2008 MLB Thread

[Frank the Frowner]

Here's the current outline for Manny as it stands:
Red Sox: Jason Bay and John Grabow
Marlins: Manny Ramirez + Sox Prospect + Cash
Pirates: Jeremy Hermida + 2 Marlins prospects + 1 Sox Prospect

I'm just perplexed as to why the Pirates have to be a part of this, especially where they seem intent on raping the Red Sox for a prospect the caliber of Justin Masterson. The original deal on the table had Manny going to the Marlins for Hermida, Ryan Tucker, and Mike Stanton, which is a great deal. Hermida was ranked the #4 prospect in all of baseball just a couple of years ago, Tucker has ace potential, and Stanton has great potential as well. The Sox do not need Jason Bay, if it meant getting Hermida back.

 

[ThePhenom13]

hey big mets fan here and i really think the mets will make the playoffs.i doubt we will reach or even win the world series cus of our bullpen but if we keep playing like we r now,we will make the playoffs.

 

[RBH]

Time for baseball playoff preditions.

BOSTON RED SOX VS ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
(ANGELS IN 3: I really believe that the Red Sox are no longer the great threat they once were. Plus alot of their players are hurt. The Angels are healthy and loaded. This will be a great sweep for my boys agaisnt the guys from Bean Town. So yeah the Angels will sweep the Red Sox away like yesterday's news. But if the ANGELS DO manage to lose a game, I see it being 3-1 Angels.)

CHICGAO WHITE SOX VS TAMPA BAY RAYS
(RAYS IN 5; This one will go down to the wire but I can see the Tampa Bay Rays edging out the White Sox in a big 5 game series. It would set up the Angels-Rays series that a lot of people want to see)

LA DODGERS VS CHICAGO CUBS
(CUBS IN 4;The Dodgers will put up a small fight and even possibly get a win. The Cubs have too much talent and they want it more seeing as they have not won it in 100 years.)

MILWAUKEE BREWERS VS PHIADLEPHIA PHILLIES
(BREWERS IN 4; I know the Brewers lost Game 1 but I do not buy the Phillies as a legit playoff team just yet. The Phillies are only in the playoffs because the Mets choked. The Cubs are in the same division as the Brewers so the fact that the Brewers made it makes it more impressive.)

Those are my picks, agree or disagree...lemme know.

 

[strafro]

Mr. Hayek, I have respected your baseball opinion all year long and you have been the consistent poster in this thread, but I am gonna have to disagree with most of your first round predictions.

BOSTON RED SOX VS. LA ANGELS:
Red Sox in 4 games. You think that the Red Sox are just gonna lay down and let the Angels sweep them? We saw last night that that will not happen, Boston has a deeper starting rotation and will win games 3 and 4 in Beantown to win 3-1.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX VS. TAMPA BAY RAYS
This one is a tossup for me, I wanna go with the Sox, but there's something magical down there in Tampa this year that is just unexplainable, so I am gonna agree and say Tampa in 5.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Phillies in 4. I am the exact opposite of you, I don't buy the Brewers as a legitimate playoff team with the loss of Ben Sheets. Sabathia will get the win for them, but I don't see the Brew Crew getting more than one victory in the series.

CHICAGO CUBS VS. LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Cubs in 5. The game last night kinda scared me, but the Cubs will recover and should be able to take this one in 5 games, they are my World Series pick afterall, I can't give up on them that easy.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS:

AL: BOSTON RED SOX VS. TAMPA BAY RAYS
This is probably the hardest one to predict, the Rays have been so good against the Sox this year, but Boston always rises to the occasion in the playoffs. In the end, I am gonna go with deep pitching, timely hitting and overall experience and clutchness (maybe its a word, maybe not) and say that the Boston Red Sox will take this one in 6 games.

NL: CHICAGO CUBS VS. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
This one is similar, the Cubs talent and depth will prevail here and I see them beating the Phillies in no more than 6 games, probably 5 though.

WORLD SERIES:

CHICAGO CUBS VS. BOSTON RED SOX
Cubs in 7. An epic and crazy series will end in the end of the slump, after exactly 100 years of going without a championship, the Cubs just come away with a win here in game 7. Baseball tends to work in mysterious ways and the exactly 100 years thing has me convinced. And I'm not even superstitious.

Everyone let me know what you think of my MLB playoff outlook.

