themselves, but I'm not sure Pedro would say that. I'm also not sure he wouldn't.

[cabbageboy 0]

Tomorrow is the Cubs/Marlins makeup double header, right? This is the key couple of games for the Cubs. If they sweep the double dip then they'll be tied for the WC...if they lose both, well, they're screwed.

 

It's probably the Marlins's do or die games as well.

[Guest Staravenger]

I'd say the Marlins are already fucked. Beating the Cubs won't push them ahead of the Giants, it will just give the Astros the second place slot of the race. Florida has too many teams to contend with ahead of them to have any real shot. Plus they really haven't been playing too good recently, barely being able to score three runs today to beat the Braves.

 

The pitching isn't fantastic, as the two best pitchers (I'd assume Beckett and Willis) are not pitchers you can trust going into any type of game. Their closer (Benitez) is shaky too, but has been having a pretty good season.

[Mik 0]

You're right, but calling Beckett and Benitez shaky is not very accurate. Josh Beckett has battled the DL 3 times this year, and on his first start after his first trip to the DL, he had 8 Ks through 3 innings before he pulled a muscle in his back in the next inning. His record doesn't really show how good of a pitcher he is.

 

And Armando Benitez has been the most lights out closer in major league baseball this year.

 

I'm not too optimistic, mostly due to David F'n Weathers starting game two of the doubleheader against the Cubs today.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Beckett's actually been pitching up to his reputation over the last month (3 wins with a 2.61 ERA in 41.1 IP) - I'm thinking that perhaps he's just a big second half guy (a la Derrek Lee).

 

Benitez is on the other side of the spectrum - he'll always have a shitty reputation from his New York days, but he's been very good this year. 43 saves out of 46 chances ain't exactly "shaky."

[Bruiser Chong 0]

He'll be a highly sought after free agent, even though many are going to wait for him to drop back to down to reality because of his New York days.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think this is mostly the reality for Benitez. He had a bad year last year, which was out of line from his established level of play. The Marlins didn't buy it, and earned themselves a bargain.

[Guest Staravenger]

Maybe I used the wrong choice of wording, but Beckett is not the type of pitcher who can carry a team single handedly in the pitching department. He's had good starts, but he's had his share of bad ones too, and he's the #1 starter. I'm not saying he should be an ace like Roger Clemens, but the team can't win with mediocre pitching when they don't even have any real powerful bats. Teams like the Yankees can get away with only having one great starter as long as their batting is good, but the Marlins can't.

 

I retract my Benitez statement. For some reason, his less than spectacular seasons with the NYM and NYY tarnishes him to me.

 

Let's see his seasons stats...

64.1 IP, 2-1 w/ 43 saves, 8 ER, 5 HR, 20 walks, 60 strike outs, w/ a 1.12 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and .141 BAA.

 

This is actually his best full season to date besides his total strike outs (his season best is 128 in 1999).

[The Czech Republic 0]

Cubs are up 5-1, Mark Prior isn't doing a Kyle Farnsworth impression, Pro Player Stadium is nearly empty, and the people that ARE there are cheering for Florida's strikeouts.