[Tournament] 2008 MLB season discussion

WOOOOOOOOOOOO

OK, I think the excitement of another Red Sox championship has dissipated enough to start looking at next year. Of course, the beginning of the free-agent period is always when you start looking at what's to come.

Alex Rodriguez, for one, isn't going anywhere.

Barry Bonds may not be either.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by RainMan

I appreciate how the SF Giant organization is no longer interested in Bonds, even after breaking the record. "I can't get no respect!"

This will lead to the Kansas City Royals picking him up to boost ticket sales. Yep.

I think Barry Bonds' career is done, one way or another. This is kinda what I was referring to.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I sincerely believe that any records he has should remain in place, as long as he didn't use performance-enhancing drugs when they were against the rules in MLB. If he's convicted of a crime, that's one thing. But using steroids in baseball wasn't a crime up until a few years ago.

But I don't think anyone should vote him into the Hall of Fame.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Spring training is upon us! While I'm disappointed the Sox didn't land Johan Santana, I think they'll be better off without him in the long run.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

knkwzrd, I think you should remember that the Red Sox just won the World Series and had virtually no roster changes all across the board. Am I saying they're going to win again this year? Yes. Losing Schilling for however long he's gone will be made up by Beckett continuing to dominate, Matsuzaka making a sophomore bump, and the n00bs (Lester, Buchholz, et. al.) pitching some innings. I'm truly not concerned at all that the Red Sox didn't get Santana; the Mets can have him since they need him more than we do.

I'm also anticipating that Coco Crisp will be out of Boston, if not by the beginning of spring training then before the All-Star break.

As for the Mets and Santana, like I said, they can have him. But I don't think they'll have a better record than the Tigers.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Of course they would be. However, I'm happier knowing that we have at least some prospects to fall back on once this team starts getting too old.

For example, today I came to fully comprehend that Manny Ramirez will be 36 this season and has a team option for next season. And the prospective free-agent class isn't pretty.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Ryuu

Is GFF Fantasy Baseball going down?

I'm not bothering this year, or probably ever again. Takes too much commitment.

FELIPE NO

Man, what happened to the sports fans on GFF? Baseball season is starting (has started, as of this morning, with the Sox winning 6-5 in 10 against the EEEEEEEEEEEH'S), hockey's postseason is coming up and it feels like there's an invisible flashing bold size 7 ::NOONECARES:: somewhere around here.

Anyway, I woke up at 9 and it was the 9th inning of the Sox-A's game, and it was odd to think that it was an Oakland home game at a neutral site but the fans were rooting for the Sox.

How ya doing, buddy?

Hey guys, just a bump, no good reason for it oh wait yes there is WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.



From cancer to no-hitter. Amazing.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Bye Manny. I hope you enjoy playing for money for the rest of your career.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Gee, you think?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Quote:

Ramirez was assigned a locker in the narrow and antiquated Dodgers clubhouse between Jason Johnson and Mark Sweeney. Within 10 seconds of sitting down, Ramirez proceeded to complain to GM Ned Colletti about the lack of comfort in the clubhouse, within earshot of all reporters nearby. He was given No. 99 instead of his familiar No. 24, which the Dodgers retired to honor of Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston. Ramirez's second choice was 34 -- ex-teammate David Ortiz' number -- but clubhouse manager Mitch Poole has unofficially kept that number out of circulation out of respect for Fernando Valenzuela. Ramirez then shoved Poole to the ground, and asked for the number 99, saying he will become the best athlete in Los Angeles history to wear that number.

Tell me you wouldn't have believed all that if it were true.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

It's not that I didn't appreciate Manny while he was in Boston; he was a dominating force in the lineup, if only a lackadaisical and downright silly one. But the times when he was frustrating (including right up to the end, when his agent said he wouldn't be an issue if the Sox dropped their options on him) overpowered his slugging percentage. Maybe I'm an old-timey kind of guy, but it always frustrates me when players are so much more adamant about making more money and less about being on a team that wins or has the highest probability of winning. You gots to get paid, I know. But money only lasts as long as you live; respect, glory, and honor last forever.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Hey look a baseball thread.

Well, so much for that Red Sox-Dodgers World Series. The Phillies just finished off the Dodgers, and the Red Sox' epitath has been chiseled, the grave dug, and the casket put in the hole. This will be one hell of an interesting World Series for probably the smallest percentage of fans in World Series history.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Sure, it's a good story for Bud Selig to hang his hat on, but I wouldn't be able to get over a series featuring the two main teams involved in the biggest trade of the season, Joe Torre getting stuck playing the Red Sox in the playoffs again, and Manny and Nomar and Derek Lowe all getting chances to stick to their old team.

FELIPE NO

NOT OVER YET BITCHES

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Well, TBS' broadcast finally flickered to life here with 1 out in the bottom of the first. Before that happened, B.J. Upton hit a solo home run and I was frantically looking for free live audio to no avail. I appreciate MLB having a contingency plan in this sort of situation; what if they hadn't come back for the entire game?

Additional Spam:
STILL NOT OVER YET

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Welcome to postseason baseball, St. Petersburg.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

ok yeah now it's over

Shouldn't have pitched Lester in the 7th.

Maybe next year they won't need cowbells and cheerleaders to get their fans excited.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Tell me when the Pirates or Royals or Orioles or Nationals start doing it.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I don't know what attendance numbers were like for the other 3 expansion teams in the 90s were like but I'm sure the D-Backs were pulling in a good amount regularly at their ugly-ass ballpark.

Not the Marlins, though.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I guess anyone is competitive when compared to the (Devil) Rays.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Hey, I was over the Sox losing after a couple of hours. And I certainly no animosity towards the Rays team.

As for the Rays' "fans"...well, people give me shit for being a "bitter" Sox fan so fair is fair. If that's the way I'm to be portrayed then I'll live up to it on here to keep up appearances.

FELIPE NO

I'm not really rooting for anyone to win, but I'd prefer the Rays over the Phillies. It'll definitely be a great story if they do win it (which I'm pretty confident they will).

Unfortunately, most of the time the team that beats the team I root for in the playoffs ends up losing (something like 80% of the time). It's been lowering lately, though.

How ya doing, buddy?

Yeah it definitely looks like it's the Phillies' series to lose at this point. As good as Tampa's defense is (supposed to be), it's the errors and poor fielding which got them into trouble against the Red Sox and it's doing the same right now.

Jam it back in, in the dark.