2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[toef]

On the bright side, tomorrow is an early game, so no matter what happens, it won't tie up my entire night like these last two, and if the Yankees lose it won't be the way I end my night.

On the not-so-bright side, if the Yankees win, it will be a slow 2 day wait just to see if they can get through game 6 with a win, with Lee in game 7 as their reward.

There were some rumblings about the Rangers using Lee in game 6, if the series goes that far, to shut the Yankees down before they have any hope of a game 7. But I can't imagine the Rangers doing that.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by toef

On the bright side, tomorrow is an early game, so no matter what happens, it won't tie up my entire night like these last two, and if the Yankees lose it won't be the way I end my night.

On the not-so-bright side, if the Yankees win, it will be a slow 2 day wait just to see if they can get through game 6 with a win, with Lee in game 7 as their reward.

There were some rumblings about the Rangers using Lee in game 6, if the series goes that far, to shut the Yankees down before they have any hope of a game 7. But I can't imagine the Rangers doing that.

I shink starting Lee in Game 6 would be foolish. Even if the Yankees win game 5 the Rangers will still be up 3-2. I'd say just rest Lee for Game 7 if needed. Then again I thought the Marlins were stupid for moving up Beckett to Game 6 of the 2003 World Series but that move worked out to perfection for Florida.

Am I the only one here who HATES early start times? Right now I'm luckily on vacation but normally I don't get home from work till around 7-7:30 pm EST. And it's probably even more frustrating for those on the west coast.

[ChadFL]

I don't care for the Yankees but I always liked Teixeira as a player. Tough break. Just watching the injury as he ran to first base you could tell he was in terrible pain.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/m...ory?id=5705339

Mark Teixeira's season over

If the Yankees are going to come back from a 3-1 deficit to the Texas Rangers in the ALCS and go on to repeat as World Series champions, they are going to have to do it without first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Teixeira severely strained his right hamstring during the fifth inning of the Yankees' Game 4 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night. Teixeira said an MRI revealed that he will need six to eight weeks to recover.

"It is not going to happen this year," a self-described disappointed and angry Teixeira said in the Yankees' clubhouse early Wednesday morning.

[Clark Kent]

I think the pathetic performance by the Yankees' pitching staff all but assures that Cliff Lee will be pitching for them next year. He is going to make an insane amount of money...

[Kev1080P]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I think the pathetic performance by the Yankees' pitching staff all but assures that Cliff Lee will be pitching for them next year. He is going to make an insane amount of money...

i dont know why but I could see cliff just not wanting to be a yankee, and signing elsewhere for less money..of course I have no basis for that statement but just a hunch

[SteelPen]

At least the annoying Yankee fans are boasting about their own team. It's sad/pathetic to take pride in seeing another team lose, especially if your own team has been eliminated already. I have more respect (as if what I think really matters) for people hopping on the Rangers bandwagon, because at least they're cheering for something, not against something else.

So, I can't root for an ex-Devil Ray? Besides, I'm rooting for the Rangers to win it all because then I can say, my Rays lost to the Champs!

That being said, I don't know who was really predicting the Yankees to repeat. Maybe when the season started, it was a popular opinion, but as the season wore on, the popular choice seemed to be the Phillies. And then the Yankees starting having pitching issues (with Burnett being terrible, Andy being injured, Hughes suddenly not being some young phenom he appeared to be early in the season) it seemed like more people were picking the Rays than the Yankees.

ESPN <3 Yankees!

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by toef

In a weird way, it's almost good that the bullpen really blew the game in the 9th inning.

Had the game finished 2-0, I think a lot of people (myself included) would feel bad for Pettitte, and wish he could've had that 1 pitch to Hamilton back.

yea, i still feel bad for him.. he pitched great....

Originally Posted by toef

The intentional walk to Murphy was a stupid move.

The guy's batting .250 in the playoffs, so it's not like he's a big offensive threat. Worst case scenario, the scrappy little guy gets a base hit that ties the game.

Given Molina's history, it's stupid to put an extra runner on base for his at-bat.

I mostly blame Girardi, but blame Burnett for throwing inside. What a pair of boneheaded events.

Yet another stupid move by Girardi.... but looks like he'll be back next seaason since the Cubs have a manager now... greaaat

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

Actually, I hope the Rangers win tomorrow so we get humiliated on our own field.

cmon now...

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I think the pathetic performance by the Yankees' pitching staff all but assures that Cliff Lee will be pitching for them next year. He is going to make an insane amount of money...

our pitching is a mess...we need him badly... and apparently we could use some bats since we cant seem to hit for some reason... batting .198 this series !

[Wingman1977]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

yea, i still feel bad for him.. he pitched great....



Yet another stupid move by Girardi.... but looks like he'll be back next seaason since the Cubs have a manager now... greaaat



cmon now...



our pitching is a mess...we need him badly... and apparently we could use some bats since we cant seem to hit for some reason... batting .198 this series !

The way we've played, we don't deserve to be in the WS.

