2009 Regular Season Discussion Thread

Kinda32 · 07-05-2009 9:13pm

I wish that i could believe him because he is one of only a few HOF type hitters (along with Griffey) that i believed did things the right way..

But who knows now?? Since this all started with the drugs, all bets are off so to speak. Its impossible to tell anymore and anyone seems possible (Ortiz is looking mighty suss in my book to be honest). Where does it stop now?? Who is next in this messy drugs scene. As far as the story goes, it has been claimed that there was no steriods or HGH involved, but if it was just a routine perscription why not check to make sure. Thats what he has a team around him for (by team i mean agent etc). MLB are strict in their guidelines about checking out any prescriptions etc, but i guess Manny was never one to follow rules!!

The biggest shame with all this is that no clean guy can ever escape the wonderings.. Guys like griffey (who in fairness i totally have faith in him putting up numbers legit, he seems to have aged naturally with injuries etc) will have their characters questioned from here on in.

zuutroy · 07-05-2009 9:16pm

Anyhow, I hope the Bluejays can keep this going. It's kind of strange. After 10 years of following a mediocre team they're finally giving it a run (albeit early

) That knock on the head did Aaron Hill some good. MVP MVP! The pitching has been fantastic considering it's been Doc and 4 also rans for the year so far. Looks like Zac Greinke is gonna be this years breakout performance to give him a run for the Cy Young. Will be interesting what they choose to do when Romero, Litsch and Janssen are all back in the mix. Hopefully a lot of late nights in September and October

Baseball appears to be capturing the imagination of the city a bit again. When I was walking back from the game on Sunday, 4 different people asked me the score. I think they're sick of the underachieving hockey team.

Kinda32 · 07-05-2009 9:47pm

To be honest the Blue Jays have been a breath of fresh air.. If they can keep the attention away from themselves and keep it on the other big 3 in the east (who seem to be taking games off each other regularly) then they could be darkhorses.. Still early as you say..

Interesting to see if anyone in the NL west can pick up a few on the dodgers in Mannys absence. I'd be surprised if they did, only the Giants and Diamondbacks (Upton starting to fulfill his promise) seem to have much about them

Mad_Max · 07-05-2009 10:40pm

to be honest the whole doctor.. i didnt know.. yadda yadda has been played too many times especially right after Michell.

If that is what happened he needs to get the doctor in question to confirm it, show the prescription etc.

Him saying he has passed so many drug tests means nothing to me, theres no test for HGH so all they mean is he hasnt been caught using a steroid.

I've always wondered how ortiz hasn't been questioned. His body is breaking down a lot quicker than age would suggest imo.

For the sake of the game players like pujols better be squeaky clean.

Kinda32 · 08-05-2009 2:58pm

Mad_Max wrote: »

I've always wondered how ortiz hasn't been questioned. His body is breaking down a lot quicker than age would suggest imo.

For the sake of the game players like pujols better be squeaky clean.

+1 on all of this..

Ortiz (Red Sox fan speaking here) has to be looked at in a similar light to Eric Gagne (Journeyman starter becomes fireball closer who is unhittable then retreats to former self) imo.. 2003-2006 (before testing) he turns into this monster masher.. Serious decline in the next couple of years. He looks like a sorry state at the minute trying to catch upto a fastball. Tim Wakefield would probably blow a 70 mph fastball by him!!

In saying that, i find it incredible that Manny would go to these lenghts. No one will ever question that the guy is one of the best right handed hitters ever seen. All the talent (his swing and hand eye co-ordination are amazing)
that he has, he shouldn't need to take anything. I cant compare him to a Bonds cause Manny was never a 50 HR guy, so you wonder when it all started.. Personally, i think he looked to be in decline in the last couple of years (his ave, HR totals, obp %, slg % all declining.. Then in his contract year he goes into overdrive in LA.. Not saying for a minute that this is when he started taking stuff but you wonder if he began to see himself as being in decline and couldnt handle becoming the average joe baseball player.. Absolute shame though because the guy is/was always a joy to watch in the batters box..

