MLB - 2008 Season

[Arrian]

Well, anything withing 3 feet of his head spooks him. I remember a year or two ago someone threw a pitch that was within an inch of being a strike (middle of the plate, up) and he just about charged the mound. I think it was Proctor and Manny figured Proctor was getting fiesty b/c of Manny's ownership of everyday Scottie.

Anyway, a fastball behind the head ain't cool, and it was Farnsworthless, so I'm fairly certain he meant it. It's not like it was a curveball with no bite. Meh. Now there will be shenanigans in the next series.

-Arrian

[Deity Dude]

OK they haven't won the World Series and are still tied for the worst record in Baseball but, is there anybody who thinks the Tigers aren't gonna make the playoffs. And once they do, is there anyone who thinks they aren't better on any given day than any team they play.

All I've heard about is how there has never been an 0-4 team that did blah blah blah and there hasn't EVER been an 2-10 team that did blah blah blah.

Well, now they are 6-11 and being the diehard Detroiter that I am, and being the perfect judge of baseball that I am , and having watched every pitch of every Tiger game, I will officially predict that the Tigers will be the first team to go 0-7 (actually I've heard no team has ever gone 0-4) and win a World Series.

This might sound racist as hell (but it is no more racist than saying blacks are better basketball players than whites) but as the weather warms up this Tiger team is gonna explode. The all-Latino infield and Ordenez prefer warm weather - they say it themselves. Cabrera just decided to get about 10 RBI's in the last 3 days and still not look particularily good. Polanco is batting about .200 behind what he did last year. Last year's batting champ and 2nd in RBI's is still doing only average. Verlander has been very unimpressive. Zumaya and Rodney havn't thrown a pitch. Granderson hasn't swung that bat once and they are still only 1 game behind Cleveland.

I challenge anybody to tell me who has a better chance of winning the whole thing than the Tigers.

GO PISTONS - GO WINGS - GO TIGERS

as for the Lions

[Imran Siddiqui]

WHEW!

A scare in the 8th inning (thanks Fox bonus coverage), but the Mets end up winning and have taken 2 straight from the Phils in this series. Perez is looking really good so far this year, picking up from last year .

[-Jrabbit]

Originally posted by Deity Dude
OK they haven't won the World Series and are still tied for the worst record in Baseball but, is there anybody who thinks the Tigers aren't gonna make the playoffs. And once they do, is there anyone who thinks they aren't better on any given day than any team they play.

All I've heard about is how there has never been an 0-4 team that did blah blah blah and there hasn't EVER been an 2-10 team that did blah blah blah.

Well, now they are 6-11 and being the diehard Detroiter that I am, and being the perfect judge of baseball that I am , and having watched every pitch of every Tiger game, I will officially predict that the Tigers will be the first team to go 0-7 (actually I've heard no team has ever gone 0-4) and win a World Series.

I challenge anybody to tell me who has a better chance of winning the whole thing than the Tigers.

Yeah, it's an impressive lineup, but the pitching looks suspect. The games are not played on paper, DD. They may make the playoffs, but even that is no slam-dunk. I say: as currently configured, the Tigers will not win the World Series.

[OzzyKP]

Well we'll see. I'm not the type to make bold predictions or worry that the sky is falling. There is a lot of baseball yet to play, and the Indians have been struggling so far too. Detroit is definitely still in it. I don't have much of an idea why we've been off to such a slow start, it is certainly disappointing, but there is a lot left.

So... we'll see.

Either way, having a team worth watching, having a team with expectations, having a team that has a chance to go the playoffs and the world series, well... that's alright by me.

[-Jrabbit]

6-13. In other news...

Jays release slumping Big Hurt day after DH's outburst

April 20, 2008 - CBSSports.com wire reports

TORONTO -- Slumping designated hitter Frank Thomas was released Sunday by the Toronto Blue Jays, who cut the 19-year veteran one day after he became angry for being taken out of the lineup.

General manager J.P. Ricciardi said he and Thomas came to "a mutual agreement" after meeting in the clubhouse early Sunday.

"Our best opportunity is to put other guys in the lineup at this point," Ricciardi said. "Obviously, reduced playing time is not something that he was interested in. In order to let him go forward and get on with his career, I think it's fair to do it at this point."

The move leaves the Blue Jays on the hook for the remainder of the two-year, $18 million contract the 39-year-old Thomas signed in November 2006.

Thomas was hitless in his past 13 at-bats and had gone 4-for-35 since homering in three straight games April 5-8. Known as a slow starter, he batted .167 with three homers and 11 RBI for Toronto this year.

Last season, Thomas batted .277, leading the team with 26 home runs and 95 RBI.

"I don't know that we have the luxury of waiting two to three months for somebody to kick in because we can't let this league or this division get away from us," Ricciardi said.

Ricciardi said the Blue Jays offered Thomas "a lesser role playing two or three times a week," but weren't surprised the veteran slugger chose not to accept.

"Out of respect for his career, it's not fair to him to sit around and become a part-time player," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I know he wasn't going to be happy with that and you can definitely understand."

Full Story

Who needs a DH?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, there were financial considerations. Something about hitting a certain mark and then getting an automatic option year or something.

Besides, it's Toronto. They aren't doing anything.

And they can just plug in Matt Stairs (who, amazingly enough, actually has had a decent career, with a career 120 OPS+).

[Guynemer]

As currently configured, the Tigers will NOT make the playoffs, DD. We are in desperate need of pitching. Even when (or perhaps even if) the bats wake up, they are gonna have a helluva time holding on to leads.

[-Jrabbit]

First rumored destination for Frank Thomas: Oakland

[Imran Siddiqui]

Verlander is sucking something fierce .

Rogers and Robertson (and Willis before injury)1 are sucking too... Bonderman is the only one who is decent.

The only pitchers who are doing good are in the bullpen really.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
First rumored destination for Frank Thomas: Oakland

On Sportscenter they brought up Seattle.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

The only pitchers who are doing good are in the bullpen really.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I know, it's shocking!!

Outside of Lopez, Bautista, and Jones... the rest of the staff is crap.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Frank Thomas is on SportsCenter now and what a classy guy! He is saying there is no bitterness and he understand the problems with the option and how the Blue Jays want to bring some youth up and how he may be interferring with that. He said he understood the business of baseball and refused to say the Jays made a mistake.

I gots all sorts of more respect for the guy.

[-Jrabbit]

Frank Thomas got burned by the media in Chicago early in his career (albeit when he said a few stupid things), and it made him very gunshy, which led to him being labeled as taciturn. He has really turned that image around the past several years. Which is great, because he's actually pretty thoughtful, quite intelligent, and has a great sense of humor.

I was saddened by how things ended for Frank in Chicago, and want to see continued success for him wherever he lands.