Are you ready for some BASEBALL!!!!?!?!

[Arschloch]

<< Baseball is such a lame sport. Four teams have a chance to win it at the beginning of the year.....Why don't they just contract all of the other teams, play playoff baseball and save everybody their time and money....Who wants to see that? >>


Don't listen to the media when they tell you that crap.

Money != Success. Look at the Orioles and Dodgers, who spend a ton of money every year (not the Orioles anymore) and are mediocre or worse.

Front office intelligence often leads to success, even without money (Athletics, the White Sox to a limited extent, the Reds until last year, and the Padres in a couple of years).

Front office intelligence AND money is pretty tough to stop. However, there's only one team that has both (the Yankees).

 

[cjsketchy]

Well, I hope you're right, but I think the Jays' pitching staff still needs a few more years to round out. I don't see them putting it all together this year.

 

[Arschloch]

<< Well, I hope you're right, but I think the Jays' pitching staff still needs a few more years to round out. I don't see them putting it all together this year. >>


Well, you are probably right about that. Although Halladay looked wonderful after he made it back to the majors last year. I think Carpenter will be better than average. And I also like Prokopec! If only they could dump Loaiza... but even so, you're probably right, their pitching won't be spectacular this year. I don't think it'll be bad though at all.

 

[xero940]

LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO YANKEES!

I'll see ya'll in Subway Series 2002! Maybe there'll even bee looting and pillaging like there was in 1983's KC/St. Louis WS!

LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO YANKEES!

Baseball, when played well, is BY FAR the most exciting sport to watch...Basketball is always the most fun to play, followed by (American) Football and soccer...Hockey kinda sucks...

 

[badluck]

Nah, I don't listen to the media much. I am speaking from facts.....Look at the past 7 years of winners:

Arizona
NY
NY
NY
Florida
NY
Atlanta

Each year the winner had one of the top 2 overall team salaries in baseball. Sure, the Oaklands and Twins can develop their own talent and make the playoffs, but winning a world championship is what it is all about. Small market teams have little chance to win one. Until MLB makes a drastic change, this sport will continue to suck.

Compare it with the NFL where the Packers have the smallest market in professional sports and have won a championship in the past 5 years. I doubt we will ever see a small market team win a championship in MLB if the trend continues. Sure, money does not always equal success, but it sure does help.

 

[Arschloch]

<< Nah, I don't listen to the media much. I am speaking from facts.....Look at the past 7 years of winners:

Arizona
NY
NY
NY
Florida
NY
Atlanta

Each year the winner had one of the top 2 overall team salaries in baseball. Sure, the Oaklands and Twins can develop their own talent and make the playoffs, but winning a world championship is what it is all about. Small market teams have little chance to win one. Until MLB makes a drastic change, this sport will continue to suck.

Compare it with the NFL where the Packers have the smallest market in professional sports and have won a championship in the past 5 years. I doubt we will ever see a small market team win a championship in MLB if the trend continues and baseball does not move towards drastic change...... >>


Just because a team wins the World Series or Super Bowl doesn't mean it's the "best team." If you truly think that the Patriots are a better team than the Rams, then there's no point in even trying to explain this point to you.

It works the same way in baseball. The Yankees this year were comparable to the A's, but they certainly weren't as good as the Mariners. And last year's Yankees certainly weren't as good as the A's. The year the Marlins won the series, they made it as a Wild Card team -- so they pretty clearly weren't the best team in baseball.

Anything can happen in a short series. Again, if you truly think the Yankees were better than the Mariners last year, then there's no point in my even trying to make this point.

 

[phlashphire]

here's a mets fan hoping they're not the new version of the '2001 Texas Rangers'

 

[cliftonite]

Good gawd i love baseball And the Yankees

 

[spaceman]

yep,gearing up for another depressing season of Redsox baseball.



<---die hard and very jaded Redsox fan
Thank God for the Pats this year!!

 

[MrDingleDangle]

<< here's a mets fan hoping they're not the new version of the '2001 Texas Rangers' >>




dont worry the rangers will hopefully be that team again when Juan "Im scared of NY" Gonzo gets injured early and they just wasted all their money again.

 

[Spamela]

this will be the A's year.

if not, as long as the braves & yankees lose, i'm happy.

