MLB: Opening Day!

[Ned]

Imran, I agree with you about the Orioles. They are tough this year. I would be surprised if they don't win the AL East. They also should be the favorites, or one of the favorites for the World Series.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The problem is, Ned, is that the White Sox don't have any big time stars on offense. Frank Thomas is a shade of what he once was.

Texas, while talented offensively with Blalock, Teixiara, Delluci, etc, are still thought of as the team with crappy pitching, who traded away A-Rod (who is the 2nd best player in the majors this year behind Derrick Lee).

Minnesota is still Minnesota. Few people pay attention to them and they also have few stars, but people know Santana and Radke.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

no, theo was right in not keeping pedro - pedro can no longer pitch in the AL.

[Shi Huangdi]

I think the O's have shown they are for real doing well against some very good teams. They split a series against the White Sox in Chicago, which isn't something you'd expect for a poor team. They just need play more consistently, start taking better advantage of Home Field and start sweeping the bad teams we should be sweeping.

The O's.

Your from VA right? That would make Baltimore the closest team for you growing up, meaning you should be an O's fan. Or at least a Nationals fan. Does the state of VA have a traitor here

The Orioles are still in first in the AL East, and Nationals are still above .500. I dont have the baseball attention span to follow TWO teams, and i'm conflicted.

Ya, I'm pretty conflicted too. The O's were the team I followed growing up, where I went to baseball games as a kid, the team of Cal Ripken Jr, the team that got ripped off by Jeffrey Maier in Yankee stadium. On the other hand, Washington D.C. is alot closer to me then Baltimore, so the Nats kind of are the hometown team now..

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
no, theo was right in not keeping pedro - pedro can no longer pitch in the AL.

Oh, that's good.

An "off year" in which he was 16-9, 227 strikeouts and opposing batting average was .238?

Yeah, that's all washed up.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
Your from VA right? That would make Baltimore the closest team for you growing up, meaning you should be an O's fan. Or at least a Nationals fan. Does the state of VA have a traitor here

I moved a lot as a kid, but the Yankee-haters were always my favorite team.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
no, theo was right in not keeping pedro - pedro can no longer pitch in the AL.

What brings you to that conclusion? His year so far in the NL shows he can still bring it (he's a definate Cy Young contender). Why would the different league matter so much?

That would make Baltimore the closest team for you growing up, meaning you should be an O's fan. Or at least a Nationals fan. Does the state of VA have a traitor here

But maybe he's a true baseball fan, meaning he supports the National League .

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Oh, that's good.

An "off year" in which he was 16-9, 227 strikeouts and opposing batting average was .238?

Yeah, that's all washed up.

yeah, thats all washed up for $54 million over 4 years. (or is it five?) with an ERA of 3.90

What brings you to that conclusion? His year so far in the NL shows he can still bring it (he's a definate Cy Young contender). Why would the different league matter so much?

you know why. youve got the number 9 hitter in the NL (the pitcher) who is an easy strikeout, and the number 8 hitter who has no protection behind him. so youve got two less batters in other words then in the AL. that means you throw less pitches, its easier to get out of jams

[Imran Siddiqui]

youve got the number 9 hitter in the NL (the pitcher) who is an easy strikeout, and the number 8 hitter who has no protection behind him. so youve got two less batters in other words then in the AL. that means you throw less pitches, its easier to get out of jams

So? You just compare the pitcher to the league statistics. You use ERA+ instead of ERA. That accounts for the difference. And Pedro's ERA+ is phenomenal. Remember Schilling went from the NL to the AL and did nothing but pitch lights out. Unless you think Schilling sucks for the BoSox?

As for the #8 hitter having no protection so that's like 2 less hitters than the AL, what a bunch of bull. So you think players like Manny Ramirez would be crap withoug protection behind him? Please. That is such an overrated factor. Soriano went from having great 'protection' in the leadoff role to having less protection in being the #5 hitter and he's thrived in the change.

The Mets got themselves a great pitcher and the Red Sox have to be totally rethinking not offering Pedro that 4th year.

[Shi Huangdi]

"
The Mets got themselves a great pitcher and the Red Sox have to be totally rethinking not offering Pedro that 4th year."

Yeah, well, they're still going to finish behind the Nats

[DerSchwarzfalke]

Soriano is not exactly thriving down in Texas, even being in a hitters park. Take a look at his numbers; they have all been declining since 2002.

EDIT: I also want to add that Texas's pitching quality, especially in the bullpen where it counts, has been improving at a pace just behind the rest of the team. Chalk that up to pitching coach Orel Hershiser. I have argued persistently that a good pitching coach is always the key to a good team; just witness the turn around in Baltimore. Their team ERA is down a full point since their new pitching coach (name escapes me) was hired mid-last year. Back to Texas, Kenny Rogers is pitching a Cy Young caliber season to date and with Vlad Guerrero hurt and Oakland and Seattle being typically mediocre, Texas has a legitimate chance to win the AL West this season.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Soriano is not exactly thriving down in Texas, even being in a hitters park. Take a look at his numbers; they have all been declining since 2002.

Have you seen his number this year? If he continues on this pace, his OPS will be the 3rd best season in his career, just barely off his 2003 season.

And last year his OPS was .808. Not exactly horrible and not too far off his career (.824).

One of the problems is that Showwalter doesn't like to run that much, so his SB numbers are lower than they could be (30-40 SBs a year).

