The Pennants Are Flying, As Is The Trash, And Apparently There Is A Team In Houston

[A-Jay]

I thought they were all the beard...well everyone except victorino because he hasn't hit puberty yet and can't grow a full beard

 

I'm not totally certain about hitting puberty yet ~

 

But the man sure had a couple of Really Big Hits in the Post Season this year . . . . .

 

A-Jay

[flyfisher]

I'm not totally certain about hitting puberty yet ~

 

But the man sure had a couple of Really Big Hits in the Post Season this year . . . . .

 

A-Jay

He always has been clutch....with the phillies in the postseason he was probably the most clutch hitter behind rollins and well utley and actually howard lol  I am still mad the phillies let him walk,

[A-Jay]

He always has been clutch....with the phillies in the postseason he was probably the most clutch hitter behind rollins and well utley and actually howard lol  I am still mad the phillies let him walk,

 

 

Red Sox Nation is Not.

 

A-Jay

[flyfisher]

I will still never forget being at the game where he cranked the grand salami off of sabathia against the brewers....nothing beats playoff baseball

[A-Jay]

I will still never forget being at the game where he cranked the grand salami off of sabathia against the brewers....nothing beats playoff baseball

 

I'm with you all the way there -

 

Especially when your team wins the last game of the season . . . . .

 

A-Jay

[flyfisher]

yeah haven't been able to see that yet.  I have only been t lone world series game and while it was a ridiculous game, 15-14 against toronto i can't imagine the energy of a stadium at the clinching game of the WS.

[A-Jay]

yeah haven't been able to see that yet.  I have only been t lone world series game and while it was a ridiculous game, 15-14 against toronto i can't imagine the energy of a stadium at the clinching game of the WS.

 

 

I'd love to be able to tell you that I was there - but I can not as the time just wasn't there for me.

 

But I lived it vicariously through my son (and his phone) as he was there - Lucky Boy.

 

A-Jay

[flyfisher]

And Halladay will be retiring as a Blue Jay on Monday.....classy dude and great pitcher.  I was really hoping he would give it one more whirl but i give him credit for hanging it up and not extended his careeer longer than he knows he should.

[MCS]

And Halladay will be retiring as a Blue Jay on Monday.....classy dude and great pitcher.  I was really hoping he would give it one more whirl but i give him credit for hanging it up and not extended his careeer longer than he knows he should.

Well said...I just heard....man this is looking to be a major offseason, some big names already swapped unis.

[flyfisher]

Well said...I just heard....man this is looking to be a major offseason, some big names already swapped unis.

Yeah i am psyched the phillies got marlin byrd and are going after starting pitching.  I mean we all know the starting pitching is what held them back the last few years......

Rueben Amaro has single handedly destroyed this team...I love howard and how he never complains and always works hard but to give him that extension before his current contract was even close to being over was ridiculous.  He has never gone after a bat other than some bums and let Pence and Victorino walk over not even that much cash, and don't even get me started on the bullpen or lack thereof.....

[Jigfishn10]

Hey flyfisher, is Papelbon shooting his mouth off again, looking to get traded?

[flyfisher]

I know they are shopping papelbon pretty hard....i am sure he is ticked for leaving over money when he could have had another WS ring.  I lost all respect for that guy when he ran his mouth about the team not performing then went out and blew 4 saves in a row.

 

He has a huge paycheck though but i did read the phillies were willing to pay part of the salary.  I hope they drop the bum.

[Jigfishn10]

He was always about the money and thinks he's an elite closer. He's a really good closer, don't get me wrong, but his splitter is his out pitch but he thinks he can blow hitters away with his fast ball and abandons the split. Hitters sit on fast ball serving up humble pie. But Papelbon is too pigheaded to understand that and will go out and make the same mistake over and over again.

[A-Jay]

He was always about the money and thinks he's an elite closer. He's a really good closer, don't get me wrong, but his splitter is his out pitch but he thinks he can blow hitters away with his fast ball and abandons the split. Hitters sit on fast ball serving up humble pie. But Papelbon is too pigheaded to understand that and will go out and make the same mistake over and over again.

 

During this past rather magical season, as the Red Sox closer Koji Uehara proved quite emphatically, that you don't need to throw 100+ mph to effectively save games.

 

You do however, have to know how to Pitch - JP is still trying to figure that one out.

 

A-Jay

[Jigfishn10]

During this past rather magical season, as the Red Sox closer Koji Uehara proved quite emphatically, that you don't need to throw 100+ mph to effectively save games.

