General Baseball Thread 2012

[SouthStndJunkie]

Originally Posted by bombay

Cards have gone 8-2 in their last 10 and lost ground to the Reds. Until today, anyway. Cincy finally lost one and the Cardinals need to take advantage tonight.

The Reds have been on fire since the All-Star break.

I'm not a fan of the Reds, but I really like Dusty Baker....he is actually a pretty cool dude who has a broad range of interests.

I was in Montana fly fishing several years ago and went to a little fly fishing store near Rock Creek (not far from Missoula) and they said I missed Dusty Baker by a few minutes. He loves to fly fish and was in there buying some flies and getting the local fishing report.

It sounds like he fishes that area a lot and the owners of the store were an old couple that loved Dusty Baker and went on and on about how nice he was.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Of course the Tigers couldn't bring home the winning run from 3rd base with no outs in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game....and then the Indians hit 2 HRs in the top of the 10th innings.

Tigers pissing away a game they really needed.

The White Sox are beating the Angels as well.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Holy ****....I got pissed when the Tigers went down 8-5 in the top of the 10th inning and went out to do some yard work.

I got back in a few minutes ago and saw that the Tigers scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to win 10-8.

Miggy with a 2 run walk off HR for the win.

Swept the Tribe....Yankees come into town next.

[Rohirrim]

Another indication why the Cubs are such perennial losers:

The Cubs chances of trading Alfonso Soriano or anyone else to the Dodgers in the near future probably has been killed by the sour taste left from the Ryan Dempster saga. Sources confirmed Saturday that Cubs management did not let the Dodgers know they were letting Dempster listen in on phone calls between the team Tuesday regarding the possibility of a trade to them. The serious breach of ethics figures to affect the relationship between the two organizations, which had been on good terms until now. It all began when Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Tuesday that Dempster was on a couch in their offices at the trade deadline. "It was actually funny," Hoyer said, adding he told Dempster to "find a different office." On Wednesday, Cubs President Theo Epstein conceded Dempster actually was allowed to listen in on phone conversations with the Dodgers.
http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_r...ach?xid=cnnbin

[SouthStndJunkie]

Miggy and Prince have both gone yard tonight.

They are a fun duo to watch when they are mashing.

Both are having excellent seasons.

Miggy is batting .326 with 28 doubles, 28 HRs and 92 RBIs.

Prince is batting .312 with 23 doubles, 19 HRs and 80 RBIs.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Justin Verlander with an excellent workhorse like effort tonight.

132 pitches (96 strikes) 8 innings 8 hits 0 ERs 1 BB and 14 Ks

I'm still pissed he got screwed out of his 63 game streak of 6+ innings in consecutive starts due to a rain delay.

He was within striking distance of the all time record.

[Aftermath]

Go Tigers!

[SouthStndJunkie]

Miggy is back at it again tonight....another double, a HR, and 3 more RBIs and it's only the 5th inning.

This better be the year he wins the MVP....and I realize that Mike Trout is having an awesome year.

Miggy is on pace to bat .326 on the year with 108 runs scored, 209 hits, 43 doubles, 43 HRs, and 140 RBIs.

I'll concede the Cy Young to Jered Weaver over Justin Verlander this season, but Miguel Cabrera should be the American League MVP.

[houghtam]

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

Miggy is back at it again tonight....another double, a HR, and 3 more RBIs and it's only the 5th inning.

This better be the year he wins the MVP....and I realize that Mike Trout is having an awesome year.

Miggy is on pace to bat .326 on the year with 108 runs scored, 209 hits, 43 doubles, 43 HRs, and 140 RBIs.

I'll concede the Cy Young to Jered Weaver over Justin Verlander this season, but Miguel Cabrera should be the American League MVP.

Going into tonight, their stats are:

Cabrera - 432 AB, 140 H, 28 2B, 28 HR, 92 RBI, 43 BB, 62 K, .324 AVG, .385 OBP, .968 OPS

Trout - 353 AB, 123 H, 21 2B, 5 3B, 19 HR, 59 RBI, 37 BB, 80 K, 36 SB, .348 AVG, .411 OBP, 1.009 OPS

IMO Trout will have to step it up quite a bit to catch Cabrera for the MVP.

[TheChamp24]

Originally Posted by houghtam

Going into tonight, their stats are:

Cabrera - 432 AB, 140 H, 28 2B, 28 HR, 92 RBI, 43 BB, 62 K, .324 AVG, .385 OBP, .968 OPS

Trout - 353 AB, 123 H, 21 2B, 5 3B, 19 HR, 59 RBI, 37 BB, 80 K, 36 SB, .348 AVG, .411 OBP, 1.009 OPS

IMO Trout will have to step it up quite a bit to catch Cabrera for the MVP.