He's still probably the best 2B in the league.

Yeah, well, they're still going to finish behind the Nats

Nats will fade. Hell, the Nats are overachieving now, and they are only 1/2 game ahead of the Mets.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

So? You just compare the pitcher to the league statistics. You use ERA+ instead of ERA. That accounts for the difference. And Pedro's ERA+ is phenomenal. Remember Schilling went from the NL to the AL and did nothing but pitch lights out. Unless you think Schilling sucks for the BoSox?

yeah, his ERA+ last year was 125, the fourth lowest in his career (and not by much, was nearly his worse year) his ERA+ in 2003 was 212. and for schilling, if by "lights out" you mean that his ERA+ went down from 2003 to 2004, then I would agree with you.

As for the #8 hitter having no protection so that's like 2 less hitters than the AL, what a bunch of bull. So you think players like Manny Ramirez would be crap withoug protection behind him? Please. That is such an overrated factor. Soriano went from having great 'protection' in the leadoff role to having less protection in being the #5 hitter and he's thrived in the change.

yeah? you ever seen manny ramirez hit 8th before? no? thats what I thought, because you never have good hitters in the 8th hole. nice try tho. and please, the #5 hitter has lots of protection too, because very often the #3 or #4 or both hitters got on, and now the pticher needs to strike out the #5 hitter, so he gets more fastballs.

The Mets got themselves a great pitcher and the Red Sox have to be totally rethinking not offering Pedro that 4th year.

yeah they got a great pitcher, but hes only good in the NL for one, and for two, come back in three years and tell me how good pedro is doing on his 4th year.

[Imran Siddiqui]

yeah, his ERA+ last year was 125, the fourth lowest in his career (and not by much, was nearly his worse year) his ERA+ in 2003 was 212. and for schilling, if by "lights out" you mean that his ERA+ went down from 2003 to 2004, then I would agree with you.

Schilling's ERA+ in 2004 was higher than his ERA+ in 2002 and a shade under his ERA+ in 2001 when he won the World Series with Arizona. Yeah, I'd consider 150 ERA+ to be lights out for a starter. I mean it was the only the THIRD best season of his future Hall of Fame Career.

As for Pedro, you've proven what MtG said, he had an off year. The year before he had a 200+ ERA+.

Red Sox never learned. They thought Roger Clemens was over the hill when they got rid of him. That didn't work out so well, did it (and before you complain, Clemens' last year as a Red Sox he had a 142 ERA+, which was better than his 2001 Cy Young Award winning year)?

yeah? you ever seen manny ramirez hit 8th before? no? thats what I thought, because you never have good hitters in the 8th hole. nice try tho. and please, the #5 hitter has lots of protection too, because very often the #3 or #4 or both hitters got on, and now the pticher needs to strike out the #5 hitter, so he gets more fastballs

What, so you think Ramirez would suck if he did bat 8th because he lacks his protection? I don't see how not have a pitcher hit means that the 8th hitter is that much better in the AL than the NL. You have to have good hitters in the 8 spot in the NL as well. It's a falsehood that has no merit. #9 spots in the AL aren't that impressive as you seem to believe. Cano for the Yanks, Bellhorn for the BoSox, Rod Barajas for the Rangers... these are your #9 hitters. Sure they hit better than pitchers, but not by a whole Hell of a lot. They SURE don't offer any protection.

Btw, protection is only for hitters BEHIND the hitter. If someone important is up behind you, the pitcher may focus on that hitter and throw you some easy pitches, so the theory goes. You don't get protection from those in front of you . If a player gets on in front of you, the pitcher is more careful with you, not throwing you fat fastballs down the middle of the plate!

yeah they got a great pitcher, but hes only good in the NL for one, and for two, come back in three years and tell me how good pedro is doing on his 4th year.

Tell me how good Clemens was in his 4th year after he was deemed 'washed up' by the Red Sox.

Pedro'll be fine in his 4th year and make the Sox wonder what in the Hell they were thinking.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

They thought Roger Clemens was over the hill when they got rid of him. That didn't work out so well, did it (and before you complain, Clemens' last year as a Red Sox he had a 142 ERA+, which was better than his 2001 Cy Young Award winning year)?

yeah, that was the second thing i checked up. not only that, he led the league in ERA+ that year

What, so you think Ramirez would suck if he did bat 8th because he lacks his protection? I don't see how not have a pitcher hit means that the 8th hitter is that much better in the AL than the NL. You have to have good hitters in the 8 spot in the NL as well. It's a falsehood that has no merit. #9 spots in the AL aren't that impressive as you seem to believe. Cano for the Yanks, Bellhorn for the BoSox, Rod Barajas for the Rangers... these are your #9 hitters. Sure they hit better than pitchers, but not by a whole Hell of a lot. They SURE don't offer any protection.

ok, heres how it works. DHs (ya know, the guys who replace pitchers) are batting .253/.335/.415 this year. NL pitchers are batting .132/.136/.164. case in point. they hit ON AVERAGE twice as much as pitchers. Ortiz is batting .296/.383/.563. when 1) you have your weakest position batter hitting #8, and behind him guys who average .132, its easy to see why going through an NL lineup is so much easier.

the #9 guys are batting .032/.032/.032 vs pedro this year. you can sure bet thats why his era is way down.

and you see, in the NL, those #9 AL guys would be batting #8. so in other words, #9 AL = #8 NL - the lack of protection factor, since #9 NL = DH AL