Major League Baseball - 2012

[Gang Green]

Now that football season is, officially, over, I thought I would get a jump start on the baseball thread. I can't think of a better way to get things started than a little tribute to the 1962 New York Metropolitan Baseball Club. Yes, the Amazins are 50 years old this year.



Hopefully, the Mets won't celebrate their anniversary by losing as many games in 2012 as they did in 1962. But, with the Madoff lawsuit, the massive citi-field debt and the lack of fan support, anything is possible.

[Tequila Cowboy]

The very mention of the Mets hurts my inner eight year old. Old wounds and all that.




I was an eight year old Cub fan in 1969

[Gang Green]

If it makes you feel any better the Mets have almost bludgened me to death the past six years, and these wounds haven't healed yet.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Zambrano to Miami! Good fuckin' riddance. Oh and good luck with that Ozzie!

[Cubfan06]

Zambrano to Miami! Good fuckin' riddance. Oh and good luck with that Ozzie!

They ate 15 out of the 18 million left on this year's deal, but it actually saves them money since Volstad is locked up so cheap for the next 3 years. He's still young and I'm confident that he'll be at least a mid to end of the rotation starter. He's only 25 years old, was a first round pick, and has had 3 pitching coaches in as many seasons. Same goes with Travis Wood who they got in the Marshall deal. I like the way that they're accumulating pieces.
They may be the Royals this year, but some of these prospects and young guys will work out and they will have the capital to sign some big guys down the road. I'm liking it.
Its breathing life back into my Cubs fandom.

Keep it going Theo!

[Clams]

Expecting more of the same from the Phils. Halladay-Lee-Hamels plus Papelbon is nice. Scoring runs will be tough though, with Howard recovering from the torn Achilles and Rollins, Utley and Polanco each a year older. Having Hunter Pence for the whole season and shedding Raul Ibanez will help. With the pitching, I'd say 100 win season is possible. Problem is, Washington and Florida... um, Miami... are both improved. Play ball!

[Mr. B]

Zambrano to Miami! Good fuckin' riddance. Oh and good luck with that Ozzie!

They ate 15 out of the 18 million left on this year's deal, but it actually saves them money since Volstad is locked up so cheap for the next 3 years. He's still young and I'm confident that he'll be at least a mid to end of the rotation starter. He's only 25 years old, was a first round pick, and has had 3 pitching coaches in as many seasons. Same goes with Travis Wood who they got in the Marshall deal. I like the way that they're accumulating pieces.
They may be the Royals this year, but some of these prospects and young guys will work out and they will have the capital to sign some big guys down the road. I'm liking it.
Its breathing life back into my Cubs fandom.

Keep it going Theo!

Maybe, maybe not. While the Cubs are shedding a lot of problems (adios Carlos) for the most part we are gathering untested or underperforming talent. They will be god-awful the next few years. I'll put next year's over/under at 70.

[Flying Rabbit]

O's have been exceptionally quiet this off-season. Duq' is making me cringe. Can't believe he's wanting to play conservative Sid Thrift-esque GM baseball. Wish he would've come in with a bang and made a serious offer to Fielder. The rumors swirling about Adam Jones are making me dizzy. Looks like another abysmal season at Camden Yards.

[sg207]

Looks like the Reds are going all in for the next couple of years with the acquisitions of Latos and Marshall. I hated to see Boxberger go in the SD deal, but Latos has scary talent, and is under control for 4 years. And I'm shocked that Marshall has not signed an extension, the Reds gave up a ton if it only ends up being one year of Marshall.

[Gang Green]

The Mets biggest accomplishment will happen well before the actual baseball season starts. Yes, 36 year old knuckleballer is in the process of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro which he will, no doubt, accomplish. Then, its all downhill for the Mets after that. Sorry, that was bad.

[Jonicont]

If it makes you feel any better the Mets have almost bludgened me to death the past six years, and these wounds haven't healed yet.

A Mets and Jets fan. God!. I hope your not like my partner and allow your kids to root for a team that wins. His kids (in their 30's) are always lamenting the fate he bestowed upon them

[Tequila Cowboy]

This has the makings of a really ugly story:

Sources: Cubs’ Starlin Castro Accused Of Sexual Assault


CHICAGO (CBS) — WBBM Newsradio has learned that Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman after a night of drinking last fall.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports exclusively, the alleged victim is a Chicago woman in her 20s. No criminal charges have been filed.

[oilpiers]

Zambrano to Miami! Good fuckin' riddance. Oh and good luck with that Ozzie!