 

[RBH]

Well Im man enough to admit Im wrong. But let me first say that the Red Sox are NOT BETTER than the Angels. Here is why. Why the hell do you think the Angels continually lose in postseason play to the Red Sox but not to anyone else? Why do they always beat them in regular season AT HOME but cannot win at home in the playoffs? My reasoning...the Angels are stupid. Now you may ask, now that is just dumb. How is it possible for a team to be stupid or play stupid for that matter. Lets take a look at some of the hitters shall we? Howie Kendrick, normally a guy who produces during the regular seaosn is 0 for 10 and swinging at crap that is outta the fucking strike zone. Mike Napoli, sucks. Wnough said right there. Chone Figgins is 1 for 10 in the playoffs, what the fuck is wrong with that picture? This kid has to grow the fuck up and learn to play in the playoffs. The ONLY WAY TO PLAY IN THE PLAYOFFS is to pretend it is NOT A PLAYOFF GAME...thats why some teams win. Thats why tampa Bay is winning right now and thats why the Dodgers are winning, no added pressure. My Angels can win, they just are too stupid to realize their own potential. So here is to the Rays, the team that will eliminate the red Sux when they beat our pathetic Angels. Heres to the Phillies who will beat the Dam Dodgers in the NLCS.

 

[strafro]

If you are gonna admit you're wrong, so will I. The Cubs have blown it this year, now I will admit that I only picked them because of the 100 years thing, but it is looking like it could be the Rays and Phillies in the World Series, which would suck for the MLB. Two teams that aren't seen as a big market facing off is bad for ratings, which is what the MLB really cares about.

But we'll see if any of these teams that are down 2-0 can rally back and win 3 to advance, I don't see it happening, but it can and has happened before.

I could see the Cubs maybe doing it, and if the Sox, Angels or Brewers get their bats going, they could also cause some trouble and maybe get into those LCS's.

I'll post more picks once teams advance to the League Championships.

 

[X]

Well Im man enough to admit Im wrong. But let me first say that the Red Sox are NOT BETTER than the Angels.

Yes, they are. They've proven that consistently over the last 5-6 years.

Here is why. Why the hell do you think the Angels continually lose in postseason play to the Red Sox but not to anyone else? Why do they always beat them in regular season AT HOME but cannot win at home in the playoffs? My reasoning...the Angels are stupid. Now you may ask, now that is just dumb.

That's not a legit reason, that's not even a sensible reason. The Angels are every year one of the best teams, and every year we have their number. Why? Because the Red Sox are simply better. If it wasn't for all of our injuries this year I guarantee you we could've won 4-5 more games then we did and we'd have the same record as you. Besides, except for this year, the Angels have been killed at Fenway during the regular season in the past.

How is it possible for a team to be stupid or play stupid for that matter. Lets take a look at some of the hitters shall we? Howie Kendrick, normally a guy who produces during the regular seaosn is 0 for 10 and swinging at crap that is outta the fucking strike zone. Mike Napoli, sucks. Wnough said right there. Chone Figgins is 1 for 10 in the playoffs, what the fuck is wrong with that picture? This kid has to grow the fuck up and learn to play in the playoffs. The ONLY WAY TO PLAY IN THE PLAYOFFS is to pretend it is NOT A PLAYOFF GAME...thats why some teams win. Thats why tampa Bay is winning right now and thats why the Dodgers are winning, no added pressure. My Angels can win, they just are too stupid to realize their own potential. So here is to the Rays, the team that will eliminate the red Sux when they beat our pathetic Angels. Heres to the Phillies who will beat the Dam Dodgers in the NLCS.

That entire paragraph sounds to me just like a fan that's sad because his team is on the verge of being swept out of the playoffs after predicting the exact opposite.

I told you the Angels cannot touch the Sox in the playoffs, did I not? I believe that's been proven.

 

[RBH]

This would be a fun debate if we saw u more than once a month Xfearbefore...u obviously forgot about how the Yankees used to whip ur Red Sox asses year after year after year......this Red Sox playoff "ownage" or so its called of the Angels will eventually end. Whether its this year or next year, it will end. All things come to an end.

Yes I am a pissed off fan but it does not mean thats the sole reason why I made my claim. The Angels had it all going into the playoffs. They have played well in the playoffs before against everyone except your Red Sox. Its a psyhological thing. Its not a talent thing. Not all all. Same shit with the Cubs. Cubs had all the talent in the world and yet they got swept by the Dodgers. We did beat u guys 8 of 9 during the regular season when u had Manny and Ortiz (Papi was only out for a short while but the Angels did play him twice)

So when u see this what a month from now and the Red Sox have been eliminated by then by the Rays, u will have believed me when I said TOLD U about the Rays which I said back in May my friend and u said Rays will fucking choke (as close to ur exact words as I can get) and what happened, they won the division and are a win away from winning a playoff series).

