TWiB #8: 5/22 - 5/28

[Guest Felonies!]

I think that the Nats PR department should work up something ala the WWE and The Big Show and start saying on air that you can't really appreciate the size of John Rauch until you come out to the ballpark and see him in person.

Then they'll trade for Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants so Nats GM Jim Bowden can go "THAT'S IT! TONIGHT, YOU'RE FACING.......CAIN!"

 

 

Oh, hey, Mariotti says that Prior's velocity is so low that he might not come back at all this year. Don't worry, though, we're gonna be like the Astros, dude.

[vivalaultra 0]

Shit, they way the 'Stros have been looking, I might be saying that "Hey! Don't worry! We're gonna be like the Cubs!!" Seriously, though, I'll never say that.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

Here's a thought that I haven't seen talked about much.... Do you think the Detroit Tigers will have enough over the season to be able to make the playoffs? It'll be tough since they have to fight the White Sox in their own division AND fight off either the Jays, Yankees, or Red Sox in the Wild Card in case the division doesn't work out for them. I think they have a great chance based on their pitching. It's young. Their ERA I believe is the best in the AL at the moment (don't have the stats in front of me at the time). And their hitting is surprising me so far this season. I thought they were gonna rise in their division next year... but they're already showing signs of greatness.

[naiwf 0]

Here's a thought that I haven't seen talked about much.... Do you think the Detroit Tigers will have enough over the season to be able to make the playoffs? It'll be tough since they have to fight the White Sox in their own division AND fight off either the Jays, Yankees, or Red Sox in the Wild Card in case the division doesn't work out for them. I think they have a great chance based on their pitching. It's young. Their ERA I believe is the best in the AL at the moment (don't have the stats in front of me at the time). And their hitting is surprising me so far this season. I thought they were gonna rise in their division next year... but they're already showing signs of greatness.

 

Young pitching inevitably becomes tired pitching sometime around late July/early August. I can't worry too much about a team when the bulk of their rotation isn't used to throwing ~200 innings, especially when they become more pressure packed down the stretch. The Tigers are also a Kenny Rogers meltdown away from having their season turned on its ear. I think the Tigers will win 85 to 88 games, but that's not enough to win the WC in the AL.

[KingPK 0]

I think the WC has a fine shot of coming out of the Central wether it be Detroit, Cleveland or Chicago (with Minnesota a longshot). The Yankees, Red Sox AND Blue Jays all have pitching depth problems and there's really not much any of them can do about it (I don't know about Toronto Yankees have little to trade and Boston wants to keep their prospects). Add to that the fact that they're going to beat each other up during the year with each team playing the others a total of 38 times and having to deal with a feisty Tampa team as well (Baltimore just plain sucks), I don't see the East winner winning any more than 90 games, so if a Central team can squeak out 90-95 wins, that should do it.

[naiwf 0]

I think the WC has a fine shot of coming out of the Central wether it be Detroit, Cleveland or Chicago (with Minnesota a longshot). The Yankees, Red Sox AND Blue Jays all have pitching depth problems and there's really not much any of them can do about it (I don't know about Toronto Yankees have little to trade and Boston wants to keep their prospects). Add to that the fact that they're going to beat each other up during the year with each team playing the others a total of 38 times and having to deal with a feisty Tampa team as well (Baltimore just plain sucks), I don't see the East winner winning any more than 90 games, so if a Central team can squeak out 90-95 wins, that should do it.

 

Not that I'm trying to be a dick, but you don't think the WC can come from the East because of the Sawx/Yanks/Jays beating each other up, but you think the Central might get it when Detroit/ChiSox/Indians will be beating each other up in much the same fashion. Granted those 19 games against KC are pretty much layups, but if any of those 6 teams struggles against their division rivals they're pretty much dead. I think it's much more likely the Jays fade than the Central contenders and that we get Boston, New York, Chicago and AL West "winner" in the playoffs again.

