06-25-2014, 06:04 PM | #441 |
History's Greatest, Mr. E
Posts: 42,425
|
Tim Lincecum has a no-no through 8.
|
06-25-2014, 06:23 PM | #442 |
President of Freedonia
Posts: 58,197
|
He's got it.
|
06-25-2014, 06:26 PM | #443 |
Former TPWW Royalty
Posts: 66,592
|
Good for Lunecum.
|
06-25-2014, 07:00 PM | #444 |
TPWW Fire Pro Champ
Posts: 33,995
|
Padres got themselves a legit kryptonite on their hands. The Freak no-hitting them twice within a year is not good.
Watch another Giant get a no-no in a few days. Dodgers and Giants will be going back and forth all season. |
06-25-2014, 07:23 PM | #445 |
wekasauce
Posts: 106,798
|
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my favourite MLB pitcher, good on him.
|
06-27-2014, 07:38 PM | #446 |
TPWW Fire Pro Champ
Posts: 33,995
|
Pirates and Angels swap relivers. Jason Grilli for Ernesto Frieri.
Who turns it around first? |
06-27-2014, 09:34 PM | #447 |
3 Dicks Out For Trips
Posts: 29,685
|
Can someone lift the injury curse that was placed upon the Braves? I would be greatly appreciative.
|
06-28-2014, 12:33 PM | #448 |
President of Freedonia
Posts: 58,197
|
We’re less than a week away from voting closing for the All Star Game, and presumably the player ballot has already been done or will be very soon so the managers can make their picks. I believe next week is when they’ll reveal the initial rosters anyway, so I’ll continue my annual tradition of guessing how the rosters will shake out. Gives me a good excuse to be a stat nerd and look through the league.
Keep in mind this isn’t necessarily who I think SHOULD make the team, but how I think it will play out based on how the voting is conducted. The fans elect the starting lineups, the players elect a backup at each position, 5 starting pitchers, and 3 relievers, and the manager fills out the rest and picks the Final Vote guys. Besides, the rosters are bound to even change beyond this as players drop out due to injury or ineligibility. Anyway, let’s get to it: National League Fan-Elected Starters C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals 1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks 2B: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies 3B: Aramis Ramirez, Milwaukee Brewers OF: Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates OF: Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers I just went with the current leaders from the most recent polling update this week. Goldschmidt, Tulowitzki, and Puig are no-doubters to start at their positions. There are better options to start at C and 2B than Molina and Utley, but both were going to make the team anyway – Molina because he’s Molina and Utley because nobody else from the Phillies deserves it. Todd Frazier has been the best 3B in the NL by far but isn’t even in the top 5 of voting, Ramirez has a slim lead but Milwaukee is on a voting blitzkrieg so I think he’ll make it. That’s why I also think Gomez will hang onto the 3rd OF spot, he and McCutchen are certainly both deserving. I think Giancarlo Stanton should be in the starting lineup but it might work out better that he doesn’t get voted in since can simply DH instead while the better defenders play the field. Player Balloting C: Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers 1B: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs 2B: Dee Gordon, Los Angeles Dodgers SS: Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs 3B: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds OF: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies OF: Michael Morse, San Francisco Giants OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins SP: Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants SP: Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds SP: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers SP: Alfredo Simon, Cincinnati Reds SP: Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals RP: Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves RP: Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers RP: Huston Street, San Diego Padres Stanton is pretty much guaranteed to get elected, and as mentioned above he should probably be the NL’s DH and hopefully be in the Home Run Derby. I think Frazier will get a lot more respect from the players than he got from the fans. Lucroy has been better than Molina this year. Gordon’s blazing speed should win him a ton of votes from the players. Blackmon and Morse have been big surprises this year, way better than anybody could have expected. And how about those Cubs? Normally I’d say a last place team shouldn’t get 2 reps, but I think the circumstances are right for it to happen. Rizzo is having an incredible season, just way too good to pass up. Castro and Hanley Ramirez are having really similar seasons, but Castro has still been better so I’ll say the players give him some love in spite of his team. From the pitching side, Wainwright, Cueto, and Bumgarner would seem to be locks to get voted in straight away. Kershaw missed a good chunk of the season, but with 2 Cy Youngs, a no-hitter, and still being crazy good this year, I would be shocked if he didn’t get the player