2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by sycro

Good. Only need one cheater ahead of Hammerin Hank.

Screw Bonds. Hank Aaron is still the home run king.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Screw Bonds. Hank Aaron is still the home run king.

In all true baseball fans' hearts, but not in the record book. Unfortunately.

[walruswarrior]

Originally Posted by sycro

They certainly overpayed, but I think BJ's numbers are somewhat misleading. Sure, he's a .240-.250 hitter, but he could very well be a 30-HR guy (heck, he was 28 last year). And his RBI totals are partially a factor of the Tampa Bay teams he's been on. They have frequently been poor at getting runners on base, and it's hard to knock people in if nobody is on. He could get to 100 with Heyward, JUpton and Freeman hitting in front of him this year.

Also, it's hard to judge the value of what they paid when they signed him so early. It turned out nobody was willing to pay the other guys anywhere near that money, but there were several rumored to be in that territory at the time.

I've personally seen him play hundreds of times because I used to live in St. Pete. He's completely overrated. His bat leaves a lot to be desired, and his base running skills while you would think would be above average are really mediocre. I've seen him make the last out at third at least a dozen times. His defense is really up and down. He can make 99% of the catches, but there are times where you say WTF happened. Honestly, I'd rather have Nick Swisher than him and that's really telling because that guy was horrendous last year.

[Clark Kent]

BJ Upton is definitely a wildly inconsistent player, prone to lapses at both the plate and in the field. Occasionally he looks one of the best players in the game, but the focus doesn't always seem to be there for each game.

[R3P0]

Not that it means much but looks like the first Spring training game is between Tigers and Braves on Feb 22

[fatediesel]

Darren Rovell has a story (linked below) about how the Dodgers new TV deal is going to face a lot of scrutiny from MLB. The Dodgers are preparing to set up a new regional sports network that will be almost wholly-funded by Time Warner. MLB has discouraged this because the team is in essence setting up a shell company so they don't have to pay as much in revenue sharing. The lengthy spoiler talks about some of the problems MLB may have with the deal.

[Show spoiler]The deal is subject to approval by Major League Baseball, and one baseball source privy to the negotiations told ESPN.com the team and the league could very well butt heads regarding exactly how much of the deal will be shared with other teams.

TV rights are subject to revenue sharing and "haves," including the Dodgers, have to share approximately one-third of its rights fees with the have-nots.

As part of the negotiations with the bankruptcy court, MLB agreed that the Dodgers' fair-market value would be set at $84 million a year with 4 percent increases each season.

The Dodgers could keep anything above that assuming the club took significant risk in starting its own network, as stated in the league's current revenue sharing rules.

But the team readily admits in its announcement that it is not taking the risk.

Time Warner Cable "has assumed most of the risk around the channel and promised to cover affiliate fees from distributors who refuse to carry it," the news release said.

Time Warner will also be responsible for other programming and will be the exclusive advertising and affiliate sales network of the channel.

In essence, the network will serve as a partner making guaranteed payments to the team.

If the Dodgers are indeed determined to not have much risk in the new network, MLB can charge them revenue sharing on top of whatever the total rights fees are equal to. That would include the guaranteed payout Time Warner is making to cover the cost of every cable home in Los Angeles that doesn't carry the network.

While the Dodgers say the network's carriage fee has yet to be determined, MLB will be focused on what is agreed to, keeping an eye on if what Time Warner agrees to pay the team per subscriber is unrealistic. SportsNet LA would be sixth regional sports network in the L.A. market.

Sources also say the deal, at last glance, included a branding fee that Time Warner is paying the Dodgers to brand the new network. "I've never heard of that," one team source said. "That will be included in the revenue sharing bill as well."

The deal could also land the Dodgers back in bankruptcy court for an interpretation of baseball's $84-million-a-year rights-fee promise and whether the Dodgers can keep anything above that amount, regardless of the lack of risk -- a decision other big-market teams with sizable TV deals would have their eyes on.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/s...k-sportsnet-la

[sycro]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Not that it means much but looks like the first Spring training game is between Tigers and Braves on Feb 22

You're going down in a meaningless exhibition.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by sycro

You're going down in a meaningless exhibition.

