MLB - 2007 Season

[SlowwHand]

Rangers will come around. I think they have the best infield in baseball.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Maris didn't take steroids. Debate all you guys want on the rest.

You missed the point . No one is saying Maris took steroids. Though, amphetamines, on the other hand...

Though, basically, the point being it is hard to prove steroid use based solely on numbers spiking for the vast majority of players out there.

I think they have the best infield in baseball.

Unfortunately the Outfield is a mess (Wilkerson, Lofton, Cruz aren't scaring anyone) and the Starting Pitching, outside of Robinson Tejada, has been horrid this season

[SlowwHand]

The Ranger pitching has been horrid? Is this your idea of a revelation? A difference in the norm? Something one shouldn't expect?

[Imran Siddiqui]

No, it's a counter-point to the statement:

Rangers will come around.

[Arrian]

Come on, Toronto!

Anyway...

The Rangers infield is good (particularly Tex-Kinsler-Young), sure. Unfortunately, as Imran noted, there are holes elsewhere. Robinson Tejeda may be hurt, btw. I read an article that quoted him as saying his shoulder and elbow have been bothering him for some time, and he pitched last night anyway. One could look at the results and conclude he's hurt.

Nice to see Moose turn in a solid start and the 'pen pitch respectably. Then again (no offense, Sloww), the Rangers aren't exactly firing on all cyclinders.

-Arrian

[MichaeltheGreat]

Both games were about like watching a freight train vs. a dead cat.

Speaking of, it looks like the Brewskis will actually play a few real teams for the rest of the month. Wonder how much of their record will still hold up by the end of May?

[Arrian]

The Brewers are actually supposed to be decent this year. That record might not be a mirage. I mean, they're not gonna play .700 ball, but they could be a contender.

-Arrian

[MichaeltheGreat]

Color me cynical, but look at this schedule so far:

Dodgers (20-14, .588) 2-1 home
Cubs (16-15, .516, 8-2 in last 10) 3-3, 1-2 home, 2-1 road
Marlins (15-18, .455) 2-1 road
Cardinals (14-18, .438) 4-1, 3-0 home, 1-1 road
Reds (14-20, .412) 1-1 road
Pirates (14-18, .438) 5-1 home
Astros (16-17, .485) 4-2, 2-1 home, 2-1 road
Nats (9-25, .265) 3-0 home

21 home, 13 road games, against only two teams above .500 (and the Cubbies only a game above after going 8-2 in their last ten, which included 5 against the Pirates and 3 against the Nats - the Cubbies were 8-13 after their second series with the Brewers).

Even if you give the Cubbies their post-Brewers romp against the weakest teams, the combined records of the Brewers opponents thus far is 118-145, .449

That's the easiest schedule by far of any team in the majors to this point, so color me a bit unimpressed. Let's see how they take their act on the road against real teams, and how they fare in interleague place against the AL central, then we'll decide how good they are. Definitely suck a lot less than the last ten years, but there's a lot of room between that and being a good team, even by NL standards.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Milwaukee was supposed to be a sleeper team this year. They may indeed be this year's Tigers. Though they do run into some better teams soon. Albeit, they DO play in the NL Central, which is a pretty crappy division... meaning their path to the playoffs ain't too bad comparatively .

They have some nice young hitters (Fielder and Hardy). Jenkins is looking on pace for a career year (may slow down later on in the season). Estrada is playing well and showing the form he did in his first full season in Atlanta.

The pitching has been overall good, especially from Capuano, Vargas, and the bullpen. Since getting Cordero and moving Turnbow into setup, they've been really nice at the end. Capuano and Vargas may slow down, but that'll be offset by Sheets and Bush actually pitching well (Bush especially).

[MichaeltheGreat]

It'd be interesting to crunch their record on a strength of schedule basis against everyone else, and see how it stacks up.

It certainly won't be tough for them to make the playoffs with the NL central, which would be great for the fans, but still, let's see how they stack up against the real teams.

[Arrian]

No argument there.

The Yanks went out and played like a little league team today and got their asses handed to them. I didn't see it (thank goodness), but apparently they misplayed all sorts of stuff. So Wang's outing, which was decent, ends up looking awful. Then the bullpen came in and threw gasoline on the fire.

Not that it mattered, because the offense was totally inept today. 2 runs ain't gonna do it.

Oh well, Texas was gonna win one sometime.

-Arrian

[SlowwHand]

Teixeira had 3 doubles in 4 hits. Yes, Yankees got their asses handed to them.
Someday maybe there will be a salary cap.

[OzzyKP]

Tigers back atop the AL Central.

But facing Twins next

Except Detroit is 9-1 for their last 10, and Minnie is 3-7. As good a time as any to face them.

[Arrian]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Teixeira had 3 doubles in 4 hits. Yes, Yankees got their asses handed to them.
Someday maybe there will be a salary cap.

Someday there probably will be. And the Rangers will still suck.

-Arrian

[MichaeltheGreat]

Never mind him, Sloww -

He's just hurting that even after going 7-3 in the last ten against patsy teams, with the last seven at home, his team still lost ground.

4-3 on the homestand, while the Sox go 5-1 on the road. Better start hoping for a miracle, or an epic collapse by the Sox.