(I couldn't find a recent Florida Marlins thread so I've started this one for the whole league.)
Reports are saying that the Marlins are set to offer Hanley Ramirez a 6-year $70 million contract. What? Isn't this the team that has a fire sale every other year and they're offering this guy a 6 year contract?
Meanwhile, the entire team payroll is only $22 million(!) and they're presently first in the NL East (21-14).
Full Version: MLB 2008
QUOTE(canmark @ May 10 2008, 03:40 PM) 
(I couldn't find a recent Florida Marlins thread so I've started this one for the whole league.)
Reports are saying that the Marlins are set to offer Hanley Ramirez a 6-year $70 million contract. What? Isn't this the team that has a fire sale every other year and they're offering this guy a 6 year contract?
Meanwhile, the entire team payroll is only $22 million(!) and they're presently first in the NL East (21-14).
At 22 million for their payroll, they have plenty of unspent money left for a marquee player. In 2006, the Marlins received 31 million in revenue sharing alone. At just under 12 million a year for a player of that caliber, I find it at the low end of the going rate of free agent signings. Since Loria is convinced a new stadium is on the horizon it makes plenty of sense to lock him in now, rather than go to arbitration for several years. If Ramirez were a free agent he could get more on the open market.
With Ramirez in just his third full season, he'd be eligible for arbitration after this year. So the Marlins will have him under contract through all of his arbitration years and (if the extension starts next year and they're not re-doing this year's salary) 2 of his free agent years. If the Marlins are truly serious about getting the ballpark built and building a team that keeps most of its young talent, it's a good move.
There's no A's or Rangers thread so I thought I'd put this here.
I'm watching the A's/Rangers game earlier, and the last guy I ever expected to make a comeback, Sidney Ponson, is now pitching for Texas -- the A's slammed him with 4 runs in the first inning. But that's not even the funniest part: behind home plate, somebody's holding up a sign that says "Ponson's Possy" (!)
Jeez, you'd think if there's any word Texans would know how to spell, it's "posse"...
I'm watching the A's/Rangers game earlier, and the last guy I ever expected to make a comeback, Sidney Ponson, is now pitching for Texas -- the A's slammed him with 4 runs in the first inning. But that's not even the funniest part: behind home plate, somebody's holding up a sign that says "Ponson's Possy" (!)
Jeez, you'd think if there's any word Texans would know how to spell, it's "posse"...
Maybe they meant to spell another word... 
Hanley R was one of the best hitters in the NL last year. But will they keep him at SS? He's awful with the glove.
It's a challenge to stay grounded about the Astros since they're on such a roll right now. But I have a tough time believing our bats can stay this hot, and the pitching is just too thin for an entire season. For right now, though, it's fun to see us in the mix for the NL Central.
QUOTE(SportsOutdoors @ May 12 2008, 07:07 PM)
It's a challenge to stay grounded about the Astros since they're on such a roll right now. But I have a tough time believing our bats can stay this hot, and the pitching is just too thin for an entire season. For right now, though, it's fun to see us in the mix for the NL Central.
You make it seem like you play for the 'Stros. I'm intrigued...
I think he's using the royal sports fan "we." 
Lance Berkman is on a tear.
----
An unassisted triple play tonight -- Cleveland 2B Asdrubal Cabrera caught a line drive with runners at first and second with no outs and the runners took off. He stepped on second base and tagged the runner who took off from first.
Lance Berkman is on a tear.
----
An unassisted triple play tonight -- Cleveland 2B Asdrubal Cabrera caught a line drive with runners at first and second with no outs and the runners took off. He stepped on second base and tagged the runner who took off from first.
Jerry Seinfeld on the royal sports fan "we":
"THEY played, you WATCHED."
"THEY played, you WATCHED."
Who is Yu Darvish? ESPN.com has a big feature on him, calling him Dice-K 2.0 (ie. the next big pitcher from Japan). The 21-year old Iranian-Japanese sensation has impressive numbers (2007 season: 15-5, 207.2 IP, 123 H, 210 K, 49 BB, 1.82 ERA) and has been profiled extensively (although, frankly, this is the first I've heard of him).
