MLB 2007

[yankhotelfox]

Thats a good team regardless of Giambi playing or not. I wouldn't be surprised to see them go on a little run once they get Wang, Pettite, Mussina, and Rocket pitching, and then all of the idiot sports writers and idiot yankees fans will say it's because Giambi isn't clogging up the basepaths (Dusty Baker) and that Cabrera plays with more heart and grit and true yankeeism. And they'll be flat out wrong.

 

 

The root of the problem is inconistency, mainly with the pitching (the bullpen has been pretty bad lately in spite of better starting pitching over the last few weeks) but the offense isn't "clicking" the way it has in years past. The starters need to continue to show veteran leadership, especially the Rocket, who will take young Phil Hughes under his wing. What this post has to do with Giambi I haven't the foggiest.

 

Kei Igawa got rocked in his first start for Scranton Tuesday night (5IP, 8H, 4ER). I'm curious about his future.

[bobbob1313]

The root of the problem is inconistency, mainly with the pitching (the bullpen has been pretty bad lately in spite of better starting pitching over the last few weeks) but the offense isn't "clicking" the way it has in years past. The starters need to continue to show veteran leadership, especially the Rocket, who will take young Phil Hughes under his wing. What this post has to do with Giambi I haven't the foggiest.

 

Kei Igawa got rocked in his first start for Scranton Tuesday night (5IP, 8H, 4ER). I'm curious about his future.

 

Igawa shouldn't have a future with the Yankees.

 

The root of the problem isn't Giambi, is the point of my post. He had nothing to do with why you were losing, and his departure will have nothing to do with you guys winning in the time he's out.

 

 

The Marlins give up Randy Messenger. The Giants give us Armando Benitez and they are paying for his entire salary. I love this trade, to be honest. Benitez is only a slight upgrade over Messenger and we're not paying him a cent.

[yankhotelfox]

Igawa shouldn't have a future with the Yankees.

 

It's really weird b/c he had that one incredible outing against Boston out of the 'pen when Jeff Karstens broke his leg against the first batter. Besides that he's been pretty awful.

 

The fish didn't plan to use Henry Owens when he comes back from the DL? Benitez is over the hill, big time.

[bobbob1313]

Owens will probably be the 7th inning guy, with either Kevin Gregg or Benitez closing.

 

I'm liking our bullpen alot after this move.

[yankhotelfox]

Owens will probably be the 7th inning guy, with either Kevin Gregg or Benitez closing.

 

I'm liking our bullpen alot after this move.

 

 

Man, the Brew Crew are tough. Francisco Cordero is sick! His ERA is 0.41 with 19 saves. They have a 6 game lead and Bill Hall isn't even hitting. Hardy and Fielder have been great. I think Gwynn is going to be a good ML hitter.

[bjorn_skurj]

Owens will probably be the 7th inning guy, with either Kevin Gregg or Benitez closing.

 

I'm liking our bullpen alot after this move.

I don't mean to be mean, but a bullpen that is substantially improved by the addition of Armando "Paging Dr. Heimlich" Benitez is in baaad shape.

[bobbob1313]

I don't mean to be mean, but a bullpen that is substantially improved by the addition of Armando "Paging Dr. Heimlich" Benitez is in baaad shape.

 

People were saying the same thing in 2004. The guy's a headcase, and he pitches better when there's no pressure on him. There won't be much pressure on him in Florida.

 

And we aren't substantially improved by the addition of Benitez, it was improved by gaining Benitez for a mediocre middle reliever, especially since we only have to pay him the league minimum. I can't imagine a scenario where Benitez isn't worth at least the league minimum. He's lost some velocity, but not counting his last 2 outing (one that included a couple of complete bullshit balks) he was doing pretty good this season.

 

By the way, Benitez won't be closing for us, at least no immediately. I think thats a good move, as Kevin Gregg has been dominating this year.

[MrRain422]

Gregg better keep the closing job or else there's going to be hell to pay.

 

This comment is probably better suited for the fantasy baseball board, but I don't feel like scrolling through who knows how many pages to find it.

[Spawn's dad]

Good riddance. He will not be missed among us Yanks fans. He's a bum and a distraction. Plus, they can finally add a much needed fifth outfielder to the active roster, probably either Kevin Thompson or Kevin Reese. They still have Andy Phillips in AAA but that would give them three first basemen (even though AP is playing second down in Scranton). Jaybone is going to be out for longer than 3 weeks. My guess is a return after the all-star break.

 

 

jeepers. do you even like this team?

[caliber66]

Gregg better keep the closing job or else there's going to be hell to pay.