By "dumb" I mean psyhologically. I used to play sports in high school and there was always a team that beat us and we only beat them once. It was not really so much a matter of talent because all the games were close, it was a matter of psyhological crap. Its always happened in baseball.

 

[X]

This would be a fun debate if we saw u more than once a month Xfearbefore...u obviously forgot about how the Yankees used to whip ur Red Sox asses year after year after year......this Red Sox playoff "ownage" or so its called of the Angels will eventually end. Whether its this year or next year, it will end. All things come to an end.

Wow Hayek, now I'm just starting to pity you. Are you really getting this upset about this series that you have to start bringing up stupid shit like the Yankees? No one in New England has given a fuck about the Yankees since the 2004 ALCS.

And yes, I'd call 12 straight post-season wins over a span of 22 years to be "Playoff Ownage". What would you call it?

Yes I am a pissed off fan but it does not mean thats the sole reason why I made my claim. The Angels had it all going into the playoffs. They have played well in the playoffs before against everyone except your Red Sox.

How? They never make it past the FIRST ROUND AGAINST THE RED SOX. The only good postseason they've had in the last 8 years was 2002. Isn't Vladimir Guerrero the one with all of 1 RBI in some 40-something playoff games? The Angels are the team that always excels in the regular season and is gone before you've even realized the playoffs have started.

Its a psyhological thing. Its not a talent thing. Not all all. Same shit with the Cubs. Cubs had all the talent in the world and yet they got swept by the Dodgers. We did beat u guys 8 of 9 during the regular season when u had Manny and Ortiz (Papi was only out for a short while but the Angels did play him twice)

If just having more talent on your team then your opponent was what you needed to win championships, don't you think the Pats would've been raising the Super Bowl this year? That psychological edge is a PART of talent.

Besides, I'd argue that the Angels are more talented then the Red Sox to begin with. Our starting pitching it equal, our bullpens are equal, our offenses are equal, as are our defenses. The Red Sox even run the base paths equally to the Angels this year.

So when u see this what a month from now and the Red Sox have been eliminated by then by the Rays, u will have believed me when I said TOLD U about the Rays which I said back in May my friend and u said Rays will fucking choke (as close to ur exact words as I can get) and what happened, they won the division and are a win away from winning a playoff series).

Wow, you are an EXTREMELY sore loser. The series isn't even OVER yet and you're already pulling out ridiculiously petty shit like that? I did indeed say the Rays would choke, and I indeed was wrong. I don't have a problem admitting that. You need to learn to accept defeat.

Besides, the Rays have yet to face the Red Sox in the postseason. The Red Sox in the postseason are 10 times as dangerous in the regular season, never has there been a more clutch team.

 

[RBH]

Im just illustrating a point. Eventually, teams dominance over other teams get broken. That was all I was trying to say dude. Yes I am upset because this is a double slap (your patriots beat my Niners, not that I didnt expect it, it still sucks tho). Examples of former ownages that got broken: Cowboys over the Redskins, Packers over the Bears, in baseball, Braves over everyone in their division. The day will come. You even said it yourself once, every team has their team (not exact words but something of that nature)

Yes it is a playoff ownage. I never said it was not. Right now we have four fucking hits, against Jon Lester. Part of the Red Sox success in my opinion can be attributed to Terry Francona. Without him, I dunno if you guys would be as great as you have been (remember Grady Little).

2002 was good, 2004 we got swept. 2005 we beat the Yanks in 5, we played well in the first game against the White Sox before getting trounced in Anaheim....then we returned to suckville.

Its a mix of both. The Talent is what the players already have and the psyhological is the part where the players and the team genuinly believes that they are better than their opponents. All the players on the Angels with the exceptions of Torii Hunter and Mark Texiera, whether they admit it or not, are intimidated by the Red Sox. Its dumb really. It reminds me of the Celtics dominance of the Lakers in the 60s....no reason for it at all but the players let it get to them even if they say they dont.

Thank you for admitting that the Rays did well. The Rays remind me of the 2002 Angels. NO ONE ON THAT TEAM IS A MEGASTAR. They beat the White Sox in 4. Remember in 2002 the Yankees were the shit (in a good way) and now the Red Sox are the shit (again in a good way). Its 0-0 until it begins.

But at the moment The Red Sox have beaten the Angels again (sigh)...o well one of these days.

my question to you...(u have to answer this) what would u do if u were Angels owner? Fire anyone?