QUOTE(Joe in Philly @ May 13 2008, 04:04 AM)
I think he's using the royal sports fan "we."
Lance Berkman is on a tear.
----
An unassisted triple play tonight -- Cleveland 2B Asdrubal Cabrera caught a line drive with runners at first and second with no outs and the runners took off. He stepped on second base and tagged the runner who took off from first.
Good to see you again, by the way, Joe. Sorry I've been MIA on both boards. I'm proud to see the Big Puma doing so well. I'd love to see him win an MVP.
Cleveland's starting pitchers have a streak of 43 1/3 consecutive shutout innings. The Indians have had 4 shutout wins in their last 5 games (and 5 of the last 8) -- and in the one game they lost, it was 0-0 after 9 innings before the bullpen gave up 3 in the 10th. Amazing stretch.
All-Star catcher Mike Piazza entered retirement today after a 16-year career. Selected in the 62nd round by the Dodgers in the 1988 draft, Piazza went on to hit .308 with 427 HR and 1,335 RBI for his career. Also on his list of achievements were 12 All-Star appearances, including a streak of 10 straight appearances from 1993-2003. His 396 home runs as a catcher rank first all-time among catchers.
"It's the end of a Hall of Fame career," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "It was a privilege to manage him for the short time that I did."
"If I'm half the hitter he was, I'll have a pretty successful career," said Atlanta's Brian McCann. "He did a lot of great things for the catching position."
(Parts of this report come from the Associated Press.)
"It's the end of a Hall of Fame career," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "It was a privilege to manage him for the short time that I did."
"If I'm half the hitter he was, I'll have a pretty successful career," said Atlanta's Brian McCann. "He did a lot of great things for the catching position."
(Parts of this report come from the Associated Press.)
Ken Griffey Jr. becomes the sixth player to reach 600 home runs.
Home run leaders:
Barry Bonds - 762
Hank Aaron - 755
Babe Ruth - 714
Willie Mays - 660
Sammy Sosa - 609
Ken Griffey Jr. - 600
Home run leaders:
Barry Bonds - 762
Hank Aaron - 755
Babe Ruth - 714
Willie Mays - 660
Sammy Sosa - 609
Ken Griffey Jr. - 600
Imagine how many homers Griffey would have if he didn't lose so much time to injuries.
Chien-Ming Wang is injured running the bases in an NL park... and Hank Steinbrenner is hopping mad. 
QUOTE
Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang is expected to be sidelined until at least September after injuring his foot running the bases, prompting club co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner to chastise the National League for playing without a designated hitter.
* * *
"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.
"Am I [mad] about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."
* * *
"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.
"Am I [mad] about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."
The only reason I would want the DH in the NL is because I think there should be the same rules for both leagues and the AL is too stubborn to get rid of the DH. Other than that, Hank Steinbrenner is an idiot.
Having one league with a DH and one without works just fine, I think.
What needs to be abolished: interleague play. An unfair gimmick whose novelty has worn off.
What needs to be abolished: interleague play. An unfair gimmick whose novelty has worn off.
QUOTE(Joe in Philly @ Jun 16 2008, 08:04 PM)
The only reason I would want the DH in the NL is because I think there should be the same rules for both leagues and the AL is too stubborn to get rid of the DH. Other than that, Hank Steinbrenner is an idiot.
Joe, it's not so much that the A.L. is too stubborn to get rid of the DH--many owners would love to get rid of it--rather, it's the Players Association that won't permit it to be discarded, because it would mean the elimination of over a dozen "jobs." Several owners have even offered to increase MLB rosters by 1 to make up for the loss of the DH, but the omnipotent players union won't budge.
I did forget about the players union's position.
I think that, the way relief pitchers are used so much with most starters seemingly unable to go beyond 6 innings, so that some teams have 13 or even 14 pitchers on the roster, the owners ought to offer to increase the rosters to 27. At least that way managers could still make moves without running out of position players in the 8th inning.
