MLB 2010, part 3

[Jaxom 1974]

I'm only disappointed in myself for allowing the team I wanted to give up on in May to keep pulling me back in with brief, albeit brilliant, displays of potential.

Possum, please. I've done that for years and they're have a run or four or five games where they win and win big sometime in the next two or three weeks and I'll actually contemplate whether there's enough time to get back into it all the while thinking there's another four or five wins to go in that streak...

[Caliban]

If they rattle off 6 straight starting tonight. Im back in.

[Mack Kilimaro]

First game with Buck Showalter managing the O's. I'm excited.

I don't know how I keep getting roped back in to this shit show.

[Andrik the Unsmiling]

With the Giants beating up on the Rockies (7-0 in the 8th), my attentions have shifted to Southern California where I'm hoping Los Angeles can snatch a game from the Padres. Rooting for the Dodgers: I think I'm going to need a shower when this one's done.

[Paxter]

Rays back on top of AL East and their pitching has been fantastic lately, but I'm a bit worried that they won't hang on to top spot so long as their batting remains indifferent. An average of around 4 runs a game in their last 10 looks a little low for a team who is statistically the best team in baseball.

[Fez]

And don't forgot that while Ellsbury is supposed to play tonight, and Beckett seems to be back, Youk is now going on the disabled list and possibly will be out the rest of the season.

I remember at one point the Sox had 9 of their opening day players on the DL at the same time; the injury bug has hit hard this year.

[CryHavoc]

But then, as Bobby Valentine mentions in this NYT article about the Mets (who famously sign lots of Latino players), it's not the job of other Latino players or coaches to help them translate things into Spanish. Is it really that hard for a club with a $100 million payroll to hire *one* dedicated Spanish interpreter? Would that be enough to quell the concerns?

Cue excessively long, Ozzie-fueled rant, somewhat late. I apologize if it's been done to death, but this really irks me:

I agree that it would not be amiss for teams to carry a Spanish interpreter. But the biggest thing Ozzie was ignoring, in my opinion, is that the situation is not "Japanese players get interpreters and Latino players do not". It's "established players getting paid a crap-ton of money get interpreters, and kids who come up through the minors like everyone else do not". (Thanks to the posters who have mentioned this; unfortunately the media has pretty much completely ignored it)

The vast, vast, vast majority of foreign-born Asian players (especially Japanese, but a lot of Koreans go through the Japanese leagues as well) are established players in Asia who must accumulate ten years of service before they can come to the US. MLB teams have to pay money just to negotiate with them (the Red Sox bid over $50 million just to talk to Matsuzaka). These guys are getting seven or eight or nine-figure contracts, and they negotiate team-funded interpreters into those contracts--Ichiro, Fukudome, and Matsuzaka have interpreters and round-trip tickets home to Japan in their contracts. The simple fact of the matter is that if you're a ten-year veteran landing a big contract, you have the pull to request perks, be they suites on road trips, plane tickets, interpreters, massage therapists, or what have you.

Latino players in the minors don't get interpreters for the same reason that any player in the minors (who isn't a first round draft pick with a massive bonus) doesn't get perks. Because they're paid shit and the vast majority will never make the majors anyway. And Latino players just coming up to the big leagues don't get interpreters for the same reason most players in their first three years (or six if you're not that great) don't get perks--they're in the team-controlled phase of their careers and have no negotiating leverage whatsoever. If an established Latino player wanted an interpreter, they'd have it written into their contracts the same way they have hotel suites written into their contracts.

That being said, I do think there should be more interpreters. Overall, I think it's wrong to treat language like something as elective and commodity-esque as it typically is in MLB--it's a lot more fundamental and important than a massage or a bigger room. But the fact is that that's how it's treated right now for everyone. I think, as irksome Ozzie is sometimes, his heart is in the right place on this issue. But it's not about race or language or country of origin (and BTW, MLB has been saying they spend about 40% more on Latino prospects than on American prospects). It's about money and leverage.

[/rant]

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing Ellsbury tonight; I hope he's able to come back without too much trouble, though I wonder who's moving, since Kalish is doing so well. Lowell was awesome yesterday. Josh Beckett needs to chill a little bit--you did bonk two guys, purposefully or not.

Also, Buster Posey makes me :drool:

[Jaxom 1974]

Holy Carp!

[Lightning Lord]

Our "big move at the deadline" just blew a save after Baker pitched lights-out ball for eight innings against the best team in baseball.

Fuck our inability to make strong moves. I try to stay positive, but just once I'd like to see us roll the dice and go after a marquee trade piece. We NEEDED an ace and there were two available. So what do we do? Go after a closer that's an improvement, but not by any means the second coming of Rivera.

