Baseball (MLB, WBC, College, etc.)

bmwracer wrote:
I'm sure that miscreant Steinbrenner will pry open his wallet and give Manny whatever he wants, continuing that age-old tradition of BoSox players going over to the Yanks: Ruth, Boggs, Clemens, Damon, etc... :shakehead:

I say let the Yankees have him. Part of the reason for his success with the Dodgers was most National League pitchers hadn't seen him. Next year he wouldn't do near as well if he stays here. [/list:u]

gaijinmark wrote: I say let the Yankees have him. Part of the reason for his success with the Dodgers was most National League pitchers hadn't seen him. Next year he wouldn't do near as well if he stays here. [/list:u]

But it would still be better than Andruw "Strike Out" Jones. :bleh:

Albert Pujols is named National League MVP.

Ridiculous. :shakehead:

The Cards didn't even make the playoffs. :headscratch:

bmwracer wrote:Albert Pujols is named National League MVP.

Ridiculous. :shakehead:

The Cards didn't even make the playoffs. :headscratch:

Hey, don't hate! :mrgreen: If you had it your way, who would've gotten it?

atskv9 wrote:Hey, don't hate! :mrgreen: If you had it your way, who would've gotten it?

Brad Lidge... Or maybe Manny.

Those two guys put their respective teams in the playoffs... While the Cards went home to watch the playoffs.


Pujols may be the Cards MVP, but the league MVP?

NO.

Why the Japanese love yakyu (baseball).

[image]

Tu_triky wrote:Why the Japanese love yakyu (baseball).

And takoyaki. :mrgreen:

bmwracer wrote:
And takoyaki. :mrgreen:

Haha....yeah, brother.

IMO I think the BBWAA got the postseason awards OK.

It's the 2nd and 3rd place votes that were wacky. Edinson Volquez of the Reds got three 2nd place votes for NL Rookie of the Year. Nice, except HE'S NOT A ROOKIE.

Ryan Howard and Justin Morneau finished second for league MVPs. Jeez, it's Hank Sauer/Juan Gonzalez revisited.

Award voting in MLB really hasn't changed all that much in 50 years... RBIs rule the day, along with a good story (Pedroia McScrappy) . "Value" has a lot more than one stats -- how come the voters don't lust for runs scored? Objective player analysis has advanced far but awards have been stuck in the same place.

My AL MVP for 2008 is Joe Mauer.

This kind of slipped under the radar but it's pretty amazing. Not too many Americans have received this honor:[/list:u]Lasorda decorated with Order of the Rising Sun[/list:u]

Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda received the prestigious
Order of the Rising Sun award on Tuesday because of his contributions
to the development of Japanese baseball.

On behalf of the emperor of Japan, Consul General Junichi Ihara
presented Lasorda with the award, announced by the Japanese
government last month, at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

The 81-year-old former Los Angeles Dodgers manager said he was
greatly honored to receive the award at the ceremony attended by
around 50 guests including Lotte Marines manager Bobby Valentine.

Lasorda's involvement with Japanese baseball stretches over
decades. He traveled to Japan as a guest coach of the Yomiuri Giants
in 1965 to train the players and coaching staff on all aspects of the
game.

He also worked as a team adviser to the Kintetsu Buffaoles (now
Orix Buffaloes) as part of a friendship agreement made between the
Dodgers and the Buffaloes in 2001.

Lasorda was appointed Dodgers manager in 1976 and led them to
two World Series titles during his two decades in charge. He was at
the helm when Japanese pitcher, Hideo Nomo, who retired this year,
joined the Dodgers in 1995.

^ Nice. :applaud:

Tommy's practically a goodwill ambassador for baseball... :victory:

Greg Maddux officially announced his retirement on Monday.

Clearly one of the all-time greats of his generation: Rocket, Unit are also there. I'd probably rate Clemens above the Mad Dog (I like how all the great players have nicknames) but you can make an argument that Maddux was the greatest pitcher in MLB since WWII.

Joe Gordon was elected to the baseball HOF today by the "Veterans" committee. Ron Santo denied again. The HOF is like the Grammys: it just doesn't matter anymore.

