Baseball 2005

[ghost of miles]

Yanks won again today, but so did the Bosox... so the lead remains at 1. And they're tied w/Cleveland for the wild-card. Tom Gordon actually got a save... first in 8 chances.

[Dan Gould]

Yanks won again today, but so did the Bosox... so the lead remains at 1.  And they're tied w/Cleveland for the wild-card.  Tom Gordon actually got a save... first in 8 chances. 

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so the Yanks are on a six game winning streak ... but they still don't have the lead for any spot in the play-offs. So I don't know if they should feel really good, or something less than that.

Do you think we'll ever hear from jazzypaul again if the White Sox back into the play-offs as the wild card?

[jazzypaul]

Do you think we'll ever hear from jazzypaul again if the White Sox back into the play-offs as the wild card? 

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Considering the damage that wild card teams have done in the past few seasons, yes.

[Dan Gould]

Do you think we'll ever hear from jazzypaul again if the White Sox back into the play-offs as the wild card?  

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Considering the damage that wild card teams have done in the past few seasons, yes.

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The problem being, those teams fought and scrapped for the wild card and were playing their best ball going into the playoffs. Doesn't sound too much like the White Sox, who are a .500 team since July.

[Dave James]

No offense, jazzypaul, but I'm starting to pray for a complete collapse on the part of the White Sox. Anything that'll get the Yanks into the playoffs is fine with me. The Hose start a three game set with Cleveland tonight in Chicago. That could go a long way towards figuring this out. If the Indians take two of these or sweep, I think the Sox may be toast. One other question. Where was this Jose Contreras when he wore pinstripes?

Up over and out.

[Dan Gould]

No offense, jazzypaul, but I'm starting to pray for a complete collapse on the part of the White Sox.  Anything that'll get the Yanks into the playoffs is fine with me.  The Hose start a three game set with Cleveland tonight in Chicago.  That could go a long way towards figuring this out.  If the Indians take two of these or sweep, I think the Sox may be toast.  One other question.  Where was this Jose Contreras when he wore pinstripes?

Up over and out.

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Actually, Dave, since I think we are both deeply worried about our respective teams, it might be best for the pale hose to start winning again, and right now. Think about it this way: They are still 3.5 games up. If they get swept, they might be tied for first and the wild card come Thursday night. That leaves barely ten days for them to continue to fall apart enough that the second place team in the east takes over the wild card.

Might be better if the White Sox cool off the Indians (who, let's face it, are due to lose a few) ... that would put the AL East teams (assuming they don't start losing themselves) in position to both make the playoffs, or at least both will be in the lead for a play off spot.

But for the White Sox to fall completely out of it, they need to lose probably 10 or 11 of whatever is left (13?). Whereas, with the Indians much closer, they can lose fewer and still finish out of the running.

[jazzypaul]

Well, the other thing is, we've dominated our division when playing against other AL Central teams. We'll take two of three from the indians, probably sweep the Twins, (both at home) and then deal with Detroit and the Indians again. I think we might very well clinch this thing in the next week, especially with each of these next three games counting as two for the magic number.

These next 12-13 games, I think, will energize us. Boston would be a bitch. However, we've been so-so against the L.A./Anaheim/California/Left Coast/San Andreas/Can I get sprouts on that please? Angels, and a well energized team could take them on, I think. On the off chance that the Indians would take out the Red Sox, I think we could actually make it to the World Series. Where we'd get dominated by the Cardinals and swept in record time.

[Dan Gould]

You heard it here first:

The Yankees, White Sox and Indians are play-off bound.

The Red Sox are NOT.

Mother fucking assholes will find a way to fuck it all away.

[MartyJazz]

Relax. The final 3 games are at Fenway against us. That will tell the tale.

[Dan Gould]

Relax.  The final 3 games are at Fenway against us.  That will tell the tale.

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And with the way the Sox and Yankees are playing, their only hope is to go into that series needing a sweep to tie. No one other than Papi and Wakefield is doing the job anymore. Wells couldn't pitch out of the third inning against Tampa, and needs a cortisone shot in his knee before his next start. Varitek can't buy a hit. "Gold Glove" Renteria can't make a play (that's been the case all f-ing year). Clement puts us in a seven run hole in only four outs Sunday. Graffanino is out again. Youklis is done. Damon can't throw the ball in. Shit, they came home to Fenway and averaged three runs a game against Oakland!

