Major League Baseball: 2012 Season

[CMvan46]

As I said, neither of you have played a professional sport and haven't a clue how grueling it is, especially minor league baseball. If you can't perform in under less than favorable conditions, you won't make it very far. It is baseball.

No not professional but played both hockey and baseball at quite highly competitive levels. Did you play pro?

I can tell you 100% i played a lot worse on nights I didn't get much sleep or played tournaments where we had a late Saturday game and an early Sunday game. That is only magnified at the pro level where the slimmest of differences have huge impacts. Minor or pro it doesn't matter, on day 2 of a road trip you should never be playing at 8 am. There is no excuse for that.

Different sport but when the Canucks played Dallas a few years ago they had a 10 am game (like 8am Vancouver time) and they didn't get in to Dallas until 3 am the night before because of overtime. Both teams played extremely sloppy and complained because of the lack of sleep.

It's not a physical thing so much as a mental fatigue that happens. When your tired nobody is as mentally sharp as when they are fully rested and add to that the enormous need for extreme focus in professional sports and the problems only compound. Sleep, scheduling, food, and travel times all play a major factor in all professional sports. Most major pro teams even have doctors on staff who are specialists in sleep to keep them as rested and as sharp as possible.

 

[JohnBM01]

The Astros forgot what winning baseball is all about. Nine straight losses now after the latest fail- a 7-1 blowout at home against the Brewers. Oh, and the Cubs won at the Mets so... we're now the NL Central doormat. It's a damned shame, people. I think we went from being just one game from the .500 mark... to falling like a rock. Astros are 32-52 on the season so far. If the losing continues, we may well be in contention of surpassing the Cleveland Spiders for longest losing streak (they lost 24 straight) in MLB history.


Enjoy this final weekend before the All-Star Break. My Astros may well need the entire break to figure out how to win games and then play like they can compete for (at least) a Wild Card berth.

 

[Prosthetic]

I hate the tough guy attitude in sports.. Its nothing but obnoxious. I'm not saying its why we lost, there is a reason why games don't start that early normally.. Why did they do it this time. I can never remember a 11AM start time on the west coast.. EVER.

Anyways, anyone follow MLB Memes on FB? I've come to the conclusion that the people that make them know absolutely nothing about baseball.

 

[JohnBM01]

Feels great to win again! It was 6-3 as my Astros came through. A big story of the game was Zack Greinke getting ejected from the game for spiking the ball in trying to cover first base to get an Out call. The Astros player was safe, then Zack Greinke took the ball and spiked it to the ground, and later was ejected from the game. Only four pitches hurled by Zach (who took the loss). Wandy Rodriguez won for Houston along with a Brett Myers Save. So... I'm happy we won! We can either go into the All-Star Break on a two-game winning streak, or start a new losing streak. Rubber Game tomorrow afternoon here in H-Town.


How about you all?

 

[Patrick]

We beat Baltimore 3-0. Jered Weaver threw 8 shut out innings allowing only 3 hits.

 

[CodeRedR51]

5-3 win over the Dodgers.

Hopefully we keep this up, although Bauer is on the mound again tomorrow.

Side note: Jason Kubel is a MONSTER this year.

 

[Patrick]

He's also 10-1 with a 1.96 ERA.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I think the ejection of the Brewer's starting pitcher was utter BS.

 

[BobK]

So the Phillies drop another one, and are now 12 games under .500. I realize this isn't as bad as the Astros for instance (not trying to single the Astros out) but perhaps more important is the fact that they're 6-24 over the last 30 games. That's a .200 record. That's a pace that'll get you 130 losses over the course of a full season (or 129, depending on how you round things).

 

[Blitz24]

So the Phillies drop another one, and are now 12 games under .500. I realize this isn't as bad as the Astros for instance (not trying to single the Astros out) but perhaps more important is the fact that they're 6-24 over the last 30 games. That's a .200 record. That's a pace that'll get you 130 losses over the course of a full season (or 129, depending on how you round things).

There was something bandied about that the Phillies should trade Cole Hamels for Derek Holland and Nelson Cruz. I think they should push for that deal.

 

[JohnBM01]

This one went into extra innings. The Astros are 0-7 in extra inning games this season (0-2 at home in extra innings). We just basically gave up in the tenth inning, failing 5-3 and going to 33-53 heading into the All-Star Break. The Astros will go on a SF-SD-ARI road trip after the festivities in Kansas City. Maybe the All-Star Break couldn't come soon enough for my boys. It was Parra who won for MIL along with an Axford save. F. Rodriguez was the HOU loser. Solid pitching by the Brewers in this game. I'll hand them that. But... I won't hand them much else in us getting beat in a tight game.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Bauer did a hell of a job today. Only gave up 2 hits, no runs allowed.

Score currently 7-0 top of the 8th.

Edit: 7-1 final score.

 

[Blitz24]

Bauer did a hell of a job today. Only gave up 2 hits, no runs allowed.

Score currently 7-0 top of the 8th.

Edit: 7-1 final score.

The ONE TIME I choose not to start him. Sigh.

Did well though. Hope he can keep it up.

 

[Patrick]

The All Stars starters are Matt Cain and Verlander. R.A. Dickey should start, though.

 

[JohnBM01]

Balls will be flying out in Kansas City tonight. It's the Home Run Derby as part of the All-Star Break. Congrats to whomever wins this year's crown.

 

[Blitz24]

The All Stars starters are Matt Cain and Verlander. R.A. Dickey should start, though.

Oh yes. He should have started. Second time a Giant beats out a Met. No disrespect to Cain, but Dickey would have been a better choice in terms of preparation. I don't know how much experience these AL Batters have against the knuckleball but then to switch it to hard heaters could be difficult to adjust.

The reason I heard though is so that they don't embarrass (surprise) Buster Posey, who has experience catching Cain but none (duh) catching Dickey. Ruiz will be brought in when Dickey comes in.

 

[Prosthetic]

There was something bandied about that the Phillies should trade Cole Hamels for Derek Holland and Nelson Cruz. I think they should push for that deal.

Why would the Phillies want Holland and Cruz? If the Phillies part with Hamels, they are looking at prospects. Blue chip prospects. Not a fringe 5th starter and a 31 year old under performing corner outfielder.

Oh yes. He should have started. Second time a Giant beats out a Met.

Oh waaa. All Mets fan said in 09' was to vote more often. Now that we voted and got our players in all I hear is Mets fans crying. No one had any choice in this, TLR is delusional if he thinks Posey can't handle a knuckler.

No disrespect to Cain, but Dickey would have been a better choice in terms of preparation.

Cain is every bit as good as Dickey is, if not better as he has more history of success. Is Dickeys numbers better this year? Yeah, but its not like Cain has been terrible.

I don't know how much experience these AL Batters have against the knuckleball but then to switch it to hard heaters could be difficult to adjust.

Tim Wakefield...

The reason I heard though is so that they don't embarrass (surprise) Buster Posey, who has experience catching Cain but none (duh) catching Dickey. Ruiz will be brought in when Dickey comes in.

The thing is.. Posey can catch Timmy, and Timmy is probably every bit as difficult as Dicky is. With timmy you have 5 different pitches with 20 different movements and velocities, and you have no idea where its going. Timmys movement is more violent. Molina is probably the only better active ball blocker, but he has a ton more experience so its kind of unfair to compare.

I don't see how Ruiz is better 'equipped' then Posey. It makes no sense, because as far as I'm aware he has no experience either. But what ever.. I find all the complaining freakin' hilarious.

 

[Omnis]

Kinda disappointed that no Marlins are playing. Stanton and his knee. Jeez.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Selection for the ASG sucks.

 

[tfed]

Dickey is more of a non traditional knuckleballer in the sense that he uses his fastball and curve more than traditional "knucklers". So with that being said, i dont think anyone on the NL squad would have any problem catching him.......but anyone remeber doug marabeli? Tim wakefields personal catcher. In 06 they traded josh bard (high c prospect at the time),cla meredith and $100,000 in midseason just to acquire marabeli to be wakefield personal catcher again cause no else could catch him

 

[tfed]

Selection for the ASG sucks.

How so? Its voted on by the fans. Minus a few spots. Its an exhibition showcasing MLB's talent. Yeah its a popularity contest. But for the most part its the fan's "fault"

 

[Prosthetic]

Dickey is more of a non traditional knuckleballer in the sense that he uses his fastball and curve more than traditional "knucklers". So with that being said, i dont think anyone on the NL squad would have any problem catching him.......but anyone remeber doug marabeli? Tim wakefields personal catcher. In 06 they traded josh bard (high c prospect at the time),cla meredith and $100,000 in midseason just to acquire marabeli to be wakefield personal catcher again cause no else could catch him

Doug Mirabelli* Hehe. Yes, I remember him. I have a photo with him somewhere in our house. Was drafted by the Giants and played as a back up for a number of years.

You're right though.

 

[Patrick]

Kinda disappointed that no Marlins are playing. Stanton and his knee. Jeez.

Yeah, I really wanted to see him in the HR Derby.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Yeah its a popularity contest. But for the most part its the fan's "fault"

Exactly.

 

[Blitz24]

Can't let the fans do anything these days.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Should be based purely on numbers, and not a popularity vote.

 

[Patrick]

There will still be snubs. We'll never be able to make everyone happy.

 

[Barra333]

The flaw I see in the selection process is that it is massively weighted to players from teams with big fan bases (eg Yankees). That means that a player from a smaller market team has to massively outperform his big market counterpart to make the team simply because so many ballots are blindly filled out based on team affiliation.
On that note, I wonder how many votes Adam Lind got based solely on being the Blue Jays 2B candidate when the ballot forms were printed, even though he spent most of the ballot period in AAA?

Having said that the fairest way would be to have players/press vote for the team, but that seriously kills the fan involvement part of the ASG process.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I don't know, I guess I'm just upset that the only player from my team that made it was Wade Miley, when there are a couple other guys that deserve to be there too. (Hill, Kubel)

 

[JohnBM01]

Congratulations to Prince Fielder on winning the Home Run Derby last night. Tonight, though...


All-Star Game TONIGHT!

It's the American League vs. the National League for the 83rd time. Or in the words of our own Omnis, it's money (AL) vs. baseball (NL). At stake is home-field advantage in the World Series. Who wins this year's All-Star Game: the AL or the NL? Good luck to both sides.