2009 MLB season thread!!!!

7593 Views 171 Replies 32 Participants Last post by Tungsten, Nov 14, 2009

mistermet

Discussion Starter · Feb 8, 2009

That's right, it's almost time for the boys of summer to get started once again! Pitchers and catchers will begin reporting to spring training complexes in the next week or so and then soon enough, the games begin!

This thread is dedicated to the baseball fans on the SAS board. Give a shout out if you have baseball fever!!

And LET'S GO METS!!!

1 - 20 of 172 Posts

dax

· #2 · Feb 9, 2009

I vote we call a-rod a-roid all season.

Well the sox picked up Smoltz in the off-season who I predict will be totally unimpressive. It's a mistake similar to picking up Gagne. They always seems to pick old guys at the end of their careers who need or have had major surjuries.

You guys are all set with Santana

anonymid

· #3 · Feb 9, 2009

dax said:
I vote we call a-rod a-roid all season.

Well the sox picked up Smoltz in the off-season who I predict will be totally unimpressive. It's a mistake similar to picking up Gagne. They always seems to pick old guys at the end of their careers who need or have had major surjuries.

You guys are all set with Santana

I don't know how you can call picking up Smoltz a mistake. It's not like they're paying an arm and a leg for him; it's a very low-risk pickup. The Red Sox' season is not going to hinge on whether or not Smoltz is able to pitch and pitch well. If it works out, great (I'm a fan of both the Red Sox and Smoltz, so of course I hope it does), but if not, oh well.

anonymid

· #4 · Feb 9, 2009

mistermet said:
That's right, it's almost time for the boys of summer to get started once again! Pitchers and catchers will begin reporting to spring training complexes in the next week or so and then soon enough, the games begin!

This thread is dedicated to the baseball fans on the SAS board. Give a shout out if you have baseball fever!!

And LET'S GO METS!!!

Can't wait for the season. The Red Sox and Twins are my two favorite teams, but I started pulling for the Mets a bit last season, too, because I'm a big Johan Santana fan. I was sorry to see the Twins lose him, but was glad that he at least didn't end up with the Yankees (of course I would have been very happy if he'd gone to the Red Sox).

Anyway, I just moved to the Chicago area, and am going to try catch at least one game at each ballpark. With any luck I'll be able to catch the Red Sox when they come to U.S. Cellular in September, but failing that, I'll have plenty of opportunities to see the Twins, at least (who are also playing an interleague series against the Cubs in June; ideally, perhaps, I can get to a game of that series and one of the Sox-Sox games in September).

Atticus

· #5 · Feb 9, 2009

I think the A-roid thing is a given.

Its about 65 here today and I'm ready.

mistermet

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 10, 2009

haha yes...finally an excuse to call him A-Roid (or A-Fraud). i used to call him Double Play-Rod or Overpaid-Rod, but A-Roid works so much better!

the Sox got Smoltz for 5 million, i think, which is pretty cheap and just from watching him pitch over the years with the braves, he is an ace and a great pitcher. i kind of wanted the mets to get him b/c he's just a gutsy pitcher (goes out there and gives it his all, kind of like Santana). if he's healthy and even close to what he was a couple of years ago, you'll love him! plus the Sox got Brad Penny too and he was an ace the last few years as well. the sox are LOADED!

speaking of Santana, man do i love him! he's just such a great competitor. i can count one bad game that he threw last season (gave up 5 runs vs the Reds in his 1st game after the AS break). other than that he was great and in August and September...he was in a whole other stratosphere! our rotation is in good shape with Johan, Pelfrey, Ollie, Maine (who should be healthy after surgery) and either Freddy Garcia or Tim Redding or Jon Neise as the #5. it's our offense that has some question marks (Delgado, Castillo, Schneider, the bench).

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mistermet

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 10, 2009

anonymid said:
Can't wait for the season. The Red Sox and Twins are my two favorite teams, but I started pulling for the Mets a bit last season, too, because I'm a big Johan Santana fan. I was sorry to see the Twins lose him, but was glad that he at least didn't end up with the Yankees (of course I would have been very happy if he'd gone to the Red Sox).

Anyway, I just moved to the Chicago area, and am going to try catch at least one game at each ballpark. With any luck I'll be able to catch the Red Sox when they come to U.S. Cellular in September, but failing that, I'll have plenty of opportunities to see the Twins, at least (who are also playing an interleague series against the Cubs in June; ideally, perhaps, I can get to a game of that series and one of the Sox-Sox games in September).

i hope that i'll be able to catch a game at Wrigley someday...it's on my to-do list. i've already seen games at (Old) Yankee Stadium and Fenway. i hear Wrigley's a really cool place to catch a game!

dax

· #8 · Feb 11, 2009

Smoltz is a great pitcher but hes old and he's coming off major surgery. To me it just seems like a repeat of Schilling and Gagne, both had similar issues. Schilling was great for a season but began to fall apart after that. Smoltz won't even be in the lineup until June. I don't think at his age, his surgery is something he will fully recover from. He just isn't going to have the stuff he had a few years back when he had a sub 3 ERA. Plus he's playing with the big boys in the AL now. He just won't perform as well as in the NL with all that DH power.

anonymid

· #9 · Feb 11, 2009

dax said:
Smoltz is a great pitcher but hes old and he's coming off major surgery. To me it just seems like a repeat of Schilling and Gagne, both had similar issues. Schilling was great for a season but began to fall apart after that. Smoltz won't even be in the lineup until June. I don't think at his age, his surgery is something he will fully recover from. He just isn't going to have the stuff he had a few years back when he had a sub 3 ERA. Plus he's playing with the big boys in the AL now. He just won't perform as well as in the NL with all that DH power.