Puyols hopefully is clean, but as i said earlier it seems that everyone is going to be tainted now.. If manny has taken stuff then i could conceive anyone would cause along with Pedro, they were 2 guys i figured were at the very top of the clean list.. Just goes to show!!

zuutroy · 08-05-2009 3:27pm

It's really bizarre that Ortiz hasn't hit one out yet, nor has Bobby Abreu. I was just looking at Manny's career stats there, I don think you can say he was in decline. He had a 'reasonable' year in '07 where his OPS was only .900! Then for last year it was back over 1.000 again, though there is a marked improvement after he moved to LA but it has more to with being happier there than biological boost imo.
In any case, I think the era of the home run is waning a bit, as evidenced by Pedroia winning the MVP. How much of it is due to the absence of drugs and how much to improved pitching is a question mark!

Kinda32 · 08-05-2009 4:45pm

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirma02.shtml

He was def in somewhat of a slow decline. Look at his Boston stats for 07 & 08.. They are both well below his career averages.. I'll grant you he was unhappy at times (although there were times that he said he loved being in Boston and wanted to retire there!!). From watching the sox alot in the last 7 or 8 years, i had noticed that he wasn't the same player that he had been. (for example high fastballs were getting by him at an increasing alarming rate (not to the extreme that is happening to Ortiz) and hitters were challenging him alot more often)

I'm not saying that he only started when he left or anything like that, just throwing some thoughts i had on it.. The numbers would seem to suggest something similar though..

Mad_Max · 08-05-2009 10:38pm

He says and obviously has passed a bucket load of tests over the last few years which begs the question, was he beating them or did he just start using?

As kinda just mentioned, contract year in LA he heats up. I think this is clean. In my opinion what happened was, early spring training and he gets the hamstring injury... we all know he's playing this year like another contract year so he can opt out, and get the big deal he wants. I think he seen the injury as a hindrance to that and chanced it. I'm no scientist so don't know what the drug does but that's the only reason I can think why he'd do it.

On the other-hand if he was beating the tests these years you'd have to wonder how and who else might be the same??

I think there's only one or two players left that would truly stun me if they were dirty.. Jeter and griffey. If either of them aren't clean then as far as i'd be concerned nobody would be.

zuutroy · 09-05-2009 1:10am

A-Rod hits one out first pitch of the year....mad.

Mad_Max · 09-05-2009 1:19am

zuutroy wrote: »

A-Rod hits one out first pitch of the year....mad.

Gotta be a juicer!!!

Oh wait...

zuutroy · 09-05-2009 1:32am

Michael Kay just said the Jays aren't the real deal. And I used to like him

Mad_Max · 09-05-2009 1:42am

zuutroy wrote: »

Michael Kay just said the Jays aren't the real deal. And I used to like him

Whats a jays fan doing watching YES??

:p

I do like his home run calls though, pity every one seems to be against us at the minute

zuutroy · 09-05-2009 1:49am

Mad_Max wrote: »

Whats a jays fan doing watching YES?? :p

I do like his home run calls though, pity every one seems to be against us at the minute

They're out west tonight so nothing to do atm!

zuutroy · 09-05-2009 11:45pm

eewww sticky end there..6-1 up the 9th and it gets to 6-4 with the bases loaded....but Downs got out of it.

Neil3030 · 11-05-2009 1:24am

Holy s***, Dodgers - Giants gone to a 12th inning, will Vin Scully live long enough to see this game out??

juvenal · 11-05-2009 4:42am

Great save by Papelbon tonight against the Rays. Two base runners and no outs in top 9, and then he strikes out the next three batters to get the save.

Red Sox 4 Rays 3.

zuutroy · 11-05-2009 9:47pm

Ken Harrelson made to look an idiot again. Goes crazy after Jenks gets warned for throwing inside about how there's no way it could be intentional. Jenks later admits intent. Harrelson is SUCH a moron

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090511&content_id=4674962&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Mad_Max · 11-05-2009 10:02pm

Kinsler can just count himself lucky it was around his ass!!