Meanwhile, the Yankees are peaking at just the right time, and we are going to be treated to more deification of Joe Torre and his "brilliance".

Edited September 20, 2005 by Dan Gould

[Soulstation1]

[bluesForBartok]

all I can say is...

Orlando Cabrera

After last night's miserable game I watched Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS to lift my spirits.

I don't know if the Sox are going to make the playoffs. They haven't clicked all year and now it's crucial. How do you give up guys like Cabrera and Roberts and *gulp* Mark Bellhorn??? Those are some of the people that made up the spirit of last years team. And if I see Edgar Renteria make another error I'm gonna lose it!!!

[catesta]

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Things look good for Cleveland right about now.

What's up with the NL West, the whole division sucks? Padres are like one game over 500 and they are in first place.

[Johnny E]

Man, I knew that the White Sox were playing over their head all season, but DAMN!!! They might not even make the playoffs at this rate.

Go Indians! my wife is from Cleveland.

[Dan Gould]

all I can say is...

Orlando Cabrera

After last night's miserable game I watched Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS to lift my spirits.

I don't know if the Sox are going to make the playoffs. They haven't clicked all year and now it's crucial. How do you give up guys like Cabrera and Roberts and *gulp* Mark Bellhorn??? Those are some of the people that made up the spirit of last years team. And if I see Edgar Renteria make another error I'm gonna lose it!!!

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Who knew that Renteria would have such problems? By all measures, it was the smarter signing. And Cabrera (while flawless in the field) has been even worse at bat than you'd expect, with an even lower OBP than he usually has. With the whole commitment of the organization to reinforcing getting on base, Cabrera was not the right man to keep. I can only hope that Renteria plays to his ability starting next year.

Roberts deserved a chance to start somewhere.

And Bellhorn? You cannot tell me that Bellhorn, after months of futility, deserved a spot after his rehab? it was an absolute blessing that Bellhorn went down and they went out and got Graffanino, who has been absolutely outstanding, as well as Alex Cora, about as good a utility man as you can find, considering he's been a starter his whole career. We should never forget Bellhorn for his clutch home runs in Games 6, 7 and 1, but that doesn't give you a free pass to stink up the joint forever.

[bluesForBartok]

I know Dan I know. You're absolutely right.

I just don't see the magic in the team this year. Everything clicked last August thru October. This year it's very disjointed. There's no easy explanation really and yes Graffanino was an excellent pick up. But he's injured now right?

I'm think I'm also frustrated that Mr. Steinbrenner's $200 million dollar project is finally working.

[Dan Gould]

I know Dan I know. You're absolutely right.

I just don't see the magic in the team this year. Everything clicked last August thru October. This year it's very disjointed. There's no easy explanation really and yes  Graffanino was an excellent pick up. But he's injured now right?

I'm think I'm also frustrated that Mr. Steinbrenner's $200 million dollar project is finally working. 

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I think the main difference is that at this time last year, the other Wild Card teams had stunk it up or were collapsing, and the Sox had no worries about making the playoffs. But remember the state of the pitching? Pedro getting shelled by the likes of Tampa, talking about who his daddy is, reaching ten losses for the first time in ten years? Lowe imploding against the Yanks? The fact is we didn't play that great last September, and we caught a once-a-century hot streak to win it all.

I don't think they'll do it again - having Schilling and Foulke be so ineffective or unavailable for so much time crippled us - but one thing I'll say about this team: it doesn't panic.

[Dave James]

Jayson Stark said this morning on ESPN radio that the irony of the American League East race is that at this point, New York actually has their pitching situation more squared away than the Red Sox. This, after everyone has spent the whole year talking about the Yankee's pitching problems. Of course, that still doesn't mean I'd want to go into October with a rotation of Johnson, Wang, Small and Chacon, but it is what it is unless Mussina gets better.