Come on now. That is a match made in heaven. It really makes sense if you think about it. Zambrano goes nuts, then they interview Ozzy and he has a cuss fest on TV, standing up for Zambrano.It will probably be all in Spanish too. Can't wait!

[ScottyC]

less than 50 days until pitchers and catchers report.

i am cautiously optimistic about this years brewers team. i know fielder is gone, but was sure he was going to be gone last offseason, and know that Bruan is gone for 50 (still a very sore subject). But we still have the pitching that got us there last year and will have the best bullpen in baseball for a whole year. The Brewers would have won 100 last year if they had KRod all year last year. The left side of the infield is much much better with Gonzo and ARAM (he has been a Brewer killer for years and will be hard to root for him for a few days). If, big if, Gamel can come in and be semi productive at 1B and with the division being winnable I will take our chances. Every team in the division has questions, but I think it comes down to CIn/StL and Mil for the division and probably the wild card. Maybe i am looking a bit thru blue and gold glasses but after sucking for sooooooo long, it is good to have justified excitement for baseball.

best of all the braves open their home season against the brewers for a 4 game set when i am home......tickets procured and flags ready to fly.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Watch out for A Ram. He puts up most of his numbers when it doesn't count. I think the Brewers could still compete, but I think the most likely scenario is for The Reds to run away and hide. The Cubs are in full rebuild, the Cards have an inexperienced manager and no Dave Duncan not to mention they lost that Pujols feller and The Brewers have sustained some significant losses. Yep looks like Cincinatti's year to me.

[oilpiers]

The ONLY thing I would predict is the Yankees and Red Sox will probably be fighting for the playoffs. Every year there are teams like the 2010 Padres and Giants that come out of nowhere, and teams you think look great on paper suck. Too many to list. I will go out on one more limb and predict Angels/Rangers games should be very interesting.

[ScottyC]

Watch out for A Ram. He puts up most of his numbers when it doesn't count. I think the Brewers could still compete, but I think the most likely scenario is for The Reds to run away and hide. The Cubs are in full rebuild, the Cards have an inexperienced manager and no Dave Duncan not to mention they lost that Pujols feller and The Brewers have sustained some significant losses. Yep looks like Cincinatti's year to me.

TC you are right, if I was betting i would put it down on the Reds, but I remember this time last year everyone was on them and they struggled big time. I am not sure they have any leaders on that team and that cant be undervalued with a 162 game season. I think the Cards will struggle, but they will have Wainright back and that is a big plus, but there is a lot of age in important spots on that team (Berkman, Carp, Furcal) that might hurt them down the stretch. I also know that everytime I watched ARam he was grounding into a DP late in a game.......unless they were playing the brewers. I hope that the new location and playing on a contending team will help his mindset.

[cortez the killer]

A Jets fan. God!

Ahhhhhh! That puts this puzzling piece in better perspective now.

Now that football season is, officially, over...

[Tequila Cowboy]

Damn do I love Theo Epstein! Sore armed pitching prospect Andrew Cashner to San Diego for the top ranked 1st base prospect in the game, Anthony Rizzo. Great trade!

[beantownbubba]

less than 50 days until pitchers and catchers report.

i am cautiously optimistic about this years brewers team. i know fielder is gone, but was sure he was going to be gone last offseason, and know that Bruan is gone for 50 (still a very sore subject). But we still have the pitching that got us there last year and will have the best bullpen in baseball for a whole year. The Brewers would have won 100 last year if they had KRod all year last year. The left side of the infield is much much better with Gonzo and ARAM (he has been a Brewer killer for years and will be hard to root for him for a few days). If, big if, Gamel can come in and be semi productive at 1B and with the division being winnable I will take our chances. Every team in the division has questions, but I think it comes down to CIn/StL and Mil for the division and probably the wild card. Maybe i am looking a bit thru blue and gold glasses but after sucking for sooooooo long, it is good to have justified excitement for baseball.

best of all the braves open their home season against the brewers for a 4 game set when i am home......tickets procured and flags ready to fly.

You say cautiously optimistic, I say I'd like to have some of what you're having, lol. Just in generic terms, can any team afford to lose, say, 2 of the 10 best players in the league for a combined 1 1/3 seasons? I don't think so.

[Mr. B]

Damn do I love Theo Epstein! Sore armed pitching prospect Andrew Cashner to San Diego for the top ranked 1st base prospect in the game, Anthony Rizzo. Great trade!

My initial thought is: I am not as thrilled as you on this trade. Rizzo is rated highly, but did struggle last year in the majors (1 HR in over 100 ABs). Cashner's injury is an obvious concern, but I have seen him live a few times, and he is more impressive than any other young Cub pitcher I have seen in the last several years. And he is allegedly back to where he was before the injury (although I'll believe that when I see it . . .)

