This Week In Baseball 9/24-10/1

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Coming into the home stretch this week. Both the Mets and Phillies (2.5 back) finish out at home. The Mets have four against the Nats and three against the Marlins. The Phillies have three against the Braves beginning Tuesday, followed by three against the Nationals. The Saturday Nats/Phillies game has been changed to a 3:55 start time so that fans in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre viewing area can miss the game. Milwaukee finishes at home with three against the Cardinals and four against the Padres. The Cubs finish on the road with three in Florida and three in Cincinnati. Arizona travels to Pittsburgh and Colorado for three apiece. The Padres finish on the road with three at San Francisco and four at Milwaukee. Finally, the Rockies play the Dodgers for three on the road and then come home for the Arizona series.

 

The AL is locked up with Boston, Cleveland and the LA Angels securing playoff spots, and the Yankees on the verge of clinching. The Cubs are on the verge of a division title while the New York Mets have opened up a small lead. The D'backs have gained ground on the west. In the wild card, the Padres are threatened by not only the Phillies, but the Rockies as well.

 

The big games Monday are Nats/Mets, Padres/Giants and Cardinals/Brewers to get rid of those pesky half-games on the standings.

[bob_barron 0]

Huh, I thought the Mets were in last place

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Huh, I thought the Mets were in last place

Common mistake. While they are still technically in first place, they can get formally eliminated Saturday.

[mike546 0]

While the playoff spots are basically wrapped up in the east, the matchups most likely won't be decided until the last day of the season. I'm (hopefully I don't regret this) actually hoping for a matchup with the Angels this year. Their bullpen isn't as strong this year, and all Yankee games in which they lead after 6th are most likely wins, with Joba for 2 and Mo for one. I also want to end this "Angels own the Yanks" thing.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

When's the last time the Rockies made the playoffs?

[CanadianChris 0]

When's the last time the Rockies made the playoffs?

They won the wild card in 1995 for their only playoff appearance.

[MFer 0]

Report: Prospective Cubs ownership set to offer A-Rod megadeal

 

September 23, 2007

NEW YORK (TICKER) -- Alex Rodriguez is setting himself up for a huge offseason.

 

New York Magazine reported on Sunday that Rodriguez could end up with the Chicago Cubs next season with a contract that could be worth as much as $30 million a year for 10 years and includes an ownership stake in the team.

 

The All-Star third baseman can opt-out of the $252 million contract he signed with the Texas Rangers six years ago at the end of this season.

 

Rodriguez is batting .312 and leads the major leagues with 52 home runs, 146 RBI and 138 runs scored, leading the surging Yankees (90-65) to a 5 1/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers (85-71) in the American League wild card race.

 

According to the magazine, Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, has already identified the leading candidate to buy the Cubs and has begun negotiations on a contract. If that is true, it could lead the Yankees to file tampering charges, since Rodriguez already is under contract.

 

Citing sources, the magazine reported that the deal could reach the $30 million per year level over 10 years, with part of the contract deferred toward an eventual stake in the franchise.

 

Yankees executive Randy Levine responded harshly to the magazine piece.

 

"It's a silly story, and we don't believe it," Levine told ESPN.com. "However, if it was true, it would be grounds to disqualify the applicant even before he went through the process, because it would demonstrate a disregard for major league rules and procedures, and we're confident the commissioner would feel the same way."

 

ESPN.com reported that Levine later said he spoke to Commissioner Bud Selig, who agreed with Levine's interpretation of the story, and its possible implications.

 

A player can neither have part ownership of a team nor negotiate for future ownership.

[MFer 0]

Can't believe no one's mentioned the Milton Bradley/ump deal yet.

[Fökai 0]

Which was awesome.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Do tell.

[Guest]

Bud Black went old school WWF Razor Ramon-ish double leg takedown on Milton Bradley as Bradley was arguing with the ump. And Bradley got hurt.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

What a surprise. Bruce Froemming was involved. Maybe this could be a Joey Crawford-like incident for thhis umpiring crew, and Selig will keep the fat fuck and his cronies out of the postseason.

 

 

oh who am i kidding

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

What exactly was the whole Bradley situation about? I can't tell what the umpire told him and why because the post-game conference was bleeped out so much on ESPN.

 

The Colorado Rockies probably aren't crying over it, though.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

The Padres' first base coach is insinuating that this ump said something with racial overtones to Bradley.

 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padre...1s24padres.html

Then, shortly after Bradley arrived at first base via a single, he and Winters were exchanging barbs that, according to Padres first-base coach Bobby Meacham, were inflammatory on the umpire's part.

 

Bradley said Winters called him “a (expletive) piece of (expletive).”

 

Said Meacham: “In my 26 years of baseball, that was the most disconcerting conversation I have heard from an umpire to a player. The way Winters responded was bizarre. It was almost like he wanted to agitate the situation.

 

“I was appalled. That's why the game stopped.”

 

Meacham moved toward the foul line and turned toward Winters from the distance of about 10 feet.

 

“I couldn't believe what I was hearing,” said Meacham. “Milton did not use foul language. The umpire, absolutely. He called Milton a name (apparently after Bradley had pointed in the direction of a fan who was booing Winters). That's when I stepped on the field and said, 'You cannot do that.'

 

“Even before that, I was saying this is wrong, this is ridiculous. The name that Winters called Milton, had he said it to me, I would have rushed him. No one is going to take that.”

 

Asked whether what Winters said had racial overtones, Meacham, who, like Bradley, is black, replied, “It smacked of that tone.”

 

After the game, Froemming did not make Winters available to the media.

 

Meacham said when Winters told the other members of the crew what had happened, “he lied.”