[KingPK 0]

Yeah, I thought of that after posting my above post, but my point is that none of the Eastern teams are really all that better than the Central contenders (though Detroit may be playing over their heads right now) and everyone has problems of some sort, so right now it is pretty much a crapshoot and I wouldn't at all be surprised to see the Central get two playoff spots. If anything, it SHOULD be a VERY tight race come September.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The Tigers now lead the Royals 10-8 in the ninth inning thanks to back-to-back home runs. This after the Royals scored six runs in the first.

[Hawk 34 0]

Why is Griffey Jr. such a whiner? I don't care if people talk to you at Krogers. He complains because a radio host suggest the possibility of switching Junior to LF/1B. It'd only make the team better but nope, Junior acts like him Junior again and moans about it.

[lomasmoney 0]

the Tigers just went insane in the 9th inning. This team just seems to be destined to play well enough this year to get the fans in Detroit believing once again when it comes to baseball. I'm not saying playoffs, but if they are in it come August, tickets will be hard to come by

 

 

As for Jr. Griffey, he can bitch all he wants as far as i'm concerned. The guy took a 50% paycut to come to Cincinnati, and while he's been hurt a ton, he's still one of the best players in the game when healthy and all the fans in Cincy do is bitch about how he's a bum.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Rodrigo Lopez has a 1 hitter going through 5, and Gil Meche has struck out 9 orioles through 5 2/3, but the Os are winning 2-0.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Remember the game while they were still the Expos where Frank just plain fell asleep in the dugout? That was hilarious.

[Guest Felonies!]

Remember the game while they were still the Expos where Frank just plain fell asleep in the dugout? That was hilarious.

..............................AHFOOTBALLPRACTICE

 

 

Remember the time Jon Miller called a home run a touchdown? That was hilarious too.

 

Let's discuss more senility in baseball.

[treble 0]

The Jays aren't going to do anything if they can't win more than 2 games in a row.

[naiwf 0]

Wood has shoulder stiffness and may miss his next start. Ridiculous.

[CanadianChris 0]

With Towers gone, they might have a shot. Taubenheim was a stud for Syracuse this season (2-2, 1.36 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 2.4 K/BB in 7 starts). If he can harness some of that at the major-league level, the Jays have a chance to get something going.

[jwest27 0]

Remember the time Jon Miller called a home run a touchdown? That was hilarious too.

 

Let's discuss more senility in baseball.

 

Actually, I believe he called a really bad throw to home plate that sailed over the catcher's head a touchdown. I think he was going for like, "haha that throw was so bad it was more like a 50 yard touchdown pass or something lolz" but it came off more like "I'm old and dont know what sport I'm calling."

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Why do the Royals even bother showing up? Props to the Tigers, but even the Tigers radio announcers couldn't help but note the pathetic state of the Royals was the key in the series. I still like how the Tigers play the full nine innings, unlike other teams that have managers who pack it in after the fifth inning if they're down a few runs.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Remember the game while they were still the Expos where Frank just plain fell asleep in the dugout? That was hilarious.

..............................AHFOOTBALLPRACTICE

 

 

Remember the time Jon Miller called a home run a touchdown? That was hilarious too.

 

Let's discuss more senility in baseball.

 

Anything Tim McCarver says.

 

And John Kruk. But, he just acts senile.

[the max 0]

Why do the Royals even bother showing up? Props to the Tigers, but even the Tigers radio announcers couldn't help but note the pathetic state of the Royals was the key in the series. I still like how the Tigers play the full nine innings, unlike other teams that have managers who pack it in after the fifth inning if they're down a few runs.

 

I think their minor league team is going to win the bet...

 

http://www.brocktonrox.com/news/?id=5743

 

May 7, 2006 - BROCKTON – The short-season Brockton Rox of the independent CanAm League think they can win more games this season than the full-season Kansas City Royals of Major League baseball’s American League and are willing to put their money where their mouth’s are.

 

Brockton President Jim Lucas declared today that he thinks that the Brockton Rox will win more games in their 92-game season than the Kansas City Royals will win in their 162-game season. “This is a sign of confidence in our GM Andy Crossley’s ability to put together a great ballclub and our ability to win 55-60 games this season.” Last year, the Rox won 50 games while the Royals won 56.