If both starting lineups were full id actually care about the game lol but lets be real 2-3 innings is all the starters are going to get. Believe me id LOVE to see a full blown Braves Tigers series with both these lineups it would be incredible.

Number 1 vs Number 1
2 vs 2 3 vs 3

ugh god would be such a great series

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Darren Rovell has a story (linked below) about how the Dodgers new TV deal is going to face a lot of scrutiny from MLB. The Dodgers are preparing to set up a new regional sports network that will be almost wholly-funded by Time Warner. MLB has discouraged this because the team is in essence setting up a shell company so they don't have to pay as much in revenue sharing. The lengthy spoiler talks about some of the problems MLB may have with the deal.

[Show spoiler]The deal is subject to approval by Major League Baseball, and one baseball source privy to the negotiations told ESPN.com the team and the league could very well butt heads regarding exactly how much of the deal will be shared with other teams.

TV rights are subject to revenue sharing and "haves," including the Dodgers, have to share approximately one-third of its rights fees with the have-nots.

As part of the negotiations with the bankruptcy court, MLB agreed that the Dodgers' fair-market value would be set at $84 million a year with 4 percent increases each season.

The Dodgers could keep anything above that assuming the club took significant risk in starting its own network, as stated in the league's current revenue sharing rules.

But the team readily admits in its announcement that it is not taking the risk.

Time Warner Cable "has assumed most of the risk around the channel and promised to cover affiliate fees from distributors who refuse to carry it," the news release said.

Time Warner will also be responsible for other programming and will be the exclusive advertising and affiliate sales network of the channel.

In essence, the network will serve as a partner making guaranteed payments to the team.

If the Dodgers are indeed determined to not have much risk in the new network, MLB can charge them revenue sharing on top of whatever the total rights fees are equal to. That would include the guaranteed payout Time Warner is making to cover the cost of every cable home in Los Angeles that doesn't carry the network.

While the Dodgers say the network's carriage fee has yet to be determined, MLB will be focused on what is agreed to, keeping an eye on if what Time Warner agrees to pay the team per subscriber is unrealistic. SportsNet LA would be sixth regional sports network in the L.A. market.

Sources also say the deal, at last glance, included a branding fee that Time Warner is paying the Dodgers to brand the new network. "I've never heard of that," one team source said. "That will be included in the revenue sharing bill as well."

The deal could also land the Dodgers back in bankruptcy court for an interpretation of baseball's $84-million-a-year rights-fee promise and whether the Dodgers can keep anything above that amount, regardless of the lack of risk -- a decision other big-market teams with sizable TV deals would have their eyes on.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/s...k-sportsnet-la

How is that any different then the YES network. Yankees pocket 500 million before throwing 1 pitch in a season, Dodgers are only following what the Yankees do.

[Navster]

Originally Posted by sycro

You're going down in a meaningless exhibition.

Originally Posted by R3P0

If both starting lineups were full id actually care about the game lol but lets be real 2-3 innings is all the starters are going to get. Believe me id LOVE to see a full blown Braves Tigers series with both these lineups it would be incredible.

Number 1 vs Number 1
2 vs 2 3 vs 3

ugh god would be such a great series

Both of your teams would find a way to lose

[walruswarrior]

Originally Posted by R3P0

How is that any different then the YES network. Yankees pocket 500 million before throwing 1 pitch in a season, Dodgers are only following what the Yankees do.

Because its the Yankees and they're the Dodgers. One is baseball royalty and the other is well a mediocre franchise in an excellent market.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by R3P0

If both starting lineups were full id actually care about the game lol but lets be real 2-3 innings is all the starters are going to get. Believe me id LOVE to see a full blown Braves Tigers series with both these lineups it would be incredible.

Number 1 vs Number 1
2 vs 2 3 vs 3

ugh god would be such a great series

There is one! Apr 26-28 in Detroit. I considered making the trip up, but I'm doing a roadtrip like 2 weeks before up to Iowa, and not sure I want to do another a couple weeks later... but I could always change my mind and make it 3 Braves roadtrips this year.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by sycro

There is one! Apr 26-28 in Detroit. I considered making the trip up, but I'm doing a roadtrip like 2 weeks before up to Iowa, and not sure I want to do another a couple weeks later... but I could always change my mind and make it 3 Braves roadtrips this year.

