2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[toef]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Source - nbcsports.msnbc.com

Interesting piece, but the writer seems to contradict himself.

When Burnett's on the mound, he argues you don't bother playing for the match-up.

But when Berkman is batting, he's arguing that you should.

I was fine with leaving Berkman in, and I think the intentional walk was a stupid call.

[toef]

Another thing worth noting is that a lot of people seem to be making a big deal out of how many people were leaving the game prematurely.

On any given day, Yankee Stadium will never appear to be full, because so many people hang out on the concourse. If you have a seat in the upper deck, you can walk down to the main concourse and have a much better view, where you feel like you're right near the field.

Sure, the stadium looked 1/3 empty in the 8th inning, when the Yankees had the bases loaded, but I'm willing to bet that a good chunk of that 1/3 was standing around on the concourse (admittedly with one foot out the door). Once the inning ended, with 0 runs being scored, they probably took the last few steps to the exit.

But you can't tell how many left just by looking at the seats.

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by toef

Another thing worth noting is that a lot of people seem to be making a big deal out of how many people were leaving the game prematurely.

On any given day, Yankee Stadium will never appear to be full, because so many people hang out on the concourse. If you have a seat in the upper deck, you can walk down to the main concourse and have a much better view, where you feel like you're right near the field.

Sure, the stadium looked 1/3 empty in the 8th inning, when the Yankees had the bases loaded, but I'm willing to bet that a good chunk of that 1/3 was standing around on the concourse (admittedly with one foot out the door). Once the inning ended, with 0 runs being scored, they probably took the last few steps to the exit.

But you can't tell how many left just by looking at the seats.

Yeah a lot of people like to hang out there during games. It's nice to still be able to see the game if you need to get up and walk around for whatever reason.

[Batman1980]

espn_macmahon Tim MacMahon
NY Daily News 10/14 column suggested NYY AAA club play 2 games to make it fair fight. Couldn't have done much worse. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...the_range.html

Source - Twitter
Oh snap!

[cajmoyper]

Yes! Early day. I can watch the whole game. Yee ha! I like perpetuating stereotypes.

[toef]

Tom Verducci might be my twin. Not to keep dragging last night's game into today, but I just stumbled across this:

SAN FRANCISCO -- 1. Yankees manager Joe Girardi made himself the story in ALCS Game 4. It was bad enough that he put the go-ahead run on base intentionally in the sixth inning -- it was David Murphy who got the Bonds treatment. He had to compound his mistake by leaving the game, and perhaps the Yankees season, in the hands of A.J. Burnett, a guy who hadn't pitched in 17 days, hadn't beaten a winning team in 147 days and is the pitching equivalent of a loaded dump truck with no brakes trying to get down a steep mountain road.

How could Girardi make such risky moves? Numbers. That fat binder he keeps in the dugout told him to play the percentages -- to have Burnett intentionally walk Murphy, a left-handed hitter, to pitch to Bengie Molina, a right-handed hitter, while holding a 3-2 lead and a runner already on.

"Murphy has swung the bat in the past pretty good against him," Girardi said.
This is the information Girardi acted on: Murphy is a career .278 hitter against Burnett. Five hits in 18 at-bats (including one hit, a home run, in the past seven at-bats.) Two-seventy-eight. Eighteen at-bats. That's it.
That decision might have been tolerable if Girardi then fetched a right-handed pitcher who actually has pitched in a meaningful game in recent weeks. No Joba Chamberlain. No Kerry Wood. No David Robertson. No, Girardi left Burnett in the game with 97 pitches. Already he had left Burnett in the game too long, every pitch since he even began the sixth inning, a finger wagging in the face of the baseball gods.

Of course, it blew up on Girardi immediately. Molina, who seems to have a knack for big hits, blasted an inside fastball for a game-busting, back-breaking home run.