Having one league with a DH and one without works just fine, I think.
What needs to be abolished: interleague play. An unfair gimmick whose novelty has worn off.
I don't think that is ever going to happen. I'd severely limit it, if I could. The main rivalries -- Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox, etc. -- would play no more than 2 games per year. Not two series, two games. One home, one away. Then just a handful of other games against another opponent or two.
I think that, the way relief pitchers are used so much with most starters seemingly unable to go beyond 6 innings, so that some teams have 13 or even 14 pitchers on the roster, the owners ought to offer to increase the rosters to 27. At least that way managers could still make moves without running out of position players in the 8th inning.
QUOTE(Bill W @ Jun 17 2008, 10:12 AM)
Having one league with a DH and one without works just fine, I think.
What needs to be abolished: interleague play. An unfair gimmick whose novelty has worn off.
I don't think that is ever going to happen. I'd severely limit it, if I could. The main rivalries -- Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox, etc. -- would play no more than 2 games per year. Not two series, two games. One home, one away. Then just a handful of other games against another opponent or two.
QUOTE(Bill W @ Jun 17 2008, 10:12 AM)
Having one league with a DH and one without works just fine, I think.
What needs to be abolished: interleague play. An unfair gimmick whose novelty has worn off.
I'm in total agreement. Interleague play is a total bore and has destroyed the mystique of having 2 different leagues with different players, different styles of play, different umpires, etc., which meet only in the All Star Game and the World Series.
Just saw this column on The Huffington Post and thought it apropos to the discussion of the DH: Same-sex marriage and the Designated Hitter
QUOTE
DH or no DH, it's still baseball. Same-sex or opposite sex, it's still marriage. In both cases the players still have to make it work.
In the movie Bull Durham, Crash Davis (played by Kevin Costner) believes "there should be a constitutional amendment outlawing astroturf and the designated hitter". We don't need a constitutional amendment every time we want to get rid something we don't like. Sometimes, we just need to let others play it their way while we play it our way.
In the movie Bull Durham, Crash Davis (played by Kevin Costner) believes "there should be a constitutional amendment outlawing astroturf and the designated hitter". We don't need a constitutional amendment every time we want to get rid something we don't like. Sometimes, we just need to let others play it their way while we play it our way.
QUOTE(canmark @ Jun 17 2008, 09:48 PM)
I'm in total agreement. Interleague play is a total bore and has destroyed the mystique of having 2 different leagues with different players, different styles of play, different umpires, etc., which meet only in the All Star Game and the World Series.
Canmark, they don't have different umpires in the two leagues. Since 1999 (the year of that big, failed mass resignation fiasco), there is one MLB staff of some 68-72 full-time guys (I'm sure our MLB Umpire can elaborate on this if need be) that travels among all the major league cities.
He's referring to the old days when the two leagues were so distinct that they had separate umpires in each league. Once interleague play came in, that was the start of it. I think at some point they'd have found a way to combine the umpires even without the labor fiasco.
The lack of a DH is the only thing that makes the NL distinct from the AL, and makes the game more interesting because of double-switches and such. I laugh now when people talk about a player going from one league to another in a trade or free agency and how there's an adjustment. It's less of an adjustment than ever now.
The lack of a DH is the only thing that makes the NL distinct from the AL, and makes the game more interesting because of double-switches and such. I laugh now when people talk about a player going from one league to another in a trade or free agency and how there's an adjustment. It's less of an adjustment than ever now.
Mariners fire manager. More housecleaning to come?
They also fired their GM earlier in the week. Hard to believe a team that some had pegged as a division winner (or at least contender) has the worst record in all of baseball.
I'm having a hard time figuring why anyone thought they were a contender... Most analysts I read (eg, Baseball Prospectus) had them winning no more than 75 games. That they're THIS bad is a surprise, true.
I'm reluctant to start a thread for the worst team in the league, especially this far into the season. The Seattle Mariners haven't had much to cheer about this year, but yesterday's grand slam by pitcher Felix Hernandez is an accomplishment worth acknowledging. And he scored it while another Venezuelan, Johan Santana, was pitching for the Mets.