Ffs, we can't beat a team in a five game series because we don't have a dominant starter to pitch two of the games. WE CAN'T GO ANYWHERE PAST THE FIRST ROUND WITH THIS ROTATION!!! :tantrum:

[Jaime L]

Holy Carp!

Loved that guy in Major League 2.

[Lightning Lord]

At least we managed to pull out the win tonight. Getting game from Tampa is a start. We need to play better against quality teams.

[Jaxom 1974]

At least we managed to pull out the win tonight. Getting game from Tampa is a start. We need to play better against quality teams.

Geez. Such doom and gloom. Things are going to be fine. Morneau will be back. Capps will settle down. There's got to be some sort of small adjustment going from the Nationals to a team that's actually playing for something. The White Sox are still really good (and I'm still not sure how that happened), but when Kenny Williams is sniffing about Carlos Delgado to get another left handed bat with power when he couldn't get Dunn, Berkman, Manny or even the lowly Adam LaRoache, you know he's got to be worried about something. And love him or hate him, Kenny's proven that he has a sense for these things over the years...The Twins will be fine.

And in other news:

Mark Cuban shut out again...

[Lightning Lord]

Geez. Such doom and gloom. Things are going to be fine. Morneau will be back. Capps will settle down. There's got to be some sort of small adjustment going from the Nationals to a team that's actually playing for something. The White Sox are still really good (and I'm still not sure how that happened), but when Kenny Williams is sniffing about Carlos Delgado to get another left handed bat with power when he couldn't get Dunn, Berkman, Manny or even the lowly Adam LaRoache, you know he's got to be worried about something. And love him or hate him, Kenny's proven that he has a sense for these things over the years...The Twins will be fine.

And in other news:

Mark Cuban shut out again...

The Twins will be fine during the season, but I still am not hugely hopeful that we can beat the Yankees or Rays in a five game series. We split with Tampa this week, which is good. We rebounded well. I just wish they would gamble that this is our year and go after the ace they need.

[CryHavoc]

Ugh. Now Youkilis too. :frown5: I retain faith (there are a crap-ton of division games left) but I'm wondering how silly it is.

Oh well. With Buster Posey and Jason Heyward in the same game (and Timmy!), I can only be so sad. And Beltre grand slams are always nice.

[Arakasi]

Very nice game by Morrow today. Complete game shutout, lost the no hitter with 2 out in the ninth, but he got 17 Ks in what is probably one of the top 10-15 pitching performances of all time by the numbers. Completely dominant. Once again much thanks to Jack from Seattle for this wonderful guy.

In other weird news, as a Jays fan I don't know how I feel about Delgado coming to the Sox. Glad to see him playing again soon, but for Boston? Weird.

[Mack Kilimaro]

Won six out of seven against the Angels and White Sox after Buck Showalter took over. I think it's going to be okay to love the Orioles again.

Helped your Twins to a share of the division lead, Lightning Lord. I think the rest is up to you guys. :)

[Andrik the Unsmiling]

Next couple of weeks will basically define the Giants season. Six teams in the hunt for four playoff spots in the NL, and the Giants play three game series against four of them, back-to-back. After this set against the Padres, Phillies, Cardinals, and Reds, the only other team the Giants play that's really in contention the rest of the year is the Padres (7 games in September/October). Here we go!

[Jaxom 1974]

Next couple of weeks will basically define the Giants season. Six teams in the hunt for four playoff spots in the NL, and the Giants play three game series against four of them, back-to-back. After this set against the Padres, Phillies, Cardinals, and Reds, the only other team the Giants play that's really in contention the rest of the year is the Padres (7 games in September/October). Here we go!

You're welcome. Though you were lucky to escape with three wins out of four against the asstasticness that is the 2010 Cubs...so I'd be worried. I mean, Pat Burrell is pulling your ass out of fires. Be afraid, be very afraid...

[Andrik the Unsmiling]

You're welcome. Though you were lucky to escape with three wins out of four against the asstasticness that is the 2010 Cubs...so I'd be worried. I mean, Pat Burrell is pulling your ass out of fires. Be afraid, be very afraid...

Pat's been very good since joining the Giants. It's not like he's just been picking on you guys ;)

To be honest, I am a little nervous. Many thanks to the Cubs for giving us at least some measure of momentum heading into this stretch, because after that series against Atlanta, I think most fans definitely had that feeling of dread back in the pit of their stomachs.

Now, if only the Dodgers could get a win after having a 9-2 lead against the Phillies evaporate in the last two innings, we could actually gain some separation in the Wild Card chase. Jonathan Broxton-- overrated closer, or most overrated closer?

ETA: Nevermind. Jonathan Broxton: no longer a closer.

[awesome possum]

What's all this talk of playoff picture? Baseball season is over :bawl: :bang: :ack: