The OFFICIAL 2006 MLB Discussion Thread

Is it just me...or has pitching lost something overall...

I was doing a little research, and it seems that this year (thus far), there is a significant number less of starting pitchers with lower ERA's...especially from last year to this year, as 13 less players of qualified innings pitched have ERAs under 4.00. I see that home run numbers are not much larger than past years, so increasing hitter ability seems to be not much of an influence...

I realize that compared historically, pitchers are pitching less innings and the bullpen is (I think) utilized more, but I think pitchers should be just that sharper in their early few innings than having to deal with 100+ pitch outings...

I'm a real fan of pitching, regardless if its on a favorite team, but its kinda depressing to see (and it hurts in the fantasy baseball realm too!)

does anyone think the same??

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Game 2 of tonight's day-night doubleheader between the Sox and Yankees entered the 9th inning as the longest 9-inning game in MLB history.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Boston got the shit raped out of them. UGH.

FELIPE NO

Okay, so maybe I'm not showing it here, but on another board, I'm mashing the keyboard in frantic hype over the Cardinals baseball season. :\

Tomorrow. We SHALL do it. :\

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

My Braves tried to help out last night against Clemens, but Houston came back and took tonight's game.

On a related note, I went to the Braves-Astros game last night, because it could be Clemens' last game. We sat about 15 rows back, in the section between the screen and the third base side dugout, so we were pretty close to the action. It was a pretty quick and fairly good game to watch, especially since the Braves pulled out the victory over a Hall of Fame pitcher whom I do not respect any further than his statistical achievements. I enjoyed the fact that I got to see another Hall of Fame player hit a homer, Biggio, and got to watch a player who has quickly become one of my favorites in the game, Brian McCann.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Predictions for playoffs:

Tigers over Yanks in 5
A's over Twins in 4
A's in ALCS in 6

Pads over Cards in 3
Mets over Dodgers in 4 (will be interesting with no Pedro)
Pads take Mets in 6 or 7

A's win series in 5

Always been an A's fan. I'm glad to see Detroit make it and I'm definitely pulling for them over the Yanks (the Yanks starting pitching will be their downfall, I predict), but I'll never root against the A's.

Cards look awful right now and the Mets are extremely vulnerable with no real ace to fall back on. Dodgers and Padres aren't great, but they're consistant, have solid starters and not missing any huge parts.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I won't lie, I'd love to see the Mets take the Yankees out in 4, but I don't think it'll happen. If the Subway Series doesn't happen, I'd love to see the Twins win this year. They're the only MLB team in a day's drive.

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

Freddy Sanchez Takes Home the NL Batting Title!



[Yay!]

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

Damn it Tigers! You just had to win one stinking game against the Royals to face Oakland. Now they have to play the Yankees in the first round. Well, hopefully two of my playoff wishes will come true at the same time - Tigers advancing, and Yankees losing.

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Well, since the Mets' ace is pretty much Tom Glavine these days, I don't expect them to do all that well. TG is long past his ace days.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Capo

Freddy Sanchez Takes Home the NL Batting Title!

Ahh, that sweet Atlanta victory.

Cards are pulling the upset, as expected. A's were my pick over the Twins, with them losing to NY. Cards over Mets for the NL and a Cardinals World Series win. Padres down by two games in minutes after this post!

How ya doing, buddy?

Amazing how limp the Padres lineup has been...I feel like I could pitch through them, the way they're going. Cards are the perfect example of a great team that goes streaky too much.

I'm calling it right now: Detroit kills NY tonight. Randy Johnson has no chance of having a decent outing with his back. Only way he wins is if Detroit swings too much at crap pitches and hopefully Leyland is lecturing his players right now NOT to do that.

Detroit in an even 5.

Currently 1-0 Oakland. Bye bye Minnesota.

And uh...yeah, never thought the Dodgers had a real shot at the Mets.

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

Oakland hit another homerun, they're up 4-0 now. They're looking to run away with this game.