Excerpt from the Mariners' website:
It was the first grand slam by an American League pitcher since Cleveland's Steve Dunning hit one against the Athletics on May 11, 1971. That slam was hit off right-hander Diego Segui, who six years later would throw the first pitch in Mariners franchise history.
Excerpt from the Mariners' website:
It was the first grand slam by an American League pitcher since Cleveland's Steve Dunning hit one against the Athletics on May 11, 1971. That slam was hit off right-hander Diego Segui, who six years later would throw the first pitch in Mariners franchise history.
Interleague play is over (except for one game between the Yankees and Pirates that was rained out and will be made up July 10th). AL 149, NL 102.
And how is it that the AL has better pitching than the NL? Isn't the DH supposed to make it tougher to pitch in the AL?
And how is it that the AL has better pitching than the NL? Isn't the DH supposed to make it tougher to pitch in the AL?
Somebody suggested that the win-loss record of AL vs. NL should determine who gets the home field advantage in the World Series rather than the All Star Game, as the All Star Game is merely an exhibition game whereas the interleague games actually count.
If it can't be decided by head-to-head record between the two teams (which is logistically impossible, most likely) then they should just rotate it as they used to. Using interleague play results would only be marginally better than using the All-Star game.
There was an interesting suggestion made in a column in the paper today: if you're going to keep interleague play, a way to make it interesting would be to adjust the DH rule -- use it in games in the NL parks, and make pitchers bat in the AL parks. That would give NL teams' fans a taste of seeing the DH-style game in person, and give AL fans who miss the strategy of double-switches and the like a taste of what they're missing.
There was an interesting suggestion made in a column in the paper today: if you're going to keep interleague play, a way to make it interesting would be to adjust the DH rule -- use it in games in the NL parks, and make pitchers bat in the AL parks. That would give NL teams' fans a taste of seeing the DH-style game in person, and give AL fans who miss the strategy of double-switches and the like a taste of what they're missing.
Interesting article in Fast Company on the Texas Rangers' Jon Daniels, the youngest GM in MLB. He started as an intern with the Rockies and at 28 became GM of the Rangers.
QUOTE
In April 2001, Josh Byrnes, then an assistant GM with the Colorado Rockies, offered Daniels a six-month internship. It paid $275 per week. "I had to take it," Daniels says. "Absolutely had to. Because I was learning early on that money definitely doesn't equal fulfillment."
When the internship ended, Daniels -- knowing how hard it is to land a plum baseball gig -- planned to move to California and find yet another dull corporate job. Just before his departure, he interviewed with the Rangers, who needed a baseball-operations assistant to veteran GM John Hart. "I was immediately impressed," says Hart, now one of Daniels's advisers. "He was a guy who knew the game and clearly had a high ceiling."
Hart was right. In October 2005, a mere three years after Daniels accepted a salary of $30,000 to work for the Rangers, owner Tom Hicks named him to succeed Hart, who was retiring after four seasons. At 28 years and 41 days, Daniels became the youngest general manager in baseball history. (He's still the youngest in MLB.)
When the internship ended, Daniels -- knowing how hard it is to land a plum baseball gig -- planned to move to California and find yet another dull corporate job. Just before his departure, he interviewed with the Rangers, who needed a baseball-operations assistant to veteran GM John Hart. "I was immediately impressed," says Hart, now one of Daniels's advisers. "He was a guy who knew the game and clearly had a high ceiling."
Hart was right. In October 2005, a mere three years after Daniels accepted a salary of $30,000 to work for the Rangers, owner Tom Hicks named him to succeed Hart, who was retiring after four seasons. At 28 years and 41 days, Daniels became the youngest general manager in baseball history. (He's still the youngest in MLB.)