Saburo wrote:I'd probably rate Clemens above the Mad Dog

Before or after Clemens got juiced?

Saburo wrote: Ron Santo denied again. The HOF is like the Grammys: it just doesn't matter anymore.

My personal gripe is Gil Hodges. He and Tony Perez have offensive numbers so similar it's scary, you'd think they were father and son. Plus, Gil Hodges managed a team to a world championship. But Perez is in and Hodges isn't. :headscratch: [/list:u]

bmwracer wrote:Before or after Clemens got juiced?

Before, after... doesn't matter to me. I think it is impossible to objectively figure out how much of a difference it made to Rocket Clemens by poking a needle in his butt and injecting himself with wacko chemicals. I don't think about it much (e.g. I still acknowledge Barry Bonds as the career MLB leader in home runs hit).

Maddux has one more career win than Clemens. But that's hardly the difference maker. Clemens's career winning percentage is better, achieved with inferior teams than Maddux (whose Braves teams probably had better defensive support than that on the BoSox/Jays). Clemens also did almost everything in the American League, which clearly became the better arena of talent in the 90s.

Of course G. Maddux was an amazing pitcher -- his stats for 1994 and 1995 are just mind-boggling for any post-WWII pitcher. One thing he has over Clemens is durability. Someone said on TV that he spent only two weeks on the disabled list in his entire 23-season MLB career. Compare that with someone like A.J. Burnett who's shopping around for big free agent buck$ right now. I think Burnett has had two or three healthy seasons, period??

Reports all over say CC Sabathia has knuckled under to inevitability and accepted a revised contract from the Bronx Bombers: seven years, $160 million-jillion.

Best of luck to the Yanks and their fans, who are probably still have upset stomachs over not getting Johan Santana this time last year.

Mets fans should be relieved about getting The Closer for '09. Mets had 20-something blown saves this past season! K-Rod can't hurt, unless of course the predictions about his arm exploding on the mound come to fruition.

Saburo wrote:Maddux has one more career win than Clemens. But that's hardly the difference maker. Clemens's career winning percentage is better, achieved with inferior teams than Maddux (whose Braves teams probably had better defensive support than that on the BoSox/Jays). Clemens also did almost everything in the American League, which clearly became the better arena of talent in the 90s.

That's debatable.

Of course G. Maddux was an amazing pitcher -- his stats for 1994 and 1995 are just mind-boggling for any post-WWII pitcher. One thing he has over Clemens is durability. Someone said on TV that he spent only two weeks on the disabled list in his entire 23-season MLB career. Compare that with someone like A.J. Burnett who's shopping around for big free agent buck$ right now. I think Burnett has had two or three healthy seasons, period??

Don't forget all those Gold Gloves Maddux has amassed: more than any player in history, I believe.

Saburo wrote:Mets fans should be relieved about getting The Closer for '09. Mets had 20-something blown saves this past season! K-Rod can't hurt, unless of course the predictions about his arm exploding on the mound come to fruition.

One thing people haven't mentioned is that although K-Rod got all those saves, not many were 1-2-3: he put himself in the position to lose more times than not.

bmwracer wrote:One thing people haven't mentioned is that although K-Rod got all those saves, not many were 1-2-3: he put himself in the position to lose more times than not.

K-Rod really picked the wrong year to be a free agent. If this was last year, he'd be rolling in buck$. He's lucky the Mets (and the NY media) were looking for a bona fide "closer."

It's actually kinda gratifying to see people in charge knowing that the big "62" next to K-Rod's name ain't all that it's cracked up to be. I mean, Mariano Rivera would saved more games with the Angels.

bmwracer wrote:That's debatable.

Of course it is, steroids or not. The difference in leagues, etc. Who knows what woulda happened if Maddux was a rookie in Fenway or if Clemens pitched for the Cubs in his twenties.

Baseball historians are still naming Walter Johnson as the all-time greatest right-handed pitcher in MLB history. He sure has the numbers but they were accrued in the Woodrow Wilson administration. How can you compare that era to today?

Actually people have, and I enjoy the banter.