And I don't see Johnson pitching too well tonight. I'm sure he'll throw some good stuff even with a sore back, because he's Randy Johnson, but I can't imagine him making a lengthy start tonight. New York will have to rely heavily on their bullpen in this game, which is the weak point of the team. Too bad I'll be at work from 6-1 and I'll miss the whole game.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Anyone else watching Yankees-Tigers? I haven't been this excited about a game other than the Red Sox in a long time, probably ever. Abreu looked like he didn't know what he was supposed to do in the last K Rogers threw. Cheering for the Tigers, here.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by GoldfishX

I'm calling it right now: Detroit kills NY tonight. Randy Johnson has no chance of having a decent outing with his back. Only way he wins is if Detroit swings too much at crap pitches and hopefully Leyland is lecturing his players right now NOT to do that.

Loving every second of it (I'm even taping it). Kenny Rogers is my new favorite non-Oriole player.

Seeing all of the so-called experts backpeddling on their claims on how the Yankees are going to destroy everyone is always nice to see.

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

I kinda expected Randy Johnson to pitch horribly. Bad back and he's been pitching poorly quite a lot. Detroit was eating up his pitches.

How ya doing, buddy?

I just got home from work, and I had to miss the game. Glad to hear the Tigers won again. Take that, Yankees!

I looked at ESPN's website. They had 19 experts make predictions before the playoffs began, all 19 picked the Yankees to win this series, the only team picked by everyone. And 6 picked them to win the World Series (It should be added 7 of them picked the Twins to win the World Series. Whoops). Also, the poll of the day that was on ESPN's baseball area of the site today asked which team would win their series first. The A's, Mets, Cards, and Yankees were the choices. Apparently even when the series was tied, the Tigers couldn't win the series. The Yankees were so ridiculously assumed to come out of this series with no trouble, that it is almost mind boggling.

I was speaking idiomatically.

That's what happens when you have a surprise team going against a team with the storied history as the Yanks do and who've been to the playoffs for the past...11 years. The people covering the stuff just get lazy and make assumptions. They conveniently forgot the Yanks have no starting pitching (Wang is a fluke, Mussina is useless in the postseason and Johnson is old, inconsistant and hurt), no middle relief, a powerful line-up that falters every post season and a veteran team that almost seems bored to death to be there. I really thought Toronto or Boston would have overtaken them this year (Orioles are still a few years away...heh).

Honestly, seeing the "experts" screw up like that is the sweetest part of seeing the Yankees lose...After the 1996 WS win, everyone turned so "Pro-Yankees", it made me sick to my stomach. Fox Baseball would go on and on about how the Yankees overcame the odds and what not (conveniently forgetting the only reason they won in 1996 was because of Jeffrey Maier, not to mention their payroll). Then they got beat in the 97 division series and it was a great feeling to watch everyone backpeddling as to why the Indians were great.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

The Yankees lose!

THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES LOSE!

Definitely like the Tigers now. I was on them by default as a Red Sox fan.

(This was posted before Posada's 2-run homerun. Heh.)

FELIPE NO

I'm a very happy man tonight. My buddy who's a big Yanks fan went out to his cabin last night before the game had started and is going to return Monday only find that his team is out. I'm taking the fantasy pool this year.

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

Originally Posted by The Dopefish

THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES LOSE!

Nothing more needs to be said.

That said, I stand by my pick of Oakland to go to the World Series. Although...Detroit looks pretty damn scary right about now. Should be a low-scoring game with these pitching staffs.

So far, I've been dead on with predictions, Pads and Cards aside (though I still think San Diego could pull the series out if they were to...I dunno...HIT THE FUCKING BASEBALL AND SCORE SOME RUNS!)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm more scared about the Tigers facing Oakland than I was the Yankees. Hopefully Detroit doesn't feel invincible, otherwise they could end up in a quick letdown against Oakland, who looks kind of like a similar team to Detroit.

And man, it felt good not only watching the Yankees get embarassed, but by my team.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Eww Yankees, what the hell were you guys doing?

I'm looking at a pitching overhaul this off-season by the Yankees, and a couple of moves.


I was a little shocked by Oakland's sweep of Minnesota, but they look like a team on fire. This year's World Series shall be interesting.

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

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwright, Padres 2 for 31 with runners in scoring position.

Bring on the Mets and their lefties....

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

Holy crap...

Cory Lidle died after he crashed into a NYC building with his plane...


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