 

[xero940]

<<

<< here's a mets fan hoping they're not the new version of the '2001 Texas Rangers' >>




dont worry the rangers will hopefully be that team again when Juan "Im scared of NY" Gonzo gets injured early and they just wasted all their money again. >>



He wasn't "scared" of NY...that punk bitch used us to maintain and raise his worth in Texas! I hate him with a passion now, all that ass-kissing he did to 'woo' NY...for a while, every paper in NYC was worshipping him like a god...I want to see his leg BREAK, so he's out for the season, and so the Yanks and Mets can have their way with the Rangers...BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Oh yeah...A's SUCK.

WEEE GOT GIAMBI! HAHA!

 

[Fausto]

<< Leiter - Astacio - Estes - Traschel - Chen/D'Amico with Benitez closing ain't bad. >>



they went 3.31 - 5.49 - 4.02 - 4.46 - 5.00/6.08 last year.

I'll take Maddux - Glavine - Millwood - Marquis - Lopez any day of the week.
3.05 3.57 4.31 3.48 4.0/5.34

Let's not forget that Smoltz was un-freaking-hittable as a closer last year....nice insurance late in the game. Benitez is good, but Smoltz was just plain scary. Plus we now have Spooneybarger to boot.
(For the record: I'll admit I don't know WTF they were thinking acquring Albie...he kinda sucks)

Plus we will actually have some bats in the order this year and pitchers will have to actually throw over the plate to Chipper now that we have Sheffield in the order as well. I think it will mostly depend on everyone staying healthy and guys like Furcal and Andruw not being as streaky hitting-wise as they have been in the past.

Another thing to keep in mind is that while the Mets do indeed have some big bats in the lineup now, they are also a bunch of whiff-artists. I found an interesting article at the Sporting News that addresses this issue.

Should be a good year to watch Mets/Braves games.

Fausto

 

[zod]

phlashphire -

The Metsies won't be the Rangers. We have quality starters and a good bullpen with Weathers and Benitez (and Franco and Guthrie and Chen/D'amico and Komiyama).

Leiter alone is better than anything the Rangers have.

 

[badluck]

<< Just because a team wins the World Series or Super Bowl doesn't mean it's the "best team." If you truly think that the Patriots are a better team than the Rams, then there's no point in even trying to explain this point to you.

It works the same way in baseball. The Yankees this year were comparable to the A's, but they certainly weren't as good as the Mariners. And last year's Yankees certainly weren't as good as the A's. The year the Marlins won the series, they made it as a Wild Card team -- so they pretty clearly weren't the best team in baseball.

Anything can happen in a short series. Again, if you truly think the Yankees were better than the Mariners last year, then there's no point in my even trying to make this point. >>




Well, for the most part you totally avoided my point. I guess that is because you can't dispute facts. If you don't understand my facts, I guess there is no reason to even discuss it with you.

It doesn't matter who is "the best team" that year. All that matters is, who wins. Can anybody name who was the best team in the 1988 MLB season? Nope, but I'm sure they can tell you who is the Champion.

You throw around your opinion, which is your interpretation. You talk about how much better other teams are than they Yanks (you said: Mariners this year, Oakland last year), and you might be right, talent-wise. That is why they play the games. Veteran leadership from a team that has been there before is something totally different than talent, and should be taken into the equation. That is why the Yanks made it, and the A's, Mariners didn't.....

 

[pyonir]

<<

<<

<< here's a mets fan hoping they're not the new version of the '2001 Texas Rangers' >>


He wasn't "scared" of NY...that punk bitch used us to maintain and raise his worth in Texas! I hate him with a passion now, all that ass-kissing he did to 'woo' NY...for a while, every paper in NYC was worshipping him like a god...I want to see his leg BREAK, so he's out for the season, and so the Yanks and Mets can have their way with the Rangers...BWAHAHAHAHA!!! >>



doesn't everyone have their way with the rangers? oh and hockey doesn't suck. it is an amazing sport. have you ever sat down in the stadium and watched a game? if you find that boring then i feel sorry for you.

