MLB 2013 Thread

Sox acquire Brandon Jacobs for Matt Thornton. yippie I guess

[CigarSquid]

Thank you Tigers for taking down the Rangers... Now A's need to win!

[CigarSquid]

How about the HR Derby? I only seen the highlights. I only wanted to watch it to see Cespesdes, since I am a A's fan.

[kelmac07]

Cespesdes put on a show last night. He's been here two years and can't speak a word of English?

[CigarSquid]

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Cespesdes put on a show last night. He's been here two years and can't speak a word of English?

I know he can. He has joked with his teammates.

[shilala]

Did you guys notice that when the guys doing the interviewing asked the 2 cuban players about their homeland, coming here, and what it meant, both players completely ignored the question?
That, my boys, is a sound fear of their homeland. Good policy, too. What could they say? It's way better here and Cuba sucks, or vice versa? It made me wonder why the sports geeks insist on throwing the question at them, and it's a good reason why Cespedas doesn't do interviews.
He put on a heck of a show, that kid just reeks of power.

[jonumberone]

Hey Tom, it's a good thing the Tigers don't have a bullpen, because Leyland has no idea how to manage one.
You have the greatest closer of all time, and you go to him in the 8th?
I understand his reasoning, and I understand he's used to 3 run leads evaporating with his pen, but there's something about seeing Rivera in the 9th that just feels right.

It was a wonderful scene at Citi Field last night.
I had wondered if Enter Sandman would play.
Kudos to the Mets and their fans last night for allowing that moment to happen.
It was nice to see all the top players in the game pay homage to Mo, and let him have the field to himself.
I do think giving him the MVP was a bit superfluous.
When they gave it to Ripkin Jr in the same scenario, he had the decency to hit a homerun.
As I mentioned, Mo didn't get the save.

The one thing Baseball does better than all the other sports is give you dramatic moments.
The slower pace of the sport, which most of it's critic's detest, is exactly what leads to the drama.
It is unmatched in its ability to slow down the moment, freeze time, and have you hang on every pitch.
Because of that, I feel the ovations last a little bit longer in Baseball.

Over the years, the All Star game has lost most of it's luster for me, but I was into last night's game.
Not solely for Mo, but for Harvey too.
From a NY perspective, you have the youngster starting the game, and the old man finishing it (almost).
That kind of story is easy to watch.

[kelmac07]

Twice in a month that I agree with Dom. WTF??? Didn't at all understand why Leyland put Mo in during the 8th?

[Dave128]

I fell asleep and didn't see the last few innings. That really is shitty what happened to Mo. He most certainly should have been given the ball in the ninth. He deserves it being one of, if not the, best closers the game has ever seen.

[icehog3]

Stuff like that is why I don't watch the All Star Game, Dom.

[Dave128]

Not sure how true this is, but heard that the reason Leyland (in his own words I think) used Mo in the 8th: He was afraid that, if the NL scored any runs in the 8th to take the lead, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to use Mo to close.

Went to a Braves game on the 28th of June to watch them retire Chipper Jones number...had a great time with the wife and took a few pretty good pics..check em out when you get a chance!!

http://s1329.photobucket.com/user/Ro.../Braves%20Game

[CigarSquid]

Some awesome pictures there Royln

[shilala]

I agreed totally with having Mo throw in the 8th.
It made complete sense. A lesser manager, or one who hasn't been screwed time and again by his bullpen in every way imaginable, may not have even seen the possibility of losing the lead in the 8th and not throwing to the NL in the 9th.

Imagine the horror had he not used Mo and then lost the lead and didn't get to pitch to the NL in the 9th? Everyone in the world would have called him every name in the book, cursed his birth, and crucified him in the media. "Mo's last All-Star game" was literally why I watched the whole thing. I couldn't imagine not seeing him.
There's no doubt at all that Leyland did the right thing. None.

[shilala]

What is the ballpark with the ramped up earth in center field?
I've never seen it before or never noticed it. I saw a replay where someone made a catch running up that ramp and thought "Are you kidding me? That'd take you right out by the knees."
The guy made the play right at the very short center field wall.

[jonumberone]

That's Minute Maid Park in Houston, Scott.
I never understood it either, but I heard it was an homage to something, just can't remember.

Edit: Apparently it has a name. Tal's Hill

From Wikipedia

In contrast to the ease of hitting a home run to the Crawford Boxes, it is quite difficult to hit a ball out in center field, as the dead-center wall is 436 ft (133 m) from home plate. Fielding is a challenge there as well, due to the 90-foot (27 m) wide center field incline known as Tal's Hill, for former team president Tal Smith, an element taken from Crosley Field and other historic ballparks (in a bit of gallows humor, the hill is also known as the "Grassy Knoll"), and the flagpole in play, an element taken from Yankee Stadium before its remodeling in the mid-'70s and Tiger Stadium among others. Milwaukee Brewers player Richie Sexson once hit a ball off the flagpole. There was a mark there until the 2011 season, when the pole was repainted.

[Coach Deg]

Braun suspended the rest of the year.

[AdamJoshua]

Braun, an outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, admitted to wrongdoing and apologized in a statement for his actions, saying "I am not perfect."

Look at his numbers last year compared to this, can't wait till they bust Davis ...

The first of many, when you think about all the "star" players they are talking about suspending it's pretty shocking, hell 5 of them played for the Yankees last year

[kelmac07]

I really feel for the Brewers fans that stood beside him. What a joke he turned out to be.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by kelmac07

I really feel for the Brewers fans that stood beside him. What a joke he turned out to be.

Funny thing is, a lot of the Brewers fans I know never liked Braun, Mac.