support. Simon has been a huge surprise this season and I think the players vote him in as he’s at the top of the NL in wins. For the relievers, Kimbrel still has his reputation and insane strikeout rate, K-Rod is having himself a career rejuvenation, and Street hasn’t blown a save yet. Manager Selections C: Evan Gattis, Atlanta Braves 1B: Justin Morneau, Colorado Rockies 2B: Daniel Murphy, New York Mets OF: Justin Upton, Atlanta Braves SP: Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers SP: Tim Hudson, San Francisco Giants SP: Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals SP: Tanner Roark, Washington Nationals RP: Jean Machi, San Francisco Giants Mike Matheny’s first task is to make sure every team has a rep. While David Wright might be the most well-known player on the Mets, Murphy has clearly been their best everyday player so he rightfully gets the nod. The poor first place Nationals don’t have a rep yet either, so breakout pitcher Tanner Roark gets tabbed for a spot. Anthony Rendon would give the Nats another rep, but there are too many hitters having better seasons, which is why Gattis and Morneau get picked. I think Matheny will also want to take another OF especially if Stanton is the DH, and I can’t see him taking Ryan Braun with his controversy, so Justin Upton is in. Two more Giants get in as the highly respected Hudson is picked, as is Machi who has been ridiculous as a set-up guy. Greinke is selected in a tough call over Josh Beckett. One spot left and with so many good starters in the mix, we haven’t gotten a homer pick yet so I think that’ll be the tiebreaker for Lance Lynn. Final Vote Candidates SP: Henderson Alvarez, Miami Marlins SP: Josh Beckett, Los Angeles Dodgers RP: Trevor Rosenthal, St. Louis Cardinals SP: Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs SP: Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves The NL is just loaded with starting pitchers that could have easily been All Stars, enough so that I think Matheny could very easily just load up his Final Vote list with them. I threw Rosenthal in as well as a way of Matheny rewarding one of his guys, would have been Michael Wacha but he just landed on the DL. If Matheny does decide to put position players on his list, I imagine Hanley Ramirez, Freddie Freeman, and Neil Walker will all receive consideration. American League Fan-Elected Starters C: Derek Norris, Oakland Athletics 1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers 2B: Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners SS: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees 3B: Josh Donaldson, Oakland Athletics OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays OF: Melky Cabrera, Toronto Blue Jays DH: Nelson Cruz, Baltimore Orioles Like with the NL, I stuck with the current vote leaders, the one exception being at C. Matt Wieters is somehow still in the lead there despite not playing in 2 months. Still, Norris is gaining on him and will likely be the starter anyway even if Wieters gets elected. That should be 2 starters for the A’s, whose fans have done a great job ensuring Donaldson isn’t snubbed again this year. Miguel Cabrera, Cano, Trout, and Bautista are all winning handily and rightly so. There was no way on God’s green Earth that Jeter wasn’t getting the start in his final season despite his crappy numbers. Not sure why Cruz is on the ballot as a DH since he’s played the field more than he’s DHed, but he’s winning that race which in turn frees up a OF spot for Melky Cabrera to get elected, not sure the players would have put him on the team following his steroid controversy a couple of years ago. Player Balloting C: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals 1B: Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox 2B: Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers SS: Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox 3B: Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers OF: Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians OF: Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics OF: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles DH: Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays SP: Mark Buehrle, Toronto Blue Jays SP: Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers SP: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners SP: Scott Kazmir, Oakland Athletics SP: Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees RP: Dellin Betances, New York Yankees RP: Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals RP: Koji Uehara, Boston Red Sox Much like with Cruz, Encarnacion has played the field way more than DH, but I think the players vote from the same ballot as the fans and he’s listed as a DH there. I can’t see the players not voting for the HR/RBI leader so he’s in as backup DH which frees up the rookie powerhouse Abreu to be named as backup 1B. Jones, Kinsler, and Beltre get in for reputation and they’re all having good seasons. Alexei is having the best year for any AL SS and probably would start if it weren’t Jeter’s final year. I thought about Bryan McCann who always seems to make the All Star