 

[xero940]

<<

<<

<<

<< here's a mets fan hoping they're not the new version of the '2001 Texas Rangers' >>


He wasn't "scared" of NY...that punk bitch used us to maintain and raise his worth in Texas! I hate him with a passion now, all that ass-kissing he did to 'woo' NY...for a while, every paper in NYC was worshipping him like a god...I want to see his leg BREAK, so he's out for the season, and so the Yanks and Mets can have their way with the Rangers...BWAHAHAHAHA!!! >>



doesn't everyone have their way with the rangers? oh and hockey doesn't suck. it is an amazing sport. have you ever sat down in the stadium and watched a game? if you find that boring then i feel sorry for you. >>



I have in fact, watched numerous Ranger games between the years of 1994-2001...and I can say that of the sports I mentioned earlier, hockey is the crappiest...not to say that it's not better than like, golf, or bowling, or "racing", but hockey IMHO is pretty lame...

 

[pyonir]

<<

I have in fact, watched numerous Ranger games between the years of 1994-2001...and I can say that of the sports I mentioned earlier, hockey is the crappiest...not to say that it's not better than like, golf, or bowling, or "racing", but hockey IMHO is pretty lame... >>


wow. that amazes me. it really does. i don't think you can match the action, skill, speed, and overall entertainment of hockey. in one sport that is pretty hard to come by. but i do respect that it is your opinion.

 

[Arschloch]

<< Well, for the most part you totally avoided my point. I guess that is because you can't dispute facts. If you don't understand my facts, I guess there is no reason to even discuss it with you.

It doesn't matter who is "the best team" that year. All that matters is, who wins. Can anybody name who was the best team in the 1988 MLB season? Nope, but I'm sure they can tell you who is the Champion.

You throw around your opinion, which is your interpretation. You talk about how much better other teams are than they Yanks (you said: Mariners this year, Oakland last year), and you might be right, talent-wise. That is why they play the games. Veteran leadership from a team that has been there before is something totally different than talent, and should be taken into the equation. That is why the Yanks made it, and the A's, Mariners didn't..... >>


Oh, I see, so you're trying to say that some intangible like "veteran leadership" is what wins the World Series. It might, but it might not. But it's not measurable one way or the other. Conventional wisdom says that veteran leadership is good, but conventional wisdom is also frequently wrong. Furthermore, a 5 or 7-game series isn't enough to say that "veteran leadership" has anything to do with who won. Seven games is an extremely small sample size. As I said before, anything can happen in a seven game series because it's such a short series. Everything else being equal, the more talented team will win most of the time, but of course they don't.

I was talking about the "best" team because that IS measurable. If Team A wins 116 games during the season and Team B wins 90, I think it's pretty fair to say that Team A is probably a better team. If Team B beats Team A in the playoffs, apparently you like to attribute it to unmeasurable factors like veteran leadership. I like to attribute it to "random statistical chance," because although we don't know if veteran leadership made a difference, random statistical chance always does.

 

[777php]

GIANTS BABY!!!! Esp with the additions of Reggie Sanders and David Bell , and Shinjo, our lineup is SOLID!

Our pitching staff is young and only going to get better, watch out for Ainsworth...he's a stud.

 

[Arschloch]

<< GIANTS BABY!!!! Esp with the additions of Reggie Sanders and David Bell , and Shinjo, our lineup is SOLID!

Our pitching staff is young and only going to get better, watch out for Ainsworth...he's a stud. >>


If you're getting excited over David Bell, you have issues.

 

[zod]

If you're getting excited over Shinjo, you have issues.

He's a 4th OFer. Check his OPS. He does have a knack for getting big hits, or at least he did last year. And he is very good defensively.

 

[IndyJaws]

Believe it or not, as a long-suffering Cub fan, I'm looking forward to this year.

An outfield with Sosa, McGriff and Alou!!!

One of the most solid starting rotations around.

Strong closing staff, although Gordon scares me at times.

The consensus best-stocked farm system in the majors.

Of course, that just means they'll break my heart even harder than usual.

 

[777php]

<< If you're getting excited over David Bell, you have issues. >>



with the dynamic duo of Russ Davis and Ramon Martinez platooning at 3rd last year...anybody would be someone to get excited over.

 

[prodigy]

<< GIANTS BABY!!!! Esp with the additions of Reggie Sanders and David Bell , and Shinjo, our lineup is SOLID!

Our pitching staff is young and only going to get better, watch out for Ainsworth...he's a stud. >>



Who, who and who?