I don't disagree with anything you're saying--but the point is that the expectations are not high like they were for Gagne (for whom, in retrospect, they shouldn't have been). No one's going into this banking on Smoltz being crucial to the Sox' hopes this year. It's understood that he might not return to his old form; it's a low-risk, high-reward gamble.

bezoomny

· #10 · Feb 11, 2009

My team is the Atlanta Braves. So yeah, I don't really get my hopes up in the realm of baseball...

I was a kid when they were really great though, so I've got memories.

*world's tiniest violin plays*

rdrr

· #11 · Feb 11, 2009

the yankees will win the world series this year.

mistermet

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 11, 2009

rdrr said:
the yankees will win the world series this year.

hahaha...

no.

mistermet

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 11, 2009

bezoomny said:
My team is the Atlanta Braves. So yeah, I don't really get my hopes up in the realm of baseball...

I was a kid when they were really great though, so I've got memories.

*world's tiniest violin plays*

i remember those days in the late 90's and early 00's where the big rivalry was Mets/Braves (of course the Braves typically won). now that the Braves aren't good, its shifted to Mets/Phillies and i have to say that i really despise the Phillies.

dax

· #14 · Feb 12, 2009

mistermet said:
hahaha...

no.

werd

Uncle Charlie

· #15 · Feb 12, 2009

The AL East is going to be one fun division to watch this year, my team is the Red Sox by the way. So many things can play into our favor this year: Ortiz putting up better numbers than last year, Lowell staying healthy, Beckett pitching like the Beckett of old, a possible breakout season for Clay Buchholz, as well as the improved pitching depth (assuming a few of these guys pan out). Even with all the injury woes and shortcomings of last year, we still managed to squeeze out seven games in the ALCS. Only problem is that the Rays and Yankees are both improved from last year, so this should be exciting to watch.

brimontz

· #16 · Feb 12, 2009

The Yankees' spending spree and the A-Rod thing has sapped my interest in the 2009 baseball season before it even begins. I don't think the Yanks will win it all, but I'm tired of the uneven playing field in baseball, where teams can't keep the players they've helped develop into stars when those players reach the primes of their career. Until there's a true salary cap and true revenue sharing, my interest won't be what it once was.

I think the Indians improved themselves, but not enough to get me excited about baseball anymore, which is a shame because baseball was always my favorite sport, even in the 70s when the Indians sucked annually.

BeachGaBulldog

· #17 · Feb 13, 2009

Braves fan here. As long as we beat the Mets and Phillies I am happy, since I hate both of them.

mistermet

Discussion Starter · #18 · Feb 17, 2009

Uncle Charlie said:
The AL East is going to be one fun division to watch this year, my team is the Red Sox by the way. So many things can play into our favor this year: Ortiz putting up better numbers than last year, Lowell staying healthy, Beckett pitching like the Beckett of old, a possible breakout season for Clay Buchholz, as well as the improved pitching depth (assuming a few of these guys pan out). Even with all the injury woes and shortcomings of last year, we still managed to squeeze out seven games in the ALCS. Only problem is that the Rays and Yankees are both improved from last year, so this should be exciting to watch.

It is! that division has 3 of the best teams in the AL at the moment (Red Sox, Rays and Yankees) and the Blue Jays aren't a bad team either (not great, but not bad). plus the O's are..slightly...improved, i guess (at least they've got a little young talent, finally). But it is going to be a dogfight between those top three teams. The Sox have that deep rotation, Yankees spent big $$$ on Sabathia and Tex (and stupidly on Burnett), and the Rays are definitely for real. last year wasn't a fluke and now they've got Pat Burrell who should be a good veteran RH bat for them. i'll definitely be keeping an eye on that division.

mistermet

Discussion Starter · #19 · Feb 17, 2009

BeachGaBulldog said:
Braves fan here. As long as we beat the Mets and Phillies I am happy, since I hate both of them.

Hey, i share the exact same sentiment (except towards the Braves and Phils). Let's go Mets!

Under Pressure

· #20 · Feb 22, 2009

Go Yankees!

Lineup
1. Damon
2. Jeter
3. Tex
4. A-Rod
5. Nady
6. Matsui
7. Cano
8. Posada
9. Cabrera

Rotation
1. CC
2. Wang
3. Burnett
4. Joba
5. Pettitte

Yikes!

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