[Wingman1977]

Originally Posted by Redliner17k

No one really picked the Rays to win the WS like everyone picked the Yanks to repeat! If it wasn't for 1 inning, this series would be over! At least the Rays put up a better fight!

You like to pick on the Rays, don't you?

Where's my song at...is it is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlJl1LfDP4

Who cares who picks who to go where? games are played on the field. and you clowns lost.Besides, Tampa Bay doesn't care about the Rays.

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by Redliner17k

ESPN <3 Yankees!

Before the playoffs started, only 7 out of 28 ESPN writers/analysts, etc. picked the Yankees to make it to the World Series, and only 3 picked them to win it all. On the other hand, 19 out of 28 picked the Rays to make it to the World Series, and 5 picked them to win.

Link

If anything... "ESPN <3 Rays!".

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

The way we've played, we don't deserve to be in the WS.

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

Who cares who picks who to go where? games are played on the field. and you clowns lost.Besides, Tampa Bay doesn't care about the Rays.

yea, were playing like shit but still...thats like saying youre glad Tex got hurt because he hasnt hit in the series...regardless of his glove...

[toef]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I shink starting Lee in Game 6 would be foolish. Even if the Yankees win game 5 the Rangers will still be up 3-2. I'd say just rest Lee for Game 7 if needed. Then again I thought the Marlins were stupid for moving up Beckett to Game 6 of the 2003 World Series but that move worked out to perfection for Florida.

Am I the only one here who HATES early start times? Right now I'm luckily on vacation but normally I don't get home from work till around 7-7:30 pm EST. And it's probably even more frustrating for those on the west coast.

I imagine early start times are terrible for West Coast people, but on the East Coast I don't really mind.

1pm games are a bit too early, but 4pm games are kind of nice. It does seem to take a little bit of importance off the game, at least in my head, because day games always seem like they're squeezed in before travel time, as if the traveling is more important than the game being played (not just in the playoffs, but in the regular season as well).

They could alternate NLCS/ALCS every other night, but I'm not sure the players would like that much, because it's not the way they're used to playing. After a loss, they expect to go back out tomorrow and make up for it, not wait two days.

Plus, it'd cut rotations down to 3 (or, if a team really wanted to, 2), which in some ways seems unfair, because instead of finding the better overall team, you're finding out who has the best two pitchers.

Originally Posted by Dexter Morgan

Before the playoffs started, only 7 out of 28 ESPN writers/analysts, etc. picked the Yankees to make it to the World Series, and only 3 picked them to win it all. On the other hand, 19 out of 28 picked the Rays to make it to the World Series, and 5 picked them to win.

Link

If anything... "ESPN <3 Rays!".

Thanks for supplying some facts, but I'm not sure they'll matter.

Glad to see my memory served me well: 26 of the 28 people picked the Phillies going to the World Series (with 18 saying they'd win it all).

Edit: Only 2 picked the Yankees to win. I was wondering why our math wasn't adding up (18 for Phillies, 5 for Rays, 2 for Yankees, 2 for Giants, 1 for Rangers, 28 total).

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Dexter Morgan

Before the playoffs started, only 7 out of 28 ESPN writers/analysts, etc. picked the Yankees to make it to the World Series, and only 3 picked them to win it all. On the other hand, 19 out of 28 picked the Rays to make it to the World Series, and 5 picked them to win.

Link

If anything... "ESPN <3 Rays!".

Even before the playoffs started the consensus among both analysts and the Vegas odds was that the Phillies were the team to beat with the Yankees having the second best odds. Only 3 of those 28 analysts had either the Rangers or Giants winning the WS, which looks very possible by now.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Kev1080P

i dont know why but I could see cliff just not wanting to be a yankee, and signing elsewhere for less money..of course I have no basis for that statement but just a hunch

Well it remains to be seen what the Rangers new ownership does with payroll. If they are willing to spend the money they could make Lee a big offer. It won't be as much as NY would pay but if they make it close there's a chance he could stay.

I believe Carl Crawford is also a free agent and there's no way the Rays are going to hold on to him with the money he'll command.

[toef]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

yea, were playing like shit but still...thats like saying youre glad Tex got hurt because he hasnt hit in the series...regardless of his glove...

Yeah, on the one hand, Tex wasn't hitting at all, so his bat in the lineup may not be missed, but not having him at first does. He's already made a couple great plays at 1st this series (although I guess they never ended up mattering much, given the final scores).

But still, I would've expected him to break out of his slump at some point. One big home run was all it would take to be glad he was still in the lineup.

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by toef

I imagine early start times are terrible for West Coast people, but on the East Coast I don't really mind.

1pm games are a bit too early, but 4pm games are kind of nice. It does seem to take a little bit of importance off the game, at least in my head, because day games always seem like they're squeezed in before travel time, as if the traveling is more important than the game being played (not just in the playoffs, but in the regular season as well).