I could not believe it happened. The danger of Burnett was so obvious that I wrote about it here yesterday. The problem for Girardi was not putting the ball in Burnett's hands to start the game, I wrote, the problem was "when to take the ball out of his hands."

Burnett is, by measurement of his 5.26 ERA, the worst pitcher in franchise history ever to take his turn in the rotation more than 25 times. He hadn't pitched in nearly three weeks. Since Aug. 2 he was 1-7 with a 6.61 ERA. He was too dangerous to trust for too long.

Here is how I concluded the item yesterday before the game: "There is no way after the way Burnett threw the ball the previous two months that Girardi can allow Game 4 to get away with Burnett on the mound."
What seemed incomprehensible actually happened.

[Hi-Def Steve]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

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.

I feel sorry for the team that actually lands this guy. He's a great player but his salary is going to be sooo overinflated.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Hi-Def Steve

I feel sorry for the team that actually lands this guy. He's a great player but his salary is going to be sooo overinflated.

In that case I see him going to the Yankees, they really have a knack for overpaying talent just to make sure no one else gets it.

[Wingman1977]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

In that case I see him going to the Yankees, they really have a knack for overpaying talent just to make sure no one else gets it.

We don't need him. We already have a pretty good LF.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

We don't need him. We already have a pretty good LF.

Need doesn't always factor into over-paying players though. Yankees have a lot of aces but will still go after Cliff Lee just to make sure no one else gets him.

[Hi-Def Steve]

The Yankees aren't going to spend 100+million just to block another team.

[Navster]

Originally Posted by Hi-Def Steve

The Yankees aren't going to spend 100+million just to block another team.

i see them offering Cliff Lee 5yr, $125/mil

[Hi-Def Steve]

Originally Posted by NavsterKing

i see them offering Cliff Lee 5yr, $125/mil

I think he'll get at minimum 20 a year. The Yankees are going to be a fascinating Hot Stove. What are they going to give Jeter, Rivera?

[Wingman1977]

Lee is not coming to NY. He'll stay in Texas. Remember, Texas doesn't have state tax. Besides, we need to stop this buying players all the time and start really working hard on the development of the farm system.

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Need doesn't always factor into over-paying players though. Yankees have a lot of aces but will still go after Cliff Lee just to make sure no one else gets him.

we actually only have one ace... not sure who else you are referring to

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

Lee is not coming to NY. He'll stay in Texas. Remember, Texas doesn't have state tax. Besides, we need to stop this buying players all the time and start really working hard on the development of the farm system.

giving that type of money to someone like Cliff Lee is certainly warranted...

[cajmoyper]

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

Lee is not coming to NY. He'll stay in Texas. Remember, Texas doesn't have state tax. Besides, we need to stop this buying players all the time and start really working hard on the development of the farm system.

God. I really wish I could bank on this statement. But my gut doesn't feel good about Lee. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it if he stayed here, but it's apparently very difficult to say no to New York, the team, the city, the lifestyle.

[TylerDurden]

Originally Posted by NavsterKing

i see them offering Cliff Lee 5yr, $125/mil

Isn't that the price of Barry Zito?

[Wingman1977]

Originally Posted by cajmoyper

God. I really wish I could bank on this statement. But my gut doesn't feel good about Lee. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it if he stayed here, but it's apparently very difficult to say no to New York, the team, the city, the lifestyle.

Greg Maddux turned the Yankees down when he was a FA before he signed with the Braves.

[Navster]

Originally Posted by TylerDurden

Isn't that the price of Barry Zito?

i think Zito's was 6yr/$126 mil.. something like that

[Hi-Def Steve]

Originally Posted by cajmoyper

God. I really wish I could bank on this statement. But my gut doesn't feel good about Lee. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it if he stayed here, but it's apparently very difficult to say no to New York, the team, the city, the lifestyle.

He just doesn't seem like that type of person who cares about such things. Plus Texas has a very bright future, it's not like this is some kind of fluke.