You do realize right now its Trout's award to lose?
The only numbers Cabrera has better than Trout really is homeruns and RBI's, and Trout trumps Cabrera in defense and steals. while posting better stat lines at what are generally looked as the highest - AVG, OBP, Slugging and OPS.
Not to mention the turnaround of that Angels team when he was called up.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Originally Posted by TheChamp24

You do realize right now its Trout's award to lose?
The only numbers Cabrera has better than Trout really is homeruns and RBI's, and Trout trumps Cabrera in defense and steals. while posting better stat lines at what are generally looked as the highest - AVG, OBP, Slugging and OPS.
Not to mention the turnaround of that Angels team when he was called up.

Miggy also has more hits, more doubles, and more walks in addition to HRs and RBIs.

I'm not saying Miggy is a lock for MVP, but I think he has a better chance than you think.

Not to mention, there are still over 50 games yet to be played....basically 1/3 of the season left.

In general, the guys who smack 40+ HRs with 130-140 RBIs, while hitting in the .330 range tend to win MVP awards.

Chicks (and MVP voters) dig the long ball.

That said, I really enjoy watching Mike Trout play....dude is a phenom.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Every time Jose Valverde takes the mound, my a-hole clenches tight.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Andy Dirks looks like hasn't missed a beat despite missing over 2 months due to injuries.

Dirks has been a pleasant surprise this season.

He was batting .328 when he went in the DL at the end of May and he has now pushed his average up to .345.

Granted, he only has 145 at bats this season, but he continues to impress me night in and night out.

[houghtam]

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

Miggy also has more hits, more doubles, and more walks in addition to HRs and RBIs.

I'm not saying Miggy is a lock for MVP, but I think he has a better chance than you think.

Not to mention, there are still over 50 games yet to be played....basically 1/3 of the season left.

In general, the guys who smack 40+ HRs with 130-140 RBIs, while hitting in the .330 range tend to win MVP awards.

Chicks (and MVP voters) dig the long ball.

That said, I really enjoy watching Mike Trout play....dude is a phenom.

This.

Nothing against Trout, but Cabrera has the type of numbers that make him a more enticing MVP candidate. He's a masher, and he's mashing.

A couple of things to remember with 1/3 of the season left to play. End of season standings play a huge part in the MVP voting. Tiger's are .750 since the All-Star break, Angels are under .500. Whichever team finishes out stronger gives their candidate a huge advantage. Additionally, don't underestimate the power of Trout being a rookie working against him.

[SouthStndJunkie]

http://www.freep.com/article/2012080...ws|text|Sports

Drew Sharp: Tigers' Miguel Cabrera crushes foes in MVP chase

[houghtam]

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

http://www.freep.com/article/2012080...ws|text|Sports

Drew Sharp: Tigers' Miguel Cabrera crushes foes in MVP chase

It's definitely nice to see him getting even better after his issues with alcohol. Here's to hoping those are resolved once and for all. Very difficult to find anyone squeaky clean anymore in professional sports, and with a three year old who's far more into baseball than football, that's becoming very important to me. Cabrera's fun to watch and follow. Hell, despite underachieving for half the season, this entire Tigers team is very likable and I think the chemistry will only get better as we move forward.

WTF is going to happen when Victor Martinez returns next year? I suppose at that point getting rid of Young wouldn't be a big deal after all. #firstworldproblems

[TheChamp24]

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

Miggy also has more hits, more doubles, and more walks in addition to HRs and RBIs.

I'm not saying Miggy is a lock for MVP, but I think he has a better chance than you think.

Not to mention, there are still over 50 games yet to be played....basically 1/3 of the season left.

In general, the guys who smack 40+ HRs with 130-140 RBIs, while hitting in the .330 range tend to win MVP awards.

Chicks (and MVP voters) dig the long ball.

That said, I really enjoy watching Mike Trout play....dude is a phenom.

Cabrera also has roughly 90 more plate appearances, 20ish more games played.
Average, Trout
OBP, Trout
Slugging, Trout
OPS, Trout
Runs scored, Trout
Steals, Trout
Triples, Trout

HR's, Cabrera
RBI's, Cabrera
Doubles, Cabrera
Hits, Cabrera

Not to mention Trout is loads better defensively than Cabrera.

Yes, Cabrera is putting up awesome numbers and playing extremely well. There is just simply a better candidate right now in Trout who is even playing better. Its like the Bonds-Pujols MVP wars where Pujols would put up crazy numbers, but Bonds put up even crazier numbers.

Originally Posted by houghtam

This.

