MLB THREAD

[Week]

[quote name='Myshkin' post='1544803' date='Oct 6 2008, 15.29']The media is biased in favor of certain players as well. For example, no matter what Albert Pujols does the media will continue to lick his balls.[/quote]
God forbid someone actually deserving of praise get a significant amount. Pujols is the best hitter in the majors and an above average defender. I can't think of anything bad to say about him other than he'd be more valuable if he was a short stop.
[quote name='Myshkin' post='1544803' date='Oct 6 2008, 15.29']The MVP has become more and more of a popularity contest, and all I am saying is that playing for the Red Sox is automatically going to boost your popularity amongst the national sports media.[/quote]
So shouldn't the Sox have many more CYs and MVPs over the last decade than just Pedro (who was extremely deserving)?

[Myshkin]

[quote name='Weekapaug' post='1544778' date='Oct 6 2008, 12.13']:lol:

No love for Hanley, Wright, Reyes, etc. :([/quote]
I don't see what's so funny. I explained why I feel K-Rod should be in the conversation. Unless you believe Eck didn't deserve his MVP.

As for Wright and Reyes, I explained why a Philly got the nod (IMO) over some deserving Mets. As for Hanley, I just don't think his team was good enough to consider him. Nothing against his personal stats. In any event all these guys are NL, and our major bone of contention was with the AL candidates.

[Piper]

[quote name='Myshkin' post='1544803' date='Oct 6 2008, 15.29']The MVP has become more and more of a popularity contest, and all I am saying is that playing for the Red Sox is automatically going to boost your popularity amongst the national sports media.[/quote]

I don't disagree with you about the popularity contest; that's all it ever will be, so long as it's voted on. And playing for Boston/New York helps. But I think Pedroia would still be getting mentioned if he played for any playoff team. He's got the "little jockey" thing going in his favor, which is (I think) is the cause for much of the love he gets. Writers love "over achiever" types.

He's also a very good hitter. We just need him to get a hit this series.

[Week]

For a closer, K-Rod was only above average. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time and got an absurd number of save opportunities. He pitched 4.6% of the innings for his team. 4.6%!!

[Dinsdale!]

NL:

1. Pujols - A monster
2. Beltran - Defense is awesome
3. Berkman - Did you see the Astros run this season?
4. Utley - Good. Plays for playoff team.
5. H. Ramirez - His defense has gotten okay. That means maybe he'll career at SS.


AL:
1. Mauer
2. Pedroia
3. Granderson
....big gap...
4. Hamilton
5. A-rod

Myshkin - playing the whole season for a team is an explicit part of the criteria for choosing the MVP. So I can't choose anybody who got injured or played half the season, no matter how good they where.

[naz]

[quote name='Dinsdale!' post='1544907' date='Oct 6 2008, 16.20']NL:

1. Pujols - A monster
[b]2. Beltran - Defense is awesome[/b]
3. Berkman - Did you see the Astros run this season?
4. Utley - Good. Plays for playoff team.
5. H. Ramirez - His defense has gotten okay. That means maybe he'll career at SS.[/quote]

Even *I* would say that Beltran doesn't deserve to be on that list. He underperformed as a hitter all year - that's known. His defensive ability, though great, isn't enough to make him MVP. Delgado, possibly, because he stepped up his game when the team needed it most, but clearly not enough to get them into the postseason. I don't necessarily agree that an MVP candidate needs to be from a playoff team, but in this case - I admit - it applies.

[The Wedge]

Please someone explain to me why [url="http://the-wedge.blogspot.com/2008/10/time-to-buy-stock-in-moet.html"]Moet showers are given after winning a DIVISION series[/url].

"Hey, we haven't won it all!! WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

So idiotic.

[Dinsdale!]

[quote name='nazfyratu' post='1544949' date='Oct 6 2008, 16.46']Even *I* would say that Beltran doesn't deserve to be on that list. He underperformed as a hitter all year - that's known.[/quote]

That's bullshit. He did not underperfom.