 

“Milton held his cool until something was said by Winters that would have had me sprinting at the umpires,” said Meacham. “Me, Milton and Todd Helton (the Rockies' first baseman) are the only three people who know what was said.”

 

Helton took the baseball equivalent of the Fifth Amendment, saying, “It was very interesting.”

Froemming and his crew are such pieces of shit. Sounds like you can't hang this one on Milton.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

The umps in MLB are getting out of control, at least certain ones are, and it's time for MLB to reign them in a bit.

 

I'm sure it's been discussed to death already, but that ump smiling during the Brewers-Braves game yesterday was despicable.

[Guest Smues]

The umps in MLB are getting out of control, at least certain ones are, and it's time for MLB to reign them in a bit.

 

I'm sure it's been discussed to death already, but that ump smiling during the Brewers-Braves game yesterday was despicable.

 

I was on a plane and missed the game, what was the deal with a smiling ump?

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

I didn't catch the smiling ump. At what point in the inning was that? Was it after he threw Yost out? I'd smile too if a grown man got all up in mah grill and starting throwing a temper tantrum.

 

That whole inning felt like the "Dadgum it!" thing from Cubs-White Sox, only with less interesting color commentary.

 

Ned Yost just cut a promo on your ass.

 

All in all, I think getting upset about close calls is a rather fruitless endeavor. I'm sure if you look at all the close calls you win and lose over the course of a season, they generally even out to 50/50. Some days you get them all, some days you don't get one. The smiling thing doesn't seem like such a big transgression, really. I mean, it's not as if it was a big belly laugh or something. Maybe Yost just freaked out about a facial expression under duress. Human nature. "WHADDYA LOOKIN AT" and all that jazz. The thing about Milton Bradley warrants closer inspection, however.

[devo 0]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...soxnt24.article

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...cs-sports-print

 

What the fuck, White Sox?

 

At least I know for sure now that the players and their manager are equally insane. It shouldn't surprise anyone that I initially heard about this on local radio and the joke that went along with the story was "IF HE WANTED TO KILL A BEAR MAYBE HE SHOULD HAVE SHOT REX GROSSMAN HAHAHA".

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

Hunting deer when population control is needed, I get, but why would you kill a bear? With a bow? Unless you're being threatened by a bear, you shouldn't kill it. Geez.

 

I wonder if he complained that the forest rangers steal his signs, too.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Aww, Milton's torn ACL couldn't happen to a more egotistical, cocky piece of crap player. I remember his prancing and watching home runs in Philly and his comments. Karma, bitch.

 

He's physically assaulted umpires and fans before, so I wish him the best in his rehab.

[2GOLD 0]

Hunting deer when population control is needed, I get, but why would you kill a bear? With a bow? Unless you're being threatened by a bear, you shouldn't kill it. Geez.

 

I wonder if he complained that the forest rangers steal his signs, too.

 

He just wanted to be like his idol Troy Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry

 

[strummer 0]

should I be suprised that Keith Hernandez had no idea what OPS was during tonight's game?

 

Gotta love former players who become announcers

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Aww, Milton's torn ACL couldn't happen to a more egotistical, cocky piece of crap player. I remember his prancing and watching home runs in Philly and his comments. Karma, bitch.

 

He's physically assaulted umpires and fans before, so I wish him the best in his rehab.

Pretty nice example of a person's past actions blinding someone to the realities of the situation at hand.

[NYU 0]

So does this mean Milton Bradley's going to need an

 

[Slayer 0]

"Remove red from ass"

 

*bzzt!*

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

"Pretty nice example of a person's past actions blinding someone to the realities of the situation at hand."

 

Oh, my eyes are open. He THREW A BAT AT THE SAME UMPIRE before. Milton Bradley is an arrogant creep who is one of "those guys" (meaning loud-mouth hot dogs) who is a baseball turn-off. He's violent and has gone after fans.

 

I'm supposed to feel sorry for him because he again tried to ATTACK an umpire? If the umpire said something racist, it still doesn't change the fact that he was going to hurt an older man and attack an umpire. Call timeout, as he did, and report it with the 1st base coach to the proper authorities. Don't make yourself look like a thug.

 

Enjoy the hospital, hot dog.

[Matt Young 0]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...soxnt24.article

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...cs-sports-print

 

What the fuck, White Sox?

 

At least I know for sure now that the players and their manager are equally insane. It shouldn't surprise anyone that I initially heard about this on local radio and the joke that went along with the story was "IF HE WANTED TO KILL A BEAR MAYBE HE SHOULD HAVE SHOT REX GROSSMAN HAHAHA".

 

 

WTF? Also, Lance Broadway is the best name ever.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

OK...the umpiring against the Brewers lately has been ridiculous. I'm pretty sure we just saw an ump purposely blow a call, and then ejected Yost when he argued it (it was force out at home plate, called safe, when the runner was out by about a foot).

 

Doesn't matter...Brewers are going to win this game, but it's just ridiculous.

[snuffbox 0]

They're not even hiding it.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

"Pretty nice example of a person's past actions blinding someone to the realities of the situation at hand."

 

Oh, my eyes are open. He THREW A BAT AT THE SAME UMPIRE before. Milton Bradley is an arrogant creep who is one of "those guys" (meaning loud-mouth hot dogs) who is a baseball turn-off. He's violent and has gone after fans.

 

I'm supposed to feel sorry for him because he again tried to ATTACK an umpire? If the umpire said something racist, it still doesn't change the fact that he was going to hurt an older man and attack an umpire. Call timeout, as he did, and report it with the 1st base coach to the proper authorities. Don't make yourself look like a thug.

 

Enjoy the hospital, hot dog.

I won't debate Bradley's actions. I don't see it as karma from the Phillies/Padres series though. He shined at the plate. If the Phillies didn't want him to showboat, they should've won.