Game, but really a guy hitting .220 shouldn’t be there, Perez is much better. Brantley gets respect for his breakout season. Poor Brandon Moss is a victim of also being listed as DH on the ballot, but his loss is his teammate Cespedes’ gain. I’d be stunned if Tanaka, Hernandez, Buehrle, and Darvish aren’t all voted in by the players. Can’t argue with any of them. Kazmir got destroyed in his last start but has still been really good, enough so that I think he gets voted in by the players as well. Holland’s been the best closer in the AL this year and Uehara has picked right up where he left off last year. I’m not sure if a non-closing reliever has ever gotten in via player ballot, but if Betances doesn’t with the kind of year he’s having then I’m pretty sure nobody ever will. Manager Selections 2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros DH: Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers SP: Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox SP: Garrett Richards, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim SP: Phil Hughes, Minnesota Twins SP: Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox RP: Jake McGee, Tampa Bay Rays 3 teams left without a rep. Altuve is the easy choice for the Astros, gives some speed for the bench and he’s easily been their best player. Hughes has had a big bounceback season for the hometown Twins. With only 2 closers on the roster I feel bad snubbing Sean Doolittle and Fernando Rodney, among others. But the Rays do need a rep so I reckon it’ll be McGee. Martinez gets in as the only true DH on the roster because he has been amazing, but that being said I guarantee John Farrell will consider taking David Ortiz as a loyalty pick. I do think he’ll reward Lester with a spot, not unlike Jim Leyland rewarded Justin Verlander last year. Lester hasn’t been bad or anything but there are better options such as Dallas Keuchel, Sonny Gray, and Jesse Chavez. Sale is kinda like Kershaw, missed time but still incredible when he’s on the mound so Farrell gives him the nod. Richards gets the last spot with a breakout campaign and because the Angels deserve a second rep anyway. Final Vote Candidates 2B: Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins OF: Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Yankees OF: Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals OF: Brandon Moss, Oakland Athletics DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox If Farrell doesn’t take Big Papi for the roster, I’d be really surprised if he wasn’t given a chance to be voted in. Dozier gives Minnesota fans a chance to have a second Twin elected for the game at Target Field. Moss, Gordon, and Ellsbury unfortunately get squeezed out in a deep OF pool this year. Most of the pitchers I mentioned earlier (Keuchel, Chavez, Gray, Doolittle, Rodney) should be in play if Farrell wants some arms on his Final Vote list. |
06-29-2014, 09:33 AM | #449 |
Best Poster
Posts: 56,917
|
Jays linked to Chase Headley. I really dont want the Jays dealing prospect Daniel Norris. He's a stud. Im open to seeing Aaron Sanchez moved.
|
06-30-2014, 01:31 AM | #450 |
Posts: 3,755
|
Care to inform us on Norris, Gertie?
|
06-30-2014, 02:45 PM | #451 |
Shelly Martinez = Ratings
Posts: 23,553
|
Radio station here is asking if it's time to move on from Dominic Brown. They've come around!
|
07-01-2014, 09:04 AM | #452 |
wekasauce
Posts: 106,798
|
Rajai Davis awesome walk-off last night. lost my shit
|
07-02-2014, 06:34 AM | #453 |
TPWW Fire Pro Champ
Posts: 33,995
|
And the Yankees are now sitting at .500
|
07-02-2014, 08:34 PM | #454 |
King of Love and Piss
Posts: 62,989
|
Olt Jolt!
|
07-02-2014, 08:51 PM | #455 |
Best Poster
Posts: 56,917
|
Encarsmashion!
|
07-03-2014, 04:01 PM | #456 |
Former TPWW Royalty
Posts: 66,592
|
A's staying in Oakland for at least another 10 years after agreeing to a stadium lease extension with the city.
|
07-03-2014, 09:51 PM | #457 |
TPWW Fire Pro Champ
Posts: 33,995
|
Bad day for Yankees fans. CC Sabathia is on the DL indefinitely for a bad knee, and Solarte got sent down.
|
07-03-2014, 11:16 PM | #458 |
Rigged from the start
Posts: 35,422
|
And tomorrow will be a sad day not only for Yankees fans but for baseball fans everywhere as it will mark 75 years since Lou Gehrig's famous "Luckiest man on the face of the earth" speech.
|
07-03-2014, 11:36 PM | #459 |
Posts: 52,478
|
Orioles sweep the Rangers in 4 and are now tied for first place with the Jays.
Take that back. The O's are in first by .001 percentage points (.541-.540) Woohoo! |
07-04-2014, 12:38 PM | #460 |
President of Freedonia
Posts: 58,197
|
What on earth were the White Sox thinking?
|
07-04-2014, 10:50 PM | #461 |
President of Freedonia
Posts: 58,197
|
Cubs send Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the A's for Addison Russell.
|
07-04-2014, 11:05 PM | #462 |
Best Poster
Posts: 56,917
|
|
07-04-2014, 11:07 PM | #463 |
Posts: 52,478
|
That seems like not a lot for 2 pitchers. I get Russell is a top prospect but still..
|
07-04-2014, 11:27 PM | #464 | |
Former TPWW Royalty
Posts: 66,592
|
A's also sending 3 more players (1 to be named later) and a draft pick.