Wow holy shit I missed that on the schedule I will definitely be there as the Braves were my team in the 90's when i was a kid lol.

[sycro]

Uh oh Nats fans.... you're top pitcher from last year might be in some trouble...

Records from an anti-aging clinic in Miami list the names of prominent baseball players -- including Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera and Gio Gonzalez -- and detail performance-enhancing drugs administered to them and others, according to a report Tuesday by the Miami New Times.

...

Rodriguez, the New York Yankees slugger who ended 2012 injured and on the bench during the playoffs, has admitted to using steroids from 2001-03, but he has said he has not used PEDs since. The New Times report said that Rodriguez's name shows up 16 times in the records it reviewed. Miami New Times reported that records indicated Rodriguez paid Bosch $3,500 for "1.5/1.5 HGH (sports perf.), creams test., glut., MIC, supplement, sports perf. Diet." There are other notations for Rodriguez as well, beginning in 2009 and continuing through last season. Rodriguez had hip surgery last month and is expected to miss some or all of the 2013 season.

Miami New Times reported that Cabrera, who signed a $16 million free agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays during the offseason, is mentioned 14 times in the report. He was suspended last August for violating baseball's performance enhancing drugs policy while a member of the San Francisco Giants. The paper cited entries last April indicating Cabrera "has enough meds until May 4" and indicating what the paper terms a "cocktail of drugs including IGF-1 (a banned substance that stimulates insulin production and muscle growth)."

Pitcher Bartolo Colon was suspended last season for violating baseball's performance enhancing drug rules. Bosch, in his notes, says Colon's monthly fee was $3,000, according to Miami New Times.

Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers is listed on a July 2012 record, with a notation from Bosch that "need to call him, go Thur. to Texas, take meds from April 5-May 5, will owe him troches and&and will infuse them in May." Troches, according to Bosch's notes, are a type of drug lozenge which Miami New Times said includes testosterone.
The Rangers issued a statement Tuesday, saying: "The Texas Rangers were contacted late last week by Miami New Times regarding the story posted this morning. At that time, the Rangers contacted Major League Baseball on that inquiry. The team has no further comment."

Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals appears five times, including one charge for $1,000. His father also appears, but told Miami New Times that his son is "as clean as apple pie." Other names listed in the records obtained by Miami New Times include Cesar Carrillo, a former University of Miami pitcher, Jimmy Goins, the strength and conditioning coach at Miami for nine seasons, Cuban boxer Yuriorkis Gamboa and professional tennis player Wayne Odesnik, who was banned from tennis for two years in 2010 for allegedly trying to bring HGH into Australia.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...inic-ped-lists

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by sycro

Uh oh Nats fans.... you're top pitcher from last year might be in some trouble...



http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...inic-ped-lists

YAY no Tigers listed as of yet!

[Hi-Def Steve]

This PED crap is getting really old. MLB needs much more harsher penalties. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if ARod is banned.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by sycro

Uh oh Nats fans.... you're top pitcher from last year might be in some trouble...



http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...inic-ped-lists

Nonsense. Even a Nationals hater like myself put some effort into reading into this report only to find that the stuff Gio took is not on any banned substance list.

[Moviefan1203]

Originally Posted by Hi-Def Steve

This PED crap is getting really old. MLB needs much more harsher penalties. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if ARod is banned.

Yeah it's pretty clear that a lot of players are still using PED's.

[Navster]

Originally Posted by Hi-Def Steve

This PED crap is getting really old. MLB needs much more harsher penalties. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if ARod is banned.

LOL, that would be funny, get this....

Yankees want A-Rod contract voided

The New York Yankees are exploring multiple avenues in an attempt to void their contract with Alex Rodriguez based on new allegations of illegal performance-enhancing drug use reported by a Miami newspaper, but the odds may be against their ability to do it.

According to several baseball sources who spoke to ESPNNewYork.com on the condition of anonymity, Rodriguez may be in little danger of having his contract voided, even if the charges turn out to be true. There is no precedent to successfully void a contract in baseball over PEDs.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/stor...ording-sources

Shit just got real

[sycro]

Found a Braves outfield that might be better than "Up, Up And A Hey"...