The AL East race is still going to come down to the final weekend. I can't see it any other way. Just wish those games were in the Bronx and not in Beantown.

Up over and out.

[Johnny E]

The AL East race is still going to come down to the final weekend.  I can't see it any other way.  Just wish those games were in the Bronx and not in Beantown.

The Yankees will never win another World Series until they get rid of A-Rod. He's spoiled, egotistical, and a divisive player in the clubhouse. Every team he goes to does nothing but lose because he drains valuable resources away from the pitching staff - which is what really wins games in the end. He's a money grubbing liar (that just happens to be gifted) and he makes my stomach turn.

Go Red Sox!!!

[Dan Gould]

The AL East race is still going to come down to the final weekend.  I can't see it any other way.  Just wish those games were in the Bronx and not in Beantown.

The Yankees will never win another World Series until they get rid of A-Rod. He's spoiled, egotistical, and a divisive player in the clubhouse. Every team he goes to does nothing but lose because he drains valuable resources away from the pitching staff - which is what really wins games in the end. He's a money grubbing liar (that just happens to be gifted) and he makes my stomach turn.

Go Red Sox!!!

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Repent, for the end is near!

Johnny and I actually AGREE with each other.

[Johnny E]

Ah, come on now Dan. We agree on other things too. We both love jazz music.

You still don't support that inept, war-profiteering, fortunate son of a Bush do you?

Edited September 21, 2005 by Johnny E

[MartyJazz]

In case anyone needs reminding here. A-Rod was quite willing to have his contract adjusted downward in order to play for some people's beloved Red Sox. It was the players association that nixed it. Had A-Rod become a Red Sock ( ), I'm sure we wouldn't be reading all this nonsense about how a team can't go all the wiay with him on it.

I certainly believe that all things being equal, had Clemens and Pettite not deserted the Yanks, we'd have a better record than the Cards this year and negatives about A-Rod would be totally laughed at. But we don't have those pitchers. Nevertheless with a starting staff devoid of Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, and currently Mike Mussina, the Yanks are even in the loss column with the Red Sox and the division is up for grabs.

Fenway doesn't scare me at all, I vividly recall seeing Bucky Dent win a pennant for us there. However the sight of David Ortiz and the Yankee Stadium short right field porch does scare me.

We can win it all at Fenway and revenge would indeed be sweet.

[Johnny E]

A-Rod simply wanted out of Texas, that's all. He may have been willing to defer money to play for the Red Sox, but he ain't never ever gonna give up on his money. He knew the players association would never go for that, that's why he said it in the first place, to make himself look selfless -Bullshit. In his last year as a Mariner he went on and on about how it wasn't about the money, that he just wanted to be with a winner, bla bla bla. Well, he went for the money. He joined a team that in everyone’s estimation needed 3,4 even 5 years of rebuilding. And what did he think the Rangers would do as far as acquiring pitching straddled with that $250 million dollar contract of his? If he had went to the Yankees then and there (for $250 million) I would have said, “OK, he wants to win and he went to a team that could afford to pay top dollar”, but no, he went to the Rangers no offense Al .

He’s a whiney little grossly overpaid bitch. And mark my words, he will never EVER wear a World Series ring. Shit, he’s been playing for ten years already and he hasn’t even been to one!

Edited September 21, 2005 by Johnny E

[Dan Gould]

Don't worry, Yankee fans, the series in Fenway will mean nothing, except perhaps for the Yankees to have the pleasure of eliminating the defending Champions. Here's how it will go:

Thursday night, the Yankee lead will be a full game.

Then the Red Sox will play three against Baltimore, and with Baltimore due to play better, and against a team staggering to the finish line and one they have tortured recently anyway, they will win two of three, while the Yankees sweep Toronto.

Then the Red Sox stagger home for four against Toronto, who has already kicked our asses this season. Perhaps they split, if extremely lucky, while the Yankees win 4 more from Baltimore.

By September 30, the lead will be at least four, there will be three to play, so who gives a fuck?

[Noj]

Alex Rodriguez 2005 Stats

On Base%: .419

Slugging %: .609

Batting Average: .320

Runs Batted In: 120