Anyone see joba after the game yesterday when asked about huff's homer celebrations... basically said it didn't bother him but he had to play him again. naughty boy!

Youk and huff in the joba bad books.

zuutroy · 11-05-2009 10:11pm

just watched it now and the interview with Joba afterwards. "This won't be the last time I face him". Watch yer ribs Aubrey!

Mad_Max · 11-05-2009 10:48pm

Seriously looking forward to game on wednesday.

Yanks lack of hitting defo wont be helped by the doc and what burnett will show??!? We need to keep that jays lineup away from our pen. The earlier they get into our pen the more we'll get beat by

Will be shattered in work on thursday anyway!

zuutroy · 11-05-2009 10:59pm

Mad_Max wrote: »

Seriously looking forward to game on wednesday.

Yanks lack of hitting defo wont be helped by the doc and what burnett will show??!? We need to keep that jays lineup away from our pen. The earlier they get into our pen the more we'll get beat by

Will be shattered in work on thursday anyway!

Yeah this will be the highlight of the season to date. Sensei vs. student! I really dunno what to expect from Burnett either. Like I can see him crumbling and leaving after 2 ip with 7 er or taking a no hitter into the 7th. Definitely an opportunity for Doc to put a stamp of authority on the season and remind everyone why he's numero uno (imo of course

)
Why the hell did I have to be there for the O's series and miss this

Mad_Max · 12-05-2009 10:07am

zuutroy wrote: »

Definitely an opportunity for Doc to put a stamp of authority on the season and remind everyone why he's numero uno (imo of course )

Dont think many can argue with that. Greinke may be the cheese at the minute but he's got some way to match the consistancy of doc for me.

zuutroy · 13-05-2009 12:14am

Nice first inning for Doc (though Damon was safe imo) Hopefully can stay up for 4 innings. Great atmosphere!

Mad_Max · 13-05-2009 12:24am

zuutroy wrote: »

Nice first inning for Doc (though Damon was safe imo) Hopefully can stay up for 4 innings. Great atmosphere!

Could make 9 at the rate doc's gettin em out so far

Damon was defo safe. YES showed the back angle but sure no way the ump could tell.

zuutroy · 13-05-2009 12:39am

Wow the curve to strike out Cash was wicked....

Neil3030 · 13-05-2009 3:09am

What a game by Doc, absolutely sensational display. Toronto have themselves the best pitcher in baseball imo.

P.S. anyone else find it amusing that Doc was constantly referred to as Burnett's former mentor in the run up to this game, despite the fact that Burnett is actually older?? Lol.:D

zuutroy · 13-05-2009 2:19pm

Masterful indeed. Pretty strange that Burnett pitched very well and still gave up 5 earned runs.

zuutroy · 15-05-2009 12:42am

Crazy game in Anaheim. Red Sox leave them loaded with one out in top of the 12th. I think they've left 17 on base today! Not hopeful for Jays prospects tonight. Tallet looks wild and Sabathia looks on. Ah well.

Mad_Max · 15-05-2009 9:49am

zuutroy wrote: »

Crazy game in Anaheim. Red Sox leave them loaded with one out in top of the 12th. I think they've left 17 on base today! Not hopeful for Jays prospects tonight. Tallet looks wild and Sabathia looks on. Ah well.

12 of which belong to the giant 0'fer Big Papi.

Stayed up for all the yanks game.....damn im tired now. Tallet didn't do too bad actually. Wasn't even a bad pitch that matsui hit out off carlson.

dramabob · 15-05-2009 10:18am

Gotta be happy with the Mets performance last night, even though I missed it (stupid west coast games) - a day after a soul-crushing 12 inning defeat at the hands of the hated Braves (screw you Chipper), they take a 6 hour flight, and then steal 7 bases and score 3 runs in the 9th against SF.

Happy days!

2009 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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