MLB Off-season Thread

[Hawk 34 0]

At least KC didn't go with another retread.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

Ozzie Guillen says he wants more aggressive baserunning next season, more first-to-third. Okay, great, but your team has Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Joe Crede, A.J. Pierzynski, and Darin Erstad. Have fun with that.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

For what it's worth, and that's probably not much, here are my Gold Glove choices for 2007. Granted, the actual voting will come out much, much different, but that's because the voters don't take it seriously and/or have no idea who the actual good fielders are.

 

American League

 

C- Pudge Rodriguez, DET

1B- Kevin Youkilis, BOS

2B- Aaron Hill, TOR

3B- Brandon Inge, DET

SS- John McDonald, TOR

LF- Carl Crawford, TBA

CF- Curtis Granderson, DET

RF- Alex Rios, TOR

P- Jon Garland, CHW

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

National League

 

C- Brad Ausmus, HOU

1B- Todd Helton, COL

2B- Chase Utley, PHI

3B- Ryan Zimmerman, WAS

SS- Troy Tulowitzki, COL

LF- Eric Byrnes, ARI

CF- Andruw Jones, ATL

RF- Jeff Francoeur, ATL

P- Greg Maddux, SD

[Vern Gagne 0]

Fucking hamstring is going to cost Mauer a gold glove.

 

I'm guessing that Hill, McDonald, and Francouer have zero chance of winning.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

Franc-o-e-u-r

[Vern Gagne 0]

That's how it should be spelled.

[treble 0]

Hill won't win because he had that bad series in New York towards the end of the year. And I don't know if anyone's better at SS than McDonald, but Derek Jeter needs to win something, dammit.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Hill won't win because he had that bad series in New York towards the end of the year. And I don't know if anyone's better at SS than McDonald, but Derek Jeter needs to win something, dammit.

 

You know how the past couple of seasons people started to say that Jeter had improved his defense? That he was no longer among the worst, but had brought his game up to decidedly average? Well, that's completely false. Among qualified SS, he was the second worst at getting to balls hit in his zone and worst to ones outside of it. He is beyond terrible. John Dewan, the man behind Fielding Bible, says he was without a doubt the worst in all of MLB this year, even behind Hanley Ramirez.

 

I don't want to take anything away from Jeter the player, because he's still quite amazing as a hitter and as a leader for that team. But the managers need to separate themselves from Jeter the hitter and give the award to someone who deserves it.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/336602_mari24.html - Jose Guillen may opt out of his contract for 2008.

 

Cliff Floyd's Thoughts as a FA... http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/conte...floyd_1024.html

"I would love the opportunity to come home, chill out and help Fredi win some ballgames,'' said Floyd, an All-Star in 2001 when he hit .317 with 31 homers and 103 RBI. "But if I don't get an opportunity to come here, hopefully I'll get a good job that'll give me an opportunity to play the outfield and DH.''

 

While the Marlins are Floyd's top choice, he has told his agents to reach out to every team this winter.

 

"If I don't get an offer, I can tell you I'm retiring,'' said Floyd, who will turn 35 on Dec. 5.

 

Floyd is likely to get offers from several teams. But whether the Marlins are interested remains to be seen. They need a center fielder, but he now plays the corner outfield positions and first base.

 

Then there's the money issue. Floyd said he wants a 2008 salary near the $3 million he made on his one-year deal with the Cubs. He hit .284 with just nine homers and 45 RBI in 108 games.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The problem isn't that most of the voters think Jeter is the best defender. It's that there hasn't been a solid candidate for the anti-Jeter crowd to rally around. John McDonald is clearly better but will voters recognize him? Jeter is almost certainly going to win his fourth gold glove this season. The Yankee fans will respond that you need to see Jeter play every day. The problem is that if you watch Jeter every day, you haven't taken the time to see what a shortstop is supposed to field like.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

"If I don't get an offer, I can tell you I'm retiring,'' said Floyd, who will turn 35 on Dec. 5.

 

Well yeah, that's kind of how it works. How can you not retire if you don't get an offer?

 

Cliff Floyd had a nice OBP last season but the warning signs of age are there. For $3 million though, I would absolutely consider Floyd as a fourth outfielder.

[treble 0]

I can see them not voting for McDonald because he didn't play every day for a good chunk of the season (he was really only the #1 guy from July until he was hurt at the end of the season), but then I think of Palmerio winning at 1B when he played like 3 games there.

[Guest Smues]

I can see them not voting for McDonald because he didn't play every day for a good chunk of the season (he was really only the #1 guy from July until he was hurt at the end of the season), but then I think of Palmerio winning at 1B when he played like 3 games there.

 

28, and it still boggles my mind. I know most people consider the award useless anyway, but they usually at least give it to someone who played the position.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

Cliff Floyd doesn't have any goddamn legs!

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Curt Schilling posted on Sons of Sam Horn this afternoon that he only wants a one-year contract. Whereas a day ago I would have said that he'd live for Philly or another suitor during the offseason, this indicates he's probably going to finish his career as a Red Sox.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Curt Schilling posted on Sons of Sam Horn this afternoon that he only wants a one-year contract. Whereas a day ago I would have said that he'd live for Philly or another suitor during the offseason, this indicates he's probably going to finish his career as a Red Sox.

I'm not certain. For one thing a one-year contract is a VERY attractive option for a team searching for pitching. It's not new news though, I've heard these indications previously.