They could alternate NLCS/ALCS every other night, but I'm not sure the players would like that much, because it's not the way they're used to playing. After a loss, they expect to go back out tomorrow and make up for it, not wait two days.

Plus, it'd cut rotations down to 3 (or, if a team really wanted to, 2), which in some ways seems unfair, because instead of finding the better overall team, you're finding out who has the best two pitchers.



Thanks for supplying some facts, but I'm not sure they'll matter.

Glad to see my memory served me well: 26 of the 28 people picked the Phillies going to the World Series (with 18 saying they'd win it all).

Edit: Only 2 picked the Yankees to win. I was wondering why our math wasn't adding up (18 for Phillies, 5 for Rays, 2 for Yankees, 2 for Giants, 1 for Rangers, 28 total).

Yeah my bad. It further proves the point, though.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by toef

Yeah, on the one hand, Tex wasn't hitting at all, so his bat in the lineup may not be missed, but not having him at first does. He's already made a couple great plays at 1st this series (although I guess they never ended up mattering much, given the final scores).

But still, I would've expected him to break out of his slump at some point. One big home run was all it would take to be glad he was still in the lineup.

espn_macmahon Tim MacMahon
Yankees plug in Lance Berkman at 1B: NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira’s postseason is over due to a Grade 2 strain of his ... http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas...medium=twitter

Source - Twitter

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Source - Twitter

Even if Tex wasn't hitting this series doesn't mean he wouldn't eventually. The guy is a true pro and I'm sure he would have come around offensively. And not having him defensively is also a minus. Really an unlucky break for NY.

[Wingman1977]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

yea, were playing like shit but still...thats like saying youre glad Tex got hurt because he hasnt hit in the series...regardless of his glove...

Now that's going overboard. I would never wish anyone to get hurt (especially not one of our guys). Even though he hasn't been hitting, his glove is irreplaceable.

[Batman1980]

There were a lot of people at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night who were very upset to learn that the Chicago Cubs decided to keep Mike Quade as their manager.

That decision meant there wasn't much chance Joe Girardi would jump from his seat in the Yankee dugout willingly, and, without much sign that the Yankees are going to push him, that means he'll be back there in 2011 and beyond. There are more thrilling thoughts on a Wednesday morning that finds the Yankees on the brink of elimination from the playoffs, mostly because Girardi managed Tuesday night's game like it was a random night in May.

It sounds crazy to say that, but the decisions he made showed none of the urgency appropriate to the situation. The big one is leaving A.J. Burnett in the game in the sixth inning, obviously.

When Girardi made the choice to intentionally walk David Murphy with two outs and a runner on second, Burnett should have come out. If he really trusted Burnett still had enough gas in the tank, then Girardi would have sent him after Murphy, a good hitter but not a guy who you need to fear any more than Bengie Molina. It's a move that's acceptable in the regular season, trying for a particular matchup to get your starter through one more inning, but you need to attack in the playoffs.

It got worse. With the bases loaded and two out in the eighth, Girardi left Lance Berkman in to hit against lefty Darren Oliver. Berkman had a 517 OPS against lefties this season and Austin Kearns, acquired because the Yankees wanted a bat to use against southpaws, was sitting on the bench. Kearns is no great shakes, to be sure, but he's better against lefties than Berkman. Again, in May you give a guy a chance to take that at-bat. In October, you have to do everything you can to win.


And, finally, there was the choice of Sergio Mitre in the ninth inning over Mariano Rivera. Rivera has not pitched since Friday and the Yankees could not afford to fall any further behind than 7-3, but Girardi turned to Mitre because he said he might need to use Rivera for two innings on Wednesday. And he might, but you can't manage for tomorrow when today matters so much. In May you can let a game get away from you to get your worst reliever some work, but in October you go to Mo, or at least Kerry Wood.

But, try as we might, we can't put all the blame on Girardi. We're starting to wonder if the entire Yankee lineup, save Robinson Cano, witnessed a gangland rubout because they're playing like they're in witness protection. Tommy Hunter, the kind of mediocre back-end starter that the Yankees are supposed to use to wipe the floor, struggled all night but never got rung up for the big inning that would have kept the game from being close enough for Girardi to ruin.

The team is now 6-for-39 with runners in scoring position against Texas, a number that boggles the mind when you take a look at the names that fill the lineup card. If things go wrong again on Wednesday afternoon and the Yankee season comes to an end far more premature than anyone wanted, that will be the giant honking reason why. You don't waste chances like that and live to tell the tale.

If that's all enough to make you want to run and hide until it is all over, you've got good company. It was distressing to see Yankee Stadium so empty in the seventh inning of last night's game. Four run leads have fallen victim to Yankee lightning more than once and, as mentioned, the team had a chance to tie the game in the eighth inning. Once Mitre tossed his dirt on the grave, the mass exodus made sense but Girardi wasn't the only one treating this game like it was just another night in May.

Everyone gets a chance to do a better job on Wednesday, because time hasn't quite run out on this Yankee team yet.

Source - nbcsports.msnbc.com