 

This comment is probably better suited for the fantasy baseball board, but I don't feel like scrolling through who knows how many pages to find it.

Seconded

[tongue-tied lightning]

Throwing a ball at somebody's face at 90 mph isn't a dick move?

 

sorry for my late responce, but Matt answered it for me anyway, thanks Matt.

 

like Matt said, it's only a dick move if you intentionally throw at the batter.

 

wanting Benitez as your closer is asking for a headache.

 

not sure why the fish want this bum.

[MattZ]

It just occurred to me that I have no idea where the term bush league comes from.

[caliber66]

Bush league arose in American baseball, referring to the minor leagues, especially those not of very good quality. Players from the bush leagues were referred to as bush leaguers. The term has come to be used beyond baseball, so that anyone who is considered a novice or not skilled in some area may be called a bush leaguer, and his or her work referred to as [of the] bush league.

 

Now on to the etymology. Why bush? This arose, apparently first in Australia (later turning up in South Africa and New Zealand), from Dutch bosch "wood(s)", and first appears in written English in the late 18th century, referring to woods but also, and then later more exclusively, to uncleared, untamed lands, especially in the interior. It also came to mean "country" versus "city". By extension, bush came to refer, by the middle of the 19th century, to anything crude or roughly made, or a person practicing a craft for which he had received no formal training, like a "bush carpenter". That sense was picked up in America and applied to the minor baseball leagues, which often played in small towns and were not as skilful as the major league players. Bush league is first recorded in that sense in 1906, as is bush leaguer. By 1943 it was being used beyond baseball. In 1975 we find, "I don't care who she is and what she knows, compared to Polly she's a bush leaguer," from Saul Bellow's Humboldt's Gift (which, incidentally, won Bellow the Pulitzer Prize for 1976, and he won the Nobel prize for literature that same year).

 

http://www.takeourword.com/TOW200/page2.html

[caliber66]

As for the brushback pitch being a dick move, if somebody burns a fastball at my chin, regardless of whether or not he intends to hit me, it's a dick move, as far as I'm concerned. It's part of the game, and the guy might be the nicest guy in the world, but I'm not sure I can be convinced that throwing a ball at someone is not a dick move. I'm not saying I have a problem with it in the greater scheme of things, and I understand why it's used, even condone its application, but it's still dickish. So are the hidden ball trick, stealing signs, the takeout slide and all manner of little things baseball players do to take the other team off their game.

[tongue-tied lightning]

I agree that throwing AT someone is not right. Moving a batter off the plate is fine, and is not throwing at a guy ?

 

isn't it called throwing inside ?

[caliber66]

If the batter doesn't get out of the way of a brushback pitch, the pitch will generally hit him, so yeah, the ball is directed at the batter.

 

This is a purely semantic argument. Like I said, it's fine in the context of the game.

[MattZ]

Also, in defense of Ninjas, et. al, I think the brushback pitch assumes that you are not only throwing inside, but also high.

 

I think we can all agree that throwing inside is not a dick move, but throwing high and tight gets a little closer to the dick move line.

[caliber66]

Also, in defense of Ninjas, et. al, I think the brushback pitch assumes that you are not only throwing inside, but also high.

 

I think we can all agree that throwing inside is not a dick move, but throwing high and tight gets a little closer to the dick move line.

And yeah, I really only mean throwing pitches that are directed at the space being occupied by the batter, and generally the batter's upper half. Just throwing inside is not dickish.

[bjorn_skurj]

Hitting batters with the pitch has been a selfregulating method in baseball for about as long as baseball has existed. It enforces adherence to the unwritten etiquette of the game.

[caliber66]

Doesn't make it any less of a dick move.

[Sir Stewart]

Doesn't make it any less of a dick move.

good bit

[bjorn_skurj]

Throwing at somebody's head, like Clemens does, is a dick move. Then again, when Clemens was born, I bet the doctor said to his mom, "You know, ma'am, having this baby was a real dick move."

[tongue-tied lightning]

[Oil Can Boyd]

Now THIS is a dick move:

 

[bobbob1313]

Gregg better keep the closing job or else there's going to be hell to pay.

 

This comment is probably better suited for the fantasy baseball board, but I don't feel like scrolling through who knows how many pages to find it.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-m...p&type=lgns

 

Hitting batters with the pitch has been a selfregulating method in baseball for about as long as baseball has existed. It enforces adherence to the unwritten etiquette of the game.

 

Which is why there is an easy solution for the Jays the next time they play the Yankees if they felt so cheated and blah blah blah