But in the end, Theo and Hoyer get the benefit of the doubt and Jed certainly should know this guy well. Looks like we have our first basement of the future. Now only 6 more spots to fill . . .

And I think its safe to say that Prince Fielder will not be a Cub.

[ScottyC]

less than 50 days until pitchers and catchers report.

i am cautiously optimistic about this years brewers team. i know fielder is gone, but was sure he was going to be gone last offseason, and know that Bruan is gone for 50 (still a very sore subject). But we still have the pitching that got us there last year and will have the best bullpen in baseball for a whole year. The Brewers would have won 100 last year if they had KRod all year last year. The left side of the infield is much much better with Gonzo and ARAM (he has been a Brewer killer for years and will be hard to root for him for a few days). If, big if, Gamel can come in and be semi productive at 1B and with the division being winnable I will take our chances. Every team in the division has questions, but I think it comes down to CIn/StL and Mil for the division and probably the wild card. Maybe i am looking a bit thru blue and gold glasses but after sucking for sooooooo long, it is good to have justified excitement for baseball.

best of all the braves open their home season against the brewers for a 4 game set when i am home......tickets procured and flags ready to fly.

You say cautiously optimistic, I say I'd like to have some of what you're having, lol. Just in generic terms, can any team afford to lose, say, 2 of the 10 best players in the league for a combined 1 1/3 seasons? I don't think so.

In no way do i think that they will reach 96 wins again this year, but they are going to be much much better defensively, and thats what cost them in the playoffs. The left side of the infield was a complete wasteland last year defensively and offensively, and will be better this year. Jayson Stark ran the player value rankings on the team last year and this year with the acquisitions and without fielder and they were surprisingly close. Problem is i dont completely buy into the numbers (and it was done before Braun).

I fully admit that I am partial and completely understand where someone from the outside is seeing, but I am not going to give up on the team before the season starts.........plus the brewers bought the rights to the next Ichiro.....yawn.

Regarding Fielder, everything I am seeing is Washington, was sure it would be an AL team.

[Gang Green]

Damn do I love Theo Epstein! Sore armed pitching prospect Andrew Cashner to San Diego for the top ranked 1st base prospect in the game, Anthony Rizzo. Great trade!

I'll start rooting for the Cubs once the Mets are, officially, eliminated from play-off contention.

[Clams]

Damn do I love Theo Epstein! Sore armed pitching prospect Andrew Cashner to San Diego for the top ranked 1st base prospect in the game, Anthony Rizzo. Great trade!

I'll start rooting for the Cubs once the Mets are, officially, eliminated from play-off contention.

I'd give it till about tax day.

[LuthierJustin]

Braves trainer's, Jeff Porter, wife was killed last weekend when a State Trooper hit the SUV she was a passenger in when he was responding to a chase.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Damn do I love Theo Epstein! Sore armed pitching prospect Andrew Cashner to San Diego for the top ranked 1st base prospect in the game, Anthony Rizzo. Great trade!

My initial thought is: I am not as thrilled as you on this trade. Rizzo is rated highly, but did struggle last year in the majors (1 HR in over 100 ABs). Cashner's injury is an obvious concern, but I have seen him live a few times, and he is more impressive than any other young Cub pitcher I have seen in the last several years. And he is allegedly back to where he was before the injury (although I'll believe that when I see it . . .)

But in the end, Theo and Hoyer get the benefit of the doubt and Jed certainly should know this guy well. Looks like we have our first basement of the future. Now only 6 more spots to fill . . .

And I think its safe to say that Prince Fielder will not be a Cub.

Well thank goodness on Fielder. This team cannot possibly be ready to compete any earlier than 2014 and I could never see the allure in signing Fielder during a full rebuild. As far as Cashner goes nobody besides the former Cubs regime ever saw him as being a starting pitching prospect. He may be good for San Diego but it will likely be as a set up guy or possible closer one day. I heard yesterday that they're not looking at him as a starter either.

In the case of Rizzo from everything I've heard he just wasn't ready last year and Hoyer has admitted that he called him up too early. He's still, in most baseball circles, the number one 1st base prospect in the league and his AA & AAA numbers the last two years are outstanding. Plus they've already said he's starting the year in AAA. He's next year's starter, no need to start the arbitration clock if he's not ready.

I'm really excited about what I've seen so far from Epstein & company. The moves are bold, decisive and they're not afraid of tipping some sacred cows. Will it work? Hell, I don't know but I think it looks better than anything I've seen from the Cub organization since the heady days of Dallas Green. It was going to take this kind of organizational overhaul to get me to continue as a Cub fan and so far so good.