[CanadianChris 0]

Schilling's said from the start that he only wants a one-year deal, so I don't see how anything's changed.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Schilling's said from the start that he only wants a one-year deal, so I don't see how anything's changed.

 

As an observer of the relationship between the front office and Curt over the course of the year, I haven't been convinced of that. Maybe I'm reading too much into his comments, but it seemed like he'd take a multi-year deal from another team if it was offered. Now he appears resigned to the fact that 2008 will be it.

 

I expect the Sox to offer him a 1 year deal in the $14-$15 million range. Wakefield is uncertain to return next year, and there are going to be major growing pains next year with Buchholz and Lester in the rotation. Schilling's a perfect stopgap solution.

[CanadianChris 0]

I went back and found Curt's blog entry from August 23 where he discussed the contract situation. He basically said he'd sign with Boston if they wanted him, but if not, he'd find another team willing to sign him for a year (and only a year).

 

The way the Sox' rotation is shaking down for next year, though, it seems pretty likely they'd want him back. But, who really knows anything at this point?

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Curt Schilling posted on Sons of Sam Horn this afternoon that he only wants a one-year contract. Whereas a day ago I would have said that he'd live for Philly or another suitor during the offseason, this indicates he's probably going to finish his career as a Red Sox.

 

Wouldn't "as a Red Sock" be more gramatically correct? For example, you're a person, not a people. You are part of a group known as people.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Curt Schilling posted on Sons of Sam Horn this afternoon that he only wants a one-year contract. Whereas a day ago I would have said that he'd live for Philly or another suitor during the offseason, this indicates he's probably going to finish his career as a Red Sox.

 

Wouldn't "as a Red Sock" be more gramatically correct? For example, you're a person, not a people. You are part of a group known as people.

 

 

Gramatically, you are correct. However, "Red Sox" seems to be the preferred way of expressing a member singularly, at least among fans and writers.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

Among stupid people. We've been over this countless times. It's "he is a Red Sock" or "he is a White Sock." When you say sox, you're saying socks. It was just a newspaper abbreviation. There is no such thing as a sox. There's a fox, and a box, and lox, but not a sox.

 

Also, according to the Utah Jazz, the singular for a member of the Jazz is a Jazzman.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I gave up when I saw the Buffalo Bisons play.

[Brett Favre 0]

Among stupid people. We've been over this countless times. It's "he is a Red Sock" or "he is a White Sock." When you say sox, you're saying socks. It was just a newspaper abbreviation. There is no such thing as a sox. There's a fox, and a box, and lox, but not a sox.

 

Also, according to the Utah Jazz, the singular for a member of the Jazz is a Jazzman.

 

Are players from the Magic Magicians?

 

[Slayer 0]

I can't wait for the Manitoba Moosen

[treble 0]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?i...ce=MLBHeadlines

 

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers may return to the Los Angeles Coliseum, site of "Moon Shots," for one game next season.

 

If it works out, the game will be part of the team's 50th anniversary in Los Angeles.

 

"We're just hoping to add it to a list of things we want to do to celebrate," Dodgers spokeswoman Camille Johnston said Friday.

 

The Dodgers played in the Coliseum for four years after moving west from Brooklyn in 1958. They shared the stadium with football tenants Southern California, UCLA and the Los Angeles Rams. The baseball team moved to Chavez Ravine when Dodger Stadium opened in 1962.

 

The football field at the Coliseum makes for a strange baseball configuration. When the Dodgers played there, they installed a 42-foot screen in left field to compensate for the foul pole being only 250 feet from home plate.

 

Wally Moon, a lefty-hitting outfielder for Los Angeles, developed a knack for hitting the ball high enough to clear the screen, thus his "Moon Shots."

 

If the Dodgers are to play a game in the Coliseum, there are obviously a number of logistical hurdles to overcome, Johnston said.

 

She said other plans for the celebration include the team entering a float in next year's Rose Parade, getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, commissioning an artist to create a painting commemorating the 50 years in Los Angeles and holding celebrations to mark each of the decades in the city.

That could be great.

[geniusMoment 0]

So, the big rumor in Cincy is that Dusty wants Prior and Wood in Cincy. Wood has talked to Dusty since getting the Reds gig, and Prior and Dusty still have a good relationship. Sweet, start printing those 2008 World Series tickets right now. I wonder if Neifi Perez is available.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

So, the big rumor in Cincy is that Dusty wants Prior and Wood in Cincy. Wood has talked to Dusty since getting the Reds gig, and Prior and Dusty still have a good relationship. Sweet, start printing those 2008 World Series tickets right now. I wonder if Neifi Perez is available.

 

Matt Clement seems to have found enough string and gum to hold his arm together for now. You could bring him in as well.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

So, the big rumor in Cincy is that Dusty wants Prior and Wood in Cincy. Wood has talked to Dusty since getting the Reds gig, and Prior and Dusty still have a good relationship. Sweet, start printing those 2008 World Series tickets right now. I wonder if Neifi Perez is available.

 

Sweet Jesus. I was afraid something like this was going to happen when they hired Dusty and I guess my fears were well founded. There's no reason the Reds should shell out any money for either of those guys since all they'll give you is about five innings of work combined a year before they pull up lame with some injury.

 

Looks like 2008 is going to be another long year for us Reds fans.