2013 Baseball season!!!

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

good lord, i don't really care one way or the other about hamilton but does it really bother you so much that people around him take so many precautions to keep him healthy? i can see being upset about his slumps on the field but its a little weird to get so worked up about a guy trying to stay clean off of it. its not like he chose to need so much help.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

good lord, i don't really care one way or the other about hamilton but does it really bother you so much that people around him take so many precautions to keep him healthy? i can see being upset about his slumps on the field but its a little weird to get so worked up about a guy trying to stay clean off of it. its not like he chose to need so much help.

 We'll see how well he does  in the bright lights of LA. He had issues in Dallas,There are a lot more opportunities for getting in trouble in LA.

[bleedorange]

 We'll see how well he does  in the bright lights of LA. He had issues in Dallas,There are a lot more opportunities for getting in trouble in LA.

 

I couldn't care less how well he does.  He wouldn't be worth that price without all the off-field shenanigans.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

I couldn't care less how well he does.  He wouldn't be worth that price without all the off-field shenanigans.

 

 

As a Rangers fan, I am extremely bitter over his disappearing act last year and his poor decision making in his personal lifestyle decisions. (The whole smokeless tobacco and caffeine debacle would be comical if it didn't cost the Rangers the West...or help to).

[Winston Legthigh]

As a Rangers fan, I am extremely bitter over his disappearing act last year and his poor decision making in his personal lifestyle decisions. (The whole smokeless tobacco and caffeine debacle would be comical if it didn't cost the Rangers the West...or help to).

Hamilton's 2012 .930 OPS was good enough for 5th in the AL, and was the 2nd highest total of his career.

 

If that's something to get bitter about, I wish I could get that bitter about more Tigers.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Hamilton's 2012 .930 OPS was good enough for 5th in the AL, and was the 2nd highest total of his career.

 

If that's something to get bitter about, I wish I could get that bitter about more Tigers.

 The amazing part of that is that he put up those numbers after basically going into a coma for three months in the middle the season. His play in the last two weeks of the season were embarrasingly abysmal.

[The Inside of Outside]

 he won't have to worry if the $125 million investment  he made for the ball club just did a bump off a strippers tits, tore apart a bar and is in jail.

I know that this isn't funny when you really think about it, but it did make me laugh out loud when I read it.

[MrRain422]

 We'll see how well he does  in the bright lights of LA. He had issues in Dallas,There are a lot more opportunities for getting in trouble in LA.

 

 

The Angels don't play in LA.

[uncool2pillow]

Yes, he'll be safe in the distant land of the O.C. Though the Dallas area has plenty of temptation as America's team proves quite regularly. Per capita, temptation is prolly close to equal.

[MrRain422]

Alright,  I guess I'll do my predictions

 

Rays

Jays (WC)

Yanks

Sawx

Orioles

 

Tigers

Indians

Royals

White Sox

Twins

 

Angels

Texas (WC)

Oakland

Seattle

'Stros

 

Nats

Braves (WC)

Phillies

Mets

Marlins

 

Reds

Cardinals (WC)

Brewers

Pirates

Cubs

 

Dodgers

Giants

D'backs

Rockies

Padres

 

Jays beat Rangers

Braves beat Cardinals

 

Tigers beat Jays

Angels beat Rays

Braves beat Nats

Reds beat Dodgers

 

Tigers beat Angels

Braves beat Reds

 

Braves beat Tigers

[MrRain422]

There's no way the Pirates don't kill this idea, right?

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/pittsburgh-pirates-catcher-russell-martin-shortstop-canada-world-baseball-classic-021813

[KevinG]

There's no way the Pirates don't kill this idea, right?

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/pittsburgh-pirates-catcher-russell-martin-shortstop-canada-world-baseball-classic-021813

 

 

I really like the idea of the WBC (especially since baseball was nixed by the olympics), but I hate the idea that star mlb players play in the thing.  I would love to see it made up of college kids etc.  There is too much chance for guys to get hurt or teams to do stupid shit like this.  

[MrRain422]

As it turns out, not only did the Pirates reject the idea, but so did the Canadian WBC team, so no Martin isn't going to play at all.  I thought he'd at least run the idea by the Canadian team before talking about how he was going to do it.

[bobbob1313]

Marlins are gonna be bad. It's gonna be sad. 

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Marlins are gonna be bad. It's gonna be sad. 

 

Good to see you back, kiddo!

 

The most miserable person in Professional Sports has to be the Giancarlo Stanton. He's going to be stuck in that mess for at least three years.

[dagwave]

marlins will be bad, but, good lord, the astros?

 

i read something along the lines of their total team payroll is $14M, with $5M of that owed to Wandy Rodriguez???

 

paraphrasing

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Good to see you back, kiddo!

