** The Offical 2008 MLB Thead!!! **

[Sausy]

Geeezzzz Sausy, I'd thought you'd figured me out by now!

Yeah sure, the Texas Rangers finished in the toilet this year, but I'm more into seeing that one team beat all the odds and put all the so called sport pundits in their place. I love to see the underdog succeed, not to mention that I live just around the corner from the Ballpark in Arlington.

Besides, in regards to the Chicago Cubs, I wanna put that old billy goat curse to rest!

I understand that....the Rangers are your team,and naturally you would root for them no matter what the pundits and experts say.They didn't have much ptching but have a great offensive lineup that makes them fun to watch.

I live in the New York area and maybe we're spoiled with the Yankees primarily with all the World Series,the history.....even then I'm much more of a Mets fan with its two championships attained as underdogs,and most of their history has been as also-rans ...got hot in the late '80's til 1990 and faded,hot again between 1998-2000 and now since 2006 on the rise again....but we are never good at staying hot.....we're a much more working class,flawed team than the Yankees.That makes me rot for the Mets harder than the Yankees,a team I like and respect but the Mets have my heart.They sure make a habit of breaking their fans hearts more often than not.

If the Mets aren't in the playoffs....I definitely would root for the Cubs to break that 101 year drought(Don't tell Abs I said that,hell the Cards aren't in the playoffs so let's give the Cubs fans their due this year)Cincinatti fans remember the Great Red Machine,Pirate fans remember a great and proud franchise,Kansas City Royal fans remember the great battles against the Yankees in the 70's and 80's....baseball belongs to everyone.That's what makes it so great,the passion for one's home team and history and tradition....and being out there with the crowds,or feeling like part of the action from your living room.

 

[Sausy]

Phillies and Brewers lost last night!Mets win!We fucked up the Cubs!I'm cautiosly optimistic regarding the wild card,and won't discount an outright divisional win...but they have to focus and get it done.

 

[Sausy]

Grrrr .....

Well,I'm hoping we get into the playoffs and clean everyone's clocks!....root for the Cubs,break Abs poor heart....root against them turn Robert all shades of red!I can't choose!

 

[Sausy]

Pffft ........... give me a break Sausy, #1 Something tells me that Abs heart is probably as tough as an old leather shoe, (Besides, he calls everyone a bitch who doesn't agree with him anyway) and #2 Your heart would have been set on the NY Mets whether I was a fan of the Cubs or not.

Anyway, love ya' both!

Well you should have something to smile about Sausy! Even though Hoffpauir went 5-for-5, including his first two Major League home runs, and drove in five runs, the Cubs still came up short, losing 7-6 to the New York Mets in their final regular-season game at Shea Stadium tonight.

Had to work tonight so I didn't see the game,though I constantly was checking my cellphone,expecting the worst(The Met's fan instinctual defensive mechanism)but hoping for the best...and when I saw the score and that Carlos Beltran had knocked Jose Reyes in to win the game in the bottom of the ninth,I was ecstatic..almost dancing in back of Aisle 11!I was loving it!


I love razzing you and Abs about the Cubs and the Cards,but hell you know I'm a Met fan,and if they don't get in the playoffs I'll just enjoy the playoffs and whoever plays the best ball.Abs and you are just good people....you with your big Texan heart and Abs with his big Irish oneand both of you love baseball!

 

[Absolut]

Here's what the Oakland A's consider orientation.

I would so do the guy on the left.

Hellooooo nurse!

 

[TriBi]

hehe ^ I notice none of them appear to be adept at wearing heels!

(Nor am I...)

 

[Scrub]

For ABS

Phillies win National League East

 

[Sausy]

Mets crash and burn against St. Louis in 2006
Mets crash and burn against Phillies in 2007
Mets crash and burn against Phillies AND Brewers in 2008...do you sense a pattern here?

 

[sonny10305]

Brewers in 2008

Hey Sausy, this might not be the place for this but I could not resist.
The one good thing that came out of the Brewers win is
third baseman's Ryan Braun celebration.
Now this is how to cross home plate

 

[Sausy]

Hey Sausy, this might not be the place for this but I could not resist.
The one good thing that came out of the Brewers win is
third baseman's Ryan Braun celebration.
Now this is how to cross home plate

Boy,that definitely IS a celebration!Never saw someone celebrate a playoff berth like that!Baseball stud gone wild,LOL!Really hot,sonny...Ryan is gorgeous,and what form!Know you're type who would be right all over it once you saw it and appreciate it.....thanks!

 

[Sausy]

^ You guys make me laugh! LOL

Robert,you have to admit Ryan Braun makes the motor run,so to speak.I tell you,I NEVER saw a player react to winning in baseball like that, by showing off his perfect form!I'd love it to become a trend!

 

[sonny10305]

I am so glad you guys enjoyed that picture.
We Mets fans had to get something out of that Breweres win

 

[flyingfree]

How about this 2008 comparison of the two teams that play major league baseball in the Bronx and Queens:

Yankees
89-73
48-33 home
41-40 road
789 runs scored
727 runs allowed
Mets
89-73
48-33 home
41-40 road
799 runs scored
715 runs allowed

"Now football definitely has an important place in modern society ... It's a good way to keep the brain warm ... between the world series and spring training." - attributed to "Shoe" by the late cartoonist Jeff MacNelly

 

[Sausy]

I am so glad you guys enjoyed that picture.
We Mets fans had to get something out of that Breweres win

Almost made me forget the Mets were out of it....Ryan's toned torso kept other parts of me occupied!