He hit: .284/.376/.500 in a Pitcher's park. He stole 25 out of 28 attempts. It puts him above every CF but Hamilton and Sizemore, who's numbers were similar. That may be underperforming his monster '06, but that's pretty much in line with his career totals. Which is to say he performed. Add to that his superior fielding behind a staff of fly-ball pitchers, and you have got an extremely valuable player.

[Week]

Man, Balfour has been a beast this series.

eta- And the White Sox are out! Man the Rays are an impressive team. Now time for Lester to wrap the Sox series up tonight and prepare for a trip to the Trop :).

[smegma]

Considering we had lost Quentin and our best option for 3rd base was Juan Uribe, given this up and down season and how low expectations were, I'm sad that we're done but I still felt great we made it at all. I didn't have much hope even if we won tonight that we would win down in Tampa. I think we won 2 games all year in domes, or at least it seemed like it. Upton also kicked the crap outta Floyd.

Now six months of no White Sox, ugh. I hate the offseason. I'll have a lot more time on my hands though.

Edit: Oh and good for the Rays, they definitely played better ball this whole year than we did. I hope we can add some speed and situational hitting for next year!

[Lord O' Bones]

[quote name='smegma' post='1545244' date='Oct 6 2008, 17.42']I hope we can add some speed[/quote]
Contact the Giants.

[quote]and situational hitting for next year![/quote]
Contact anybody but the Giants.

[Caliban]

I actually like the Mauer pick for the AL.

If I were pickingn MVP based on which player's year Id most want would be:

AL

1. Mauer (he plays a lot for a catcher, and I value defense at the catcher position very high)
2. Sizemore (has it all, probably the best defensive outfielder in the AL, monster offensive player, plus speed)

NL

1. Pooholes
2. Hanley

[Piper]

Crazy 9th at Fenway, but I'll take it. Great to see Lowrie get a big post season hit early in his career.

But I'm scared as hell for Tampa. They're playing great.

Tonight, though, I'll celebrate. :thumbsup:

[mcbigski]

Love that dirty water...got to say that I wasn't expecting this back when Coco charged the mound. Should be a great series.

[BLU-RAY]

[quote name='mcbigski' post='1545497' date='Oct 6 2008, 20.37']Love that dirty water...got to say that I wasn't expecting this back when Coco charged the mound. Should be a great series.[/quote]

Haha, good song.

[EHK for Darwin]

[quote name='smegma' post='1545244' date='Oct 6 2008, 19.42']Considering we had lost Quentin and our best option for 3rd base was Juan Uribe, given this up and down season and how low expectations were, I'm sad that we're done but I still felt great we made it at all. I didn't have much hope even if we won tonight that we would win down in Tampa. I think we won 2 games all year in domes, or at least it seemed like it. Upton also kicked the crap outta Floyd.

Now six months of no White Sox, ugh. I hate the offseason. I'll have a lot more time on my hands though.

Edit: Oh and good for the Rays, they definitely played better ball this whole year than we did. I hope we can add some speed and situational hitting for next year![/quote]

Largely agree with this. From where everyone expected us to be to start this season to how we limped into the playoffs in the first place, its still a good and satisfying season. No hate for the Rays, they played better (although we had shots both of those first two games, just didn't capitalize on our opportunities. Situational hitting, as you say, would've been nice) and they pretty much are the feel good story of the season. Good luck to them. Very young, talented, and hungry team.



For the Sox, some definite holes to plug and pieces to build on. Buerhle, Danks, and Floyd seem like a decent core to build the pitching staff around. Vasquez will apparently continue to be what he's always been, unrealized potential that results in perpetual mediocrity. Contreras...just hope his contract is up soon, will have to check on that.

Bullpen's are probably the most inconsistent thing throughout baseball. Who knows what the hell ours will look like next year. But Linebrink and Thornton seem set for good things. Jenks will be fine so long as he keeps to the 96-98 range. Another core to build around.

