MLB - 2010 Spring Training!

[snoopy369]

I love Beckham, and he should be in the discussion, but he doesn't get the award unless he leads the Sox to a pennant. Which will basically require winning out. Which isn't impossible, but is in the realm of 'yeah, probably not'...

He had a great mid season, but his terrible start (1 for 25 or something?) combined with a bit of a slumping in August has taken him out of the award, I think.

[-Jrabbit]

Detroit is weak enough that it remains a possibility.
But they've definitely turned out the lights on the north side of town...

How 'bout them Bears!!

[snoopy369]

Has little to do with Detroit. They could go 0-21 and we'd still need to win more than we're winning now [and don't forget, Minny's ahead of us by a couple of games also].

[Imran Siddiqui]

Beckham is definitely in the discussion (most of the buzz has been on him lately), but for my money, I'd vote for Niemann.

And CoolStandings gives the White Sox a 3.3% chance of making the playoffs:

http://www.coolstandings.com/baseball_standings.asp?i=1

[Imran Siddiqui]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290902122

In Brad Penny's first start away from Boston, he goes 8 innings, gives up 5 hits and 0 runs. Over the Philadelphia Phillies.

[snoopy369]

Over - Rated - Over - Rated ...

[Guynemer]

Only around 30 games to go, and now only one division race is closer than 5 games (AL West, at 3.5)... only two divisions are marginal at that 5 game mark, AL Central and NL West. The other three divisions are runaways.

This might be the most boring September in recent memory.


EDIT: I should note, however, that things could get awful interesting for Detroit. 13 of their last 16 games (and all of their last 10) are against the Twins and the White Sox. Luckily, the last seven games are at home, where the Tigers have been phenomenal, only a game off the best home record in the Bigs.

[-Jrabbit]

If the Tigers were any good, they would have an easy double-digit lead. Fortunately for them, their competition sucks.

BTW, do the white flag moves of 8 /31 mean Peavy won't pitch in September? That's my guess...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Only around 30 games to go, and now only one division race is closer than 5 games (AL West, at 3.5)... only two divisions are marginal at that 5 game mark, AL Central and NL West. The other three divisions are runaways.

This might be the most boring September in recent memory.

Well the Wild Cards have a chance to be interesting.

In the AL, Texas is 3 behind the Boston right now and in the NL, San Francisco is only a game behind Colorado (with Atlanta and Florida 4 back of the Rockies)

[Imran Siddiqui]

I wonder why Sloww isn't chattering more about Texas, especially consider they are doing so well?

Could it be that the only players he knows are Kinsler and Cruz? Of course their real success has been their pitching ( - no really!). Millwood and Feldman have been excellent all year, and Hunter and Nippett have been excellent since they've joined the big club. The bullpen has been outstanding with O'Day, Wilson, and Francisco closing down games and Feliz is doing his best Joba bullpen imitation.

And now only 2 behind Boston for the Wild Card and 3.5 back of LA Angels for the AL West.

[SlowwHand]

I already said it. Do you want me to go on and on and on? No. That would make me like the majority, and I'm definitely not the majority.
I have to say, Michael Young's injury is a concern...for this year. We were looking at next year. I said that already, though. This year is a bonus. I said that, too.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You are aware that baseball has like 162 games and therefore every day (aside from the All Star Break) is a potential change in position, right?

Besides, I don't think you've said anything about the pitching, which is driving the club, while the hitting is merely average as a whole (101 team OPS+).


Oh, and in baseball you always celebrate the current situation, because while you may have been planning for next year (or beyond), sometimes the year before ends up being better than the year you were expected to be contending (ask the Rays, who aren't playing bad this year, but not nearly as good as last year).

[SlowwHand]

**** off again, Imran. Yes, I know baseball has 162 games in a ****ing season.
Go bother someone else.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I wonder if you even knew some of the pitchers before I mentioned them

[Arrian]

I think it's more accurate to say that the Rangers run prevention is what's driving their season, as that includes the massive defensive upgrade. Their pitching is better, but it's mostly because they're catching the ball.

-Arrian