How about this 2008 comparison of the two teams that play major league baseball in the Bronx and Queens:

Yankees
89-73
48-33 home
41-40 road
789 runs scored
727 runs allowed
Mets
89-73
48-33 home
41-40 road
799 runs scored
715 runs allowed

"Now football definitely has an important place in modern society ... It's a good way to keep the brain warm ... between the world series and spring training." - attributed to "Shoe" by the late cartoonist Jeff MacNelly

That's a funny saying,though I'm a basketball fan,too.

Really interesting comparison.I think the Mets being so close to the playoffs in the end and getting eliminated on the last day was more dramatic....but the similarities in the New York clubs disappointing seasons are fascinating coincidences.

 

[Scrub]

Okay now let's all root for the Phillies

Come on ABS, I'm waiting ................

 

[Sausy]

Okay now let's all root for the Phillies

Come on ABS, I'm waiting ................

Love ya,Scrub.But no can do!

 

[Absolut]

Hmmm...

a FANTASTIC play to end the White Sox/Twins game tonight. Looks like they are going to the playoffs, the bastard.

Secondly, HOLY HOT DAMN sonny that pic is soooo hot!!! How do you FIND this shit?

Come on ABS, I'm waiting ................

LOL

 

[Sausy]

Hmmm...

a FANTASTIC play to end the White Sox/Twins game tonight. Looks like they are going to the playoffs, the bastard.

Secondly, HOLY HOT DAMN sonny that pic is soooo hot!!! How do you FIND this shit?







LOL

Abs....we had a Subway series in 2000 in New York.I think the stars may be aligning for whatever they call between the Chicago clubs,which I know warms the cockles of your heart.

 

[sonny10305]

Okay now let's all root for the Phillies

Yeah I'm rooting for them.......to get killed off early

The Cubs seem to be gaining ground as the unfamiliar position of National League favorite. I just can’t see them making it though although I gotta admit they do have quality pitching in both their starting pitching and bullpen, they also seem to find ways in which they can score runs,.
But Manny Ramirez has provided a spark for the Dodgers I don’t think they have had that since Orel Hershiser.
Then there is the Dodgers bench they practically have a whole other team on the bench in Furcal, Kent, Garciaparra, and Pierre. They all have a mess of stseason experience and can be counted on to have productive at bats.

When it comes to the all important pitching, Dempster had a 2.52 ERA after the break compared to 5.80 for Zambrano, and that's, of course, including the no hitter. He hasn't been healthy, and he's been erratic.
Zambrano threw a no hitter against Houston in Milwaukee, and then in his next start he only got five outs and allowed eight earned runs to the Cardinals. His inconsistency makes him unpredictable, can you say, Ollie Perez? but when he's on, he's one of the most dangerous pitchers in the game.
If Manny Ramirez is one of the keys to this series (which he is), then how has he faced against Dempster compared to Zambrano? .

Derek Lowe will start for the Dodgers. He finished 2008 with a 3.24 ERA and outrages 0.59 ERA over 30.1 innings in September. Outside of a fucked up May, Lowe has been consistently awesome..
Not much has been said about Chad Billingsley, but he had an excellent season, I checked him out and found he threw 200+ innings while having an ERA of 3.14 and striking out 201. .
Now we come to Rich Harden who has been the Cubs' most dominant starter since his arrival, with a 1.77 ERA and 18 more strikeouts than innings pitched. He has never faced the Dodgers but has given up three hits in 11 at bats to Manny, all homers.
Kuroda had a 3.73 ERA this season and was even better in August and September. His stuff is far from dominant; He pitched a complete game shutout against the Cubs earlier this season.
Lilly is a tough call, he seemed to have been a better pitcher on the road this season; I read his career ERA of 14.40 at Dodger Stadium. In fairness that number represents only five innings of work, but it's a troublesome stat that could be in the back of his head, and he is too emotional But Lilly has been decent lately, throwing no-hitters through six in each of his past two starts.

The Cubs edge on the Dodgers is only on paper, the Dodgers can beat them


Even though The Cubs seem to have more talent in the bullpen with Samardzija, Marmol, and Wood, they had a 6.02 ERA over 80.2 innings during the month of September. But I have to go back and remember The Dodgers had the third best relief crew in the game with a 3.33 ERA. They've been incredibly consistent even with Broxton who can be explosive.

I don’t think Saito is healthy, but he's pitching again. Dono what to expect there.

In summary:

For the second straight season, the Philadelphia Phillies, with a strong September, won the National League East over the Mets. But, the Phillies will face an upstart wild card team who is tasting the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Phillies are doomed to fail, it will come down to Cubs/Dodgers with the Dodgers going to the World Series.

 

[Scrub]

Pffft, Root for the Phillies???

I know, I know

You're rooting for Cubs

Hey at the least the Phillies won Game 1