In last night's game between the Rockies and Marlins a humidor failure might be one reason that 35 runs were scored, but letting a 13-4 lead in the fourth not hold up for the Marlins is pretty remarkable. Even after Florida's bulpen let the Rockies pull to within 17-16 you would think the closer could eke out a win. This is only the 3rd time a team has scored 17 runs and lost in the last 50 years.
Amazing game. I wish I could have watched it, but not being home I had to follow it on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.
The NL Central was pretty clearly the best division in the league already, and now they've added CC Sabathia (Brewers) and Rich Harden (Cubs) in trades. If you're a team in the NL East or West you pretty much know that you MUST win the division. Those divisions won't be generating a Wild Card team.
Likely not, but the East could in a longshot.
Someone wrote that the Harden trade will start to look reasonable for the A's the day the Cubs put him on the disabled list.
Someone wrote that the Harden trade will start to look reasonable for the A's the day the Cubs put him on the disabled list.
Yankees to pick up Richie Sexon, recently dumped by the 37-58 Mariners. The Yankees, though, will only have to pay him the minimum, with Seattle on the hook for the remainder of his $14 million salary. Sexon is currently batting .218, with more strikeouts (76) than hits (55).
However, Sexson has hit .344 against lefties this year.
The Braves have now officially given up on 2008. They've traded Mark Teixeira to the Angels for Casey Kotchman and a minor league pitcher. The trade deadline is Thursday.
Angels have to be favored to win the WS now, for those who didn't already have that opinion. In my dreams the Mets pay Mike Sciosa back this year!
What is it with teams trading with the Yankees? Last week they got Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte from the Pirates for mostly crap. Now today they get Pudge Rodriguez from Detroit for Kyle Farnsworth. Is Brian Cashman that much of a genius or is everyone else just stupid?
SI.com is reporting that the Reds have agreed to trade Ken Griffey Jr. to the White Sox pending league approval. Also Griffey has to agree to it.
And their is a rumor that has Manny Ramirez going to the Marlins in a three way that involves the Pirates. Jason Bay would end up in Boston.
And their is a rumor that has Manny Ramirez going to the Marlins in a three way that involves the Pirates. Jason Bay would end up in Boston.
I think he'd do exceptionally well in Florida compared to other more intense markets. They wouldn't be as upset by the half hearted and inattentive base running that is part of the package with Manny on occasion. Any NL team who takes him -for more than a few months anyway- would be worried about his age and the possibility of injury/diminished returns in playing the field every day. He plays the wall in Fenway well, but as his recent hilarious encounter with a pop up has shown, he's not much of a fielder.
Griffey has approved the trade to go the the White Sox. Now the question is where does he play?
MLB.com is reporting that the Pirates have traded Jason Bay to the Rays. This not only helps the Rays but also kills the rumored three way deal that would have landed Manny Ramirez with the Marlins.
It's amazing that the MLB deadline has so little activity, and if it weren't for the Manny Ramirez drama it'd be really boring. On NHL deadline day there are trades like every two or three minutes.
QUOTE(Joe in Philly @ Jul 30 2008, 08:18 PM)
What is it with teams trading with the Yankees? Last week they got Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte from the Pirates for mostly crap. Now today they get Pudge Rodriguez from Detroit for Kyle Farnsworth. Is Brian Cashman that much of a genius or is everyone else just stupid?
The Yanks had to find someone uglier than Jorge "Topo Gigio" Posada to play catcher; guess Pudge was their last best hope!
Hold the phone...SI.com is reporting that Manny was traded to the Dodgers right before the deadline and that Jason Bay is heading to Boston instead of Tampa Bay as earlier reported!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/base...ex.html?eref=T1
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/base...ex.html?eref=T1
QUOTE(George Twins fan @ Jul 31 2008, 04:35 PM)
Hold the phone...SI.com is reporting that Manny was traded to the Dodgers right before the deadline and that Jason Bay is heading to Boston instead of Tampa Bay as earlier reported!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/base...ex.html?eref=T1
That would kill any chance the Dodgers might have. Manny is the complete antithesis of what Torre likes in a player. One need look no further than Ruben Sierra or Gary Sheffield to see where this would wind up......
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