 

The Rox don’t want to call this “a bet” per se because they understand organized baseball’s rules against gambling, but more of a challenge. “However to make this challenge this interesting, “ Lucas continued, “the Rox will put up $500 and because we are spotting the Royals 70 games, we expect them to put up $5,000.” If the Rox lose, they will contribute their money to the YMCA of Greater Kansas City to assist in the creation of the Kansas City YMCA Challenger Division Baseball Park, a field designed for children with mental and physical disabilities. The Challenger Field will be custom-designed using a synthetic turf to accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices in order to remove the barriers that normally keep special-needs children off the baseball field. If the Royals lose, they would make their contribution to the Brockton Challenger Division of Little League Baseball

 

The only ground rule that Lucas insists upon, “Because the Rox regular season ends September 4th, the Royals can't purchase any Brockton player when their roster expands in September to assist them in trying to catch the Rox.”

 

The Rox are awaiting a response from the Kansas City Royals on this challenge.

 

The Brockton Rox begin their season Thursday, May 25 versus the New Haven Cutters.

 

For more information about the Royal Challenge, contact Bill Chuck of the Rox front office at (617) 566-2784 or visit the team’s website at www.brocktonrox.com for more information about the Brockton Rox.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Hey, no one's mentioned the Mets have added another crappy pitcher to their starting rotation. I'm not sure what Dave Williams and his 7.20 ERA can bring to the table, though. Of course, this does mean the Reds basically traded Sean Casey for Robert Manuel.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Oh, one last thing on the Tigers: it was mentioned on the ESPN day game yesterday that if the Tigers only play .500 ball the rest of the way, they'll still win at least 90 games. I've been a naysayer all along, but it's going to take a Cubs-like meltdown to not at least snag the WC at this rate.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I just discovered that Broxton's League, the Can-Am League, added a team just 40 miles from my home.

[devo 0]

Hey, no one's mentioned the Mets have added another crappy pitcher to their starting rotation. I'm not sure what Dave Williams and his 7.20 ERA can bring to the table, though. Of course, this does mean the Reds basically traded Sean Casey for Robert Manuel.

 

Seems like kind of a useless trade, really. At the best, Williams is only marginally better than Jeremi Gonzalez. The front office seems to have no confidence whatsoever in Soler despite a pretty good first start, and apparently don't want to wait for Maine to come back and see if he could fill a spot in the rotation.

 

Of course, this flurry of activity proves just how determined the Mets are to not allow Heilman to ever, ever make a start.

[naiwf 0]

Hey, no one's mentioned the Mets have added another crappy pitcher to their starting rotation. I'm not sure what Dave Williams and his 7.20 ERA can bring to the table, though. Of course, this does mean the Reds basically traded Sean Casey for Robert Manuel.

 

Seems like kind of a useless trade, really. At the best, Williams is only marginally better than Jeremi Gonzalez. The front office seems to have no confidence whatsoever in Soler despite a pretty good first start, and apparently don't want to wait for Maine to come back and see if he could fill a spot in the rotation.

 

Of course, this flurry of activity proves just how determined the Mets are to not allow Heilman to ever, ever make a start.

 

I think Soler will get the # 5 spot, or at least another chance to win it. At least they're not giving up anything substantial just to get back end of the rotation protection. If anything, Gonzalez, Bannister and Maine are the ones most likely not to see the light of day again.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Heilman the starter might be a false hope. People forget that as a starter (25 career starts), he's 5-13 with a 5.93 ERA.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

No wonder Gagne blew out his arm. He threw too hard trying to throw through garbage bags.

[Guest]

I don't follow

[naiwf 0]

No wonder Gagne blew out his arm. He threw too hard trying to throw through garbage bags.

 

Stupid Canadian. Now no one's ever gonna erase that loser Bobby Thigpen's name from the record books.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I don't follow

A commercial aired during the Devil Rays/Red Sox game on ESPN2. Eric Gagne stands on the mound but even his fastball can't break through some heavy duty trash bag propped up at home plate.