[Mr. B]

Damn do I love Theo Epstein! Sore armed pitching prospect Andrew Cashner to San Diego for the top ranked 1st base prospect in the game, Anthony Rizzo. Great trade!

My initial thought is: I am not as thrilled as you on this trade. Rizzo is rated highly, but did struggle last year in the majors (1 HR in over 100 ABs). Cashner's injury is an obvious concern, but I have seen him live a few times, and he is more impressive than any other young Cub pitcher I have seen in the last several years. And he is allegedly back to where he was before the injury (although I'll believe that when I see it . . .)

But in the end, Theo and Hoyer get the benefit of the doubt and Jed certainly should know this guy well. Looks like we have our first basement of the future. Now only 6 more spots to fill . . .

And I think its safe to say that Prince Fielder will not be a Cub.

Well thank goodness on Fielder. This team cannot possibly be ready to compete any earlier than 2014 and I could never see the allure in signing Fielder during a full rebuild. As far as Cashner goes nobody besides the former Cubs regime ever saw him as being a starting pitching prospect. He may be good for San Diego but it will likely be as a set up guy or possible closer one day. I heard yesterday that they're not looking at him as a starter either.

In the case of Rizzo from everything I've heard he just wasn't ready last year and Hoyer has admitted that he called him up too early. He's still, in most baseball circles, the number one 1st base prospect in the league and his AA & AAA numbers the last two years are outstanding. Plus they've already said he's starting the year in AAA. He's next year's starter, no need to start the arbitration clock if he's not ready.

I'm really excited about what I've seen so far from Epstein & company. The moves are bold, decisive and they're not afraid of tipping some sacred cows. Will it work? Hell, I don't know but I think it looks better than anything I've seen from the Cub organization since the heady days of Dallas Green. It was going to take this kind of organizational overhaul to get me to continue as a Cub fan and so far so good.

As usual, your analysis is solid. I've thought more about the trade and am now convinced it makes a lot of sense, if only becuase a top notch 1st base prospect is much more likely to pan out than a sore-armed pitching prospect, regardless of how good his stuff is/was.

I need to start writing off the next few years and just focus on what the Cubs will look like in three or four years. There is just no way they can compete before 2015 and I need to resign myself to that. Luckily for me, my Tigers should be solid for the next few years.

Today's Tribune had an article saying the Cubs are trying to dump Soriano, maybe to the Orioles. I can't see that happening unless the Cubs eat almost all of his salary or receive another chronicly overpaid underachiever in return (I.e. Bradley for Silva, part 2). The Tribune says maybe Roberts would be part of the deal. Let's see if Theo can pull something off.

[Gang Green]

Always one of my favorite players and the Mets tried to get him for their play-off run in 2000, but had to settle for Pat Bordick. Congratulations to Barry Larkin

[ScottyC]

Congrats to Larkin, but have to ask if there were other more deserving candidates does he make it? Cooperstown is helped greatly by having a whole weekend where everyone eats, drinks, sleeps, etc in the city and without a player inducted that all goes away. I am not saying he does or does not deserve it, but is there pressure to make sure someone gets in each year? Would he make it next year with Biggio, Piazza and Schilling (with Bonds, Clemens and Sosa on the ballot as well?

[Gang Green]

Congrats to Larkin, but have to ask if there were other more deserving candidates does he make it? Cooperstown is helped greatly by having a whole weekend where everyone eats, drinks, sleeps, etc in the city and without a player inducted that all goes away. I am not saying he does or does not deserve it, but is there pressure to make sure someone gets in each year? Would he make it next year with Biggio, Piazza and Schilling (with Bonds, Clemens and Sosa on the ballot as well?

ScottyC, I believe your comment isn't too far off as the Hall of Fame probably relies on that weekend to make some money to stay afloat. But, because of your comment I decided to pull out my autographed copy of the Bill James Historical Abstract Second Edition which was published in 2001. I'm a huge fan of Bill James and I'm always interested in what he has to say. He had Barry Larkin ranked as 6th all time among shortstops and to quote he says "Larken is one of the ten most complete players in baseball history." The top 7 included:

Honus Wagner
Arky Vaughan
Cal Ripken
Robin Yount
Ernie Banks
Barry Larkin
Ozzie Smith

Current Hall of Famers Pee Wee Reese and Luis Aparicio are 10 and 13 on the list respectively. So, I'm going to accept that the voters were spot on, and that Barry Larkin is deserving. There, I feel better now.