Quote:
|
|
07-04-2014, 11:36 PM | #465 |
President of Freedonia
Posts: 58,197
|
Russell was pretty much the only nearly-ready position player prospect that the A's had. Better hope they win it all in 2014.
|
07-04-2014, 11:55 PM | #466 |
Posts: 52,478
|
I'm just happy neither Toronto or NY got samardzija.
|
07-05-2014, 12:21 AM | #467 |
Large Marge sent me
Posts: 32,260
|
Saw Russell in the AFL. Looked good defensively but seemed over matched at the plate alot. AFL is a hitters league too but everyone seems to think he's a bad ass.
|
07-05-2014, 02:45 AM | #468 |
Posts: 3,755
|
Because he is. AFL is not a good place to judge minor league talent. Big time trade, and creates more middle infield elite prospect drama for the Cubs. Man, I really wish Jed had never left San Diego. Cubs are gonna be a force.
|
07-05-2014, 03:57 AM | #469 |
Posts: 52,478
|
Its a shame the o's couldn't have traded for Samardzija cause the Cubs would have had 3-4 more former Orioles players to go with Hammel, Arrieta and Strop along with Tsuyoshi Wada who they got from the Orioles.
|
07-05-2014, 07:27 AM | #470 |
Large Marge sent me
Posts: 32,260
|
Lol....AFL not a good place to judge minor league talent. If it weren't it wouldn't exist and the 50 scouts who were there at every game must have been watching porn on their speed guns.
|
07-05-2014, 07:41 AM | #471 |
TPWW Fire Pro Champ
Posts: 33,995
|
Heh. Samardzija pitched his way out of Chicago. I remember that was someone's advice.
|
07-05-2014, 07:48 AM | #472 |
Large Marge sent me
Posts: 32,260
|
Heh yah. Forgot about that. He's from NW Indiana and supposedly grew up a Cub fan though. If he wanted to go to a competitive team he got it...If he wanted one that had better facilities than Wrigley, well, at least Wrigley never had problems with toilets always overflowing.
|
07-05-2014, 09:30 AM | #473 |
Posts: 3,755
|
Look it up, bud. Scouts don't use the AFL as a defining method of evaluation for a number of reasons, such as the wide varying range of age and talent, and the time of year. Case in point is Junior Lake. He fucking blows, but put on a show in the AFL. Nobody was calling him a start prospect during that run.
|
07-05-2014, 09:35 AM | #474 |
Inno Knows.
Posts: 43,710
|
|
07-05-2014, 11:30 AM | #475 |
Posts: 3,755
|
Seeing how stacked the Cubs have become since Jed took over makes me sad. I have zero doubt the Posted would've been in a similar situation, maybe better, had our then ownership committed to extending him. #imissjed
|
07-05-2014, 01:43 PM | #476 | |
Large Marge sent me
Posts: 32,260
|
Quote:
|
|
07-05-2014, 01:52 PM | #477 |
King of Love and Piss
Posts: 62,989
|
Well, it's easy to get stacked when you're constantly drafting in the top 3 every year.
|
07-05-2014, 01:55 PM | #478 |
LIMITLESS
Posts: 32,273
|
Man, just what the Cubs needed, another elite middle infield prospect. Maybe they can trade Castro to New York for Harvey and Syndergaard now...
|
07-05-2014, 01:57 PM | #479 |
King of Love and Piss
Posts: 62,989
|
Don't know what I think about this trade. I thought the whole point was to get pitching in the farm system. I don't know if Jeff is a full blown Ace, but we'll find out. I think Hammel will come down to earth, but still bee decent for the A's.
|
07-05-2014, 02:19 PM | #480 |
Large Marge sent me
Posts: 32,260
|
I'll actually agree with droford and say I'm kinda surprised the cubs didn't shoot for some type of bundy/gausman deal. Theo probably realizes arms fall off alot easier on SPs. Still...used to wonder how all these guys were going to get playing time at the big league level, now wondering the same all the way down to AA. Can't expect all these guys to work out but still....has to be thinking there is some sort of market deficiency on middle IFs
|