 

The most miserable person in Professional Sports has to be the Giancarlo Stanton. He's going to be stuck in that mess for at least three years.

id be very surprised if this ends up being true. loria's a lot of things but hes not dumb. stanton might be the one marquee attraction left but he certainly wont be re-signing with the marlins and his trade stock, already sky high, will only improve as time goes on. he'll get out sooner than 3 years. ticket sales are gonna suck even with stanton and loria has to know that he has the biggest trade bounty in the game at his disposal. no way will he let him get away with nothing in return

 

which is good cuz hes an absolute monster talent and deserves to play for a real team.

[uncool2pillow]

Not really relevant to the sport, but Joe Mauer's wife is pregnant with twins and that's just fucking cool.

[bobbob1313]

id be very surprised if this ends up being true. loria's a lot of things but hes not dumb. stanton might be the one marquee attraction left but he certainly wont be re-signing with the marlins and his trade stock, already sky high, will only improve as time goes on. he'll get out sooner than 3 years. ticket sales are gonna suck even with stanton and loria has to know that he has the biggest trade bounty in the game at his disposal. no way will he let him get away with nothing in return

 

which is good cuz hes an absolute monster talent and deserves to play for a real team.

 

Sigh, you're probably right. 

 

They could probably get a huge haul from the Rangers if they called tomorrow. 

 

Would rather see them reinvest at least some of the money they offloaded this offseason on a Stanton contract, though. 

[rareair]

The Rangers' off season plan just got stranger.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

The Rangers' off season plan just got stranger.

 How so? And which off-season? This one, the next one?

[rareair]

 How so? And which off-season? This one, the next one?

 

if Nolan Ryan is forced out as expected.

[bleedorange]

if Nolan Ryan is forced out as expected.

 

I don't think he's being forced out.  But I do think his feelings got hurt a little and he's using a local columnist and good friend as a mouthpiece for his frustration.  Of course, if he were to no longer be with the Rangers, I don't think his departure means a whole lot in a baseball sense.  He's a good figurehead and he's made a positive impact.  I think he was a big reason for the Mike Maddux hire.  He also pulled the franchise through the sale.

 

However, he really wanted Roy Oswalt last year and spearheaded that move.  And he was against the Yu Darvish signing.  There seems to be an old school vs. new school struggle in the front office, and Nolan's coming up on the short end of things lately.

 

Jon Daniels is deserving of the "promotion" and he is a valuable commodity.  He was rebuilding the farm system and made the Teixiera trade before Nolan ever got to Arlington.  This move is probably just as much to keep him and other members of his staff (Thad Levine) here as long as possible.

[rareair]

I don't think he's being forced out.  But I do think his feelings got hurt a little and he's using a local columnist and good friend as a mouthpiece for his frustration.  Of course, if he were to no longer be with the Rangers, I don't think his departure means a whole lot in a baseball sense.  He's a good figurehead and he's made a positive impact.  I think he was a big reason for the Mike Maddux hire.  He also pulled the franchise through the sale.

 

However, he really wanted Roy Oswalt last year and spearheaded that move.  And he was against the Yu Darvish signing.  There seems to be an old school vs. new school struggle in the front office, and Nolan's coming up on the short end of things lately.

 

Jon Daniels is deserving of the "promotion" and he is a valuable commodity.  He was rebuilding the farm system and made the Teixiera trade before Nolan ever got to Arlington.  This move is probably just as much to keep him and other members of his staff (Thad Levine) here as long as possible.

 

that all makes sense.  i like Nolan but have little idea if he is pulling the strings that matter or if he for promotional purposes.

[The High Heat]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/scott-miller/21841054/mariano-rivera-to-the-mariners-almost-happened-in-spring-of-96

 

During Spring Training in 1996 George Steinbrenner, rest his soul, almost forced a '80's-Yankees-styled-trade of Mo Rivera to Seattle for the legendary Felix Fermin (whom the Mariners thought enough of to give up Omar Vizquel) because rookie Derek Jeter was struggling in pre-season games. If King George would have had Jeter sent to Columbus and Mo to Seattle, who most likely wouldn't have been smart enough to make him a closer, the amount of baseball history that would have been altered in this scenario is mind-boggling. Makes me wonder what the '80's could have like in the Bronx if the Yanks would have restrained themselves from acquiring the likes of: Lee Mazzilli; Omar Moreno; Dale Murray (for Fred McGriff); Dave Collins; Andy Hawkins; Ken Phelps (for Jay Buhner); Gary Ward; Marty Bystrom; and so on...

 

Of course, one could debate if the Fermin-Rivera trade would have been dumber than the Astros, Indians, Expos, Orioles and Reds passing on Jeter in the '92 draft. Houston's scout, former big leaguer Hal Newhouser, resigned and quit baseball altogether immediately when they took Phil Nevin instead of DJ.

 

The brains and instincts in true baseball people within the game may have the most under-appreciated and unsung impact on the course of the sport.