Nothing against Trout, but Cabrera has the type of numbers that make him a more enticing MVP candidate. He's a masher, and he's mashing.

A couple of things to remember with 1/3 of the season left to play. End of season standings play a huge part in the MVP voting. Tiger's are .750 since the All-Star break, Angels are under .500. Whichever team finishes out stronger gives their candidate a huge advantage. Additionally, don't underestimate the power of Trout being a rookie working against him.

If Trout slows down, which he hasn't really, then I can see Cabrera winning.

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

http://www.freep.com/article/2012080...ws|text|Sports

Drew Sharp: Tigers' Miguel Cabrera crushes foes in MVP chase

What a surprise, a piece advocating for Cabrera written by a Detroit writer.

Yes, Cabrera is a candidate, but Trout has the advantage.

[houghtam]

Only 2 ROY/MVP winners in history. Trout won't make 3 unless he far outperforms Cabrera. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Curtis Granderson hit his 30th HR of the season tonight.

He's not having a monster season like he did last year, but he will probably still end up with 110+ runs scored, 40+ HRs and 100 RBIs.

He isn't getting as many doubles, triples, and stolen bases as normal and is striking out way too much to go along with a .244 average.

I root for Curtis to do well. An absolutely good and genuine guy who always has a smile on his face and seems to be enjoying the moment.

[houghtam]

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

Curtis Granderson hit his 30th HR of the season tonight.

He's not having a monster season like he did last year, but he will probably still end up with 110+ runs scored, 40+ HRs and 100 RBIs.

He isn't getting as many doubles, triples, and stolen bases as normal and is striking out way too much to go along with a .244 average.

I root for Curtis to do well. An absolutely good and genuine guy who always has a smile on his face and seems to be enjoying the moment.

I grew to dislike Granderson while he was here. Too many strikeouts for a leadoff hitter. Turns out perhaps the Tigers were using him incorrectly, and maybe he's not really a leadoff hitter after all. I mean, he can do it if needed, but his real strength is giving a huge power and speed combo in the middle of the lineup.

Seeing him turn into this type of player, much of the animosity I had for him is now gone. Now I only hate him because he's a goddamn Yankee.

[Drunken.Broncoholic]

Giants just destroyed the cardinals. Man their offense is so jekyll and Hyde. Can't buy a hit one game, raking grand slams in the next.

[SouthStndJunkie]

****ing Joaquin Benoit gave up 2 HRs to the Yankees in the top of the 8th inning to blow a 3-2 lead....Yankees are now up 4-3 going to the bottom of the 8th inning.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Originally Posted by houghtam

I grew to dislike Granderson while he was here. Too many strikeouts for a leadoff hitter. Turns out perhaps the Tigers were using him incorrectly, and maybe he's not really a leadoff hitter after all. I mean, he can do it if needed, but his real strength is giving a huge power and speed combo in the middle of the lineup.

Seeing him turn into this type of player, much of the animosity I had for him is now gone. Now I only hate him because he's a goddamn Yankee.

Of course, batting left handed in Yankees Stadium, with that short porch in right field, has really helped Granderson's HR totals since he was traded to the Yankees.

[socalorado]

Originally Posted by TheChamp24

Cabrera also has roughly 90 more plate appearances, 20ish more games played.
Average, Trout
OBP, Trout
Slugging, Trout
OPS, Trout
Runs scored, Trout
Steals, Trout
Triples, Trout

HR's, Cabrera
RBI's, Cabrera
Doubles, Cabrera
Hits, Cabrera

Not to mention Trout is loads better defensively than Cabrera.

Yes, Cabrera is putting up awesome numbers and playing extremely well. There is just simply a better candidate right now in Trout who is even playing better. Its like the Bonds-Pujols MVP wars where Pujols would put up crazy numbers, but Bonds put up even crazier numbers.



If Trout slows down, which he hasn't really, then I can see Cabrera winning.



What a surprise, a piece advocating for Cabrera written by a Detroit writer.

Yes, Cabrera is a candidate, but Trout has the advantage.

Agreed. Trout is simply the better overall player in almost every way and was called up as a rook 1/3 into the season. Thats incredible.
However, the real crime will be that Cabrerra will win the MVP if the Angels dont make the playoffs and DET does.
Its just pathetic, but Scoscia should be fired (and then hung) if this happens.

[houghtam]

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

Of course, batting left handed in Yankees Stadium, with that short porch in right field, has really helped Granderson's HR totals since he was traded to the Yankees.

For sure. I'm thinking though that he'd probably still be around 25-30 for last year.

Let's put it another way: he's definitely NOT a leadoff hitter, so whatever his role is now, he's settled into that quite nicely. Good for him, but I still hate him now.