I really like the future for Alexi Ramirez. That kid is outstanding. Great numbers. All the intangibles. Fun to watch. He's gonna be good in this league. Hopefully we lock up Carlos Quentin for quite a while. Jermaine Dye is still a top shelf talent hopefully with a few more years left in the tank. Konerko...been hard on him this year, we'll just hope to god most of his piss poor season was due to injury. He's only 32 and his '05 season wasn't an aberration. He can do that again. And he better.



Wow. Shit. Bad news for the Sox now that I look a bit closer.

Contract expirations:

Gavin floyd: 2008
John Danks: 2008
Carlos Quentin: 2008
Bobby Jenks: 2008

All getting paid closer to 500k than a million. All had great seasons and all are gonna be looking to get paid. We're not gonna be able to keep all of them. We'd be lucky for half.


Ummm...I think we might be fucked. We've got guys locked up who are definitely on the decline and are still commanding 10 million+. And we don't have enough of our young stars signed to anything. We're stuck with Konerko til 10. Contreras for another year. Thome we got an option that we might pick up since he actually does the job we pay him to do. Though I'd say drop him and use that money to sign Quentin long term. Put Swish at first (he's locked up and hope he does better) and Konerko to DH. Move Ramirez (thankfully signed for a few) up in the order.

A 3-4-5-6 of Quentin, Dye, Konerko and Ramirez (or switch the last two, depending on Paulie's performance) could still be formidable. 3 of the 4 are 30-40 HR guys and who knows what the ceiling is for Alexi Ramirez. Hell, he could even play the 2 spot.

But with Crede likely gone (we could resign him, but he's too big of a question mark with the chronic back issues) and Cabrera we've got question marks at Short and 3rd. Uribe is a free agent and I don't want him back, but I don't see any of our minor leaguers picking up the slack.

I'm not seeing the room in the payroll or the batting order to pick up the speed we need or retain the pitching we have.

Gonna be a fun off-season.

[Week]

[quote name='Triskele' post='1545499' date='Oct 6 2008, 23.39']So the top record team in both leagues is done in the first round. Only in baseball.[/quote]
If the Sox or Rays got to play against the Rangers, A's, and Mariners as much as the Angels did then they'd have 100+ wins too.

[quote name='EHK for Obama' post='1545567' date='Oct 7 2008, 00.51']Contract expirations:

Gavin floyd: 2008
John Danks: 2008
Carlos Quentin: 2008
Bobby Jenks: 2008

All getting paid closer to 500k than a million. All had great seasons and all are gonna be looking to get paid. We're not gonna be able to keep all of them. We'd be lucky for half.[/quote]
For some reason I can't find the info, but I think players have to put in 5 service years before they can be free agents. So, the White Sox should have control of all those guys other than maybe Floyd.

[Myshkin]

[quote name='Weekapaug' post='1545642' date='Oct 7 2008, 00.49']If the Sox or Rays got to play against the Rangers, A's, and Mariners as much as the Angels did then they'd have 100+ wins too.[/quote]
Funny how this argument never comes up in years that the Rays, O's, and Jays all suck.

[Week]

[quote name='Myshkin' post='1545645' date='Oct 7 2008, 03.54']Funny how this argument never comes up in years that the Rays, O's, and Jays all suck.[/quote]
:rolleyes:

Funny what that argument means for your Dodgers. They may have been hot to start the playoffs, but in any other division they'd be buried in mediocrity. Oh wait, they wouldn't even need to have lost any wins changing to a tougher division to miss the playoffs by a large (at least 4 games) margin.

[Myshkin]

[quote name='Weekapaug' post='1545651' date='Oct 7 2008, 01.18']:rolleyes:

Funny what that argument means for your Dodgers. They may have been hot to start the playoffs, but in any other division they'd be buried in mediocrity. Oh wait, they wouldn't even need to have lost any wins changing to a tougher division to miss the playoffs by a large (at least 4 games) margin.[/quote]
The preemptive excuses of a poor loser. We get it. The Sawks are the greatest team evah, and it was just circumstances that conspired against them that led to the Angels having a better record.