 

You do however, have to know how to Pitch - JP is still trying to figure that one out.

 

A-Jay

 

My point exactly, Papelbon is trying to be a one trick pony and you can't do that with major league hitters. Mariano Rivera had the cutter and used it a lot, but what people don't realize is he had a great fastball. He threw a 4 seam cutter and seam fastball. What made him remarkable was that both pitches came for the same arm slot angle and had the same rotation for the first 45'-50', but the last 10'-15' of ball travel is where hitters got fooled. He really was quite an amazing pitcher for guy who used 1 pitch 85% of the time!

[flyfisher]

as much as i hate the yankees rivera was pretty much money all the time.  He also kept louisville slugger in business for all the broken bats he caused.

 

The other problem with papelbon is what i am going to call the RG3/me effect....you are told you are great for so long you start to believe it and slack off and become a ********* in the process.  I actually liked the guy till he threw the team under the bus and then proceeded to blow those saves...same theory goes for Werth.  One of my favorite players till he threw the phillies fans under the bus and went to chase money in Washington, which i can't blame him, but i will tell you that everyone loved Werth in philly and i was even yelled at by some phillies fans in DC when i was heckling the crap out of him in his first game back in washington after being on the IR for a while in 2012.

[MCS]

I know they are shopping papelbon pretty hard....i am sure he is ticked for leaving over money when he could have had another WS ring. I lost all respect for that guy when he ran his mouth about the team not performing then went out and blew 4 saves in a row.

He has a huge paycheck though but i did read the phillies were willing to pay part of the salary. I hope they drop the bum.

Problem is he has a stiff no trade to only 12 teams that doesn't put things in the phillies favor. I would keep him and let him setup.

[deaknh03]

Problem is he has a stiff no trade to only 12 teams that doesn't put things in the phillies favor. I would keep him and let him setup.

Good luck. His ego wont let him setup.

[flyfisher]

Problem is he has a stiff no trade to only 12 teams that doesn't put things in the phillies favor. I would keep him and let him setup.

problem is that have no closer and other than his little slump he actually did ok.  Personally i would find whoever is the worst team of the ones he can be traded to and send him there  

[Jigfishn10]

This A-Rod fiasco needs to die! Baseball, in my opinion, was on the mend after the Mitchell (SP) Report came out. It took a while, but it was rebounding. Now, A-Rod waffling like a wanna-be politician is dragging it down again.

 

I'm not an A-Rod fan since he left Seattle, so it's time he goes away and baseball can become baseball again!

 

BTW, my 9 y/o son and I are going to the Baseball Hall of Fame this spring at his request...CAN'T WAIT!

[MCS]

problem is that have no closer and other than his little slump he actually did ok. Personally i would find whoever is the worst team of the ones he can be traded to and send him there

After the Balfour debacle the O's are pushing hard for him. Lol

[cbass12]

During this past rather magical season, as the Red Sox closer Koji Uehara proved quite emphatically, that you don't need to throw 100+ mph to effectively save games.

 

You do however, have to know how to Pitch - JP is still trying to figure that one out.

 

A-Jay

 

Soria proved that in his years with the Royals. Its all about location and changing speeds. I've always said that the hardest pitch to hit is a well placed fastball.

[flyfisher]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/arbitrator-rules-alex-rodriguez-to-be-suspended-for-2014-season?ymd=20140109&content_id=66433260&vkey=news_mlb

 

You know the Yankees are happy to not have to pay the salary....now the question is given his age is in reality a lifetime ban??

[deaknh03]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/arbitrator-rules-alex-rodriguez-to-be-suspended-for-2014-season?ymd=20140109&content_id=66433260&vkey=news_mlb

 

You know the Yankees are happy to not have to pay the salary....now the question is given his age is in reality a lifetime ban??

First of all, I think he will fight this like he says he will, and it will probably be reduced more. Secondly, he will absolutely try to play next ear, if his suspension is upheld for the entire upcoming year. He has too much money at stake. If you read his statement, it actually has a couple of good points in it. He says that MLB is angling to use him as a case for not guaranteeing contracts in the next collective bargaining agreement. While I am not a fan of his, I do believe he is being treated differently than any other player ever has been. There is no question he is being singled out and set up as an example, because of his contract and his personality.

[deaknh03]

I think he needs due process in a court of law, not MLB's mediation process. That would be the only way to fairly and objectively see the true facts and mete out a sentence/punishment.