2013 MLB Thread

[SaintPaulWarrior]

As a White Sox fan, I regrettably agree. This year, hopefully new GM Hahn will replenish the farm system by trading Peavy, Thornton, Crain and possibly Konerko and Dunn.

And the error machine called Alexei Ramirez.

[MerrittsMustache]

As a White Sox fan, I regrettably agree. This year, hopefully new GM Hahn will replenish the farm system by trading Peavy, Thornton, Crain and possibly Konerko and Dunn.

And the error machine called Alexei Ramirez.

The Sox would get something back for those guys but not enough to come anywhere close to replenishing the farm system.

[🏀]

The Score is reporting the entire Sox roster is up for sale except for Sale and Konerko.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

The Score is reporting the entire Sox roster is up for sale except for Sale and Konerko.

As a White Sox fan I love it!  Reinsdorf would never trade Konerko.

[tower912]

Unless Detroit collectively grows a set, Cleveland is going to win the central.    Right now, Detroit is incapable of getting a clutch hit, getting a big out, or making the big defensive play.     Two hitters on the team are driving in runs, the bullpen is leaky.    Francona has the Indians playing loose and is getting the most out of his talent.    Now that Raburn is no longer the whipping boy for everything that went wrong in Detroit up to and including Hoffa, it turns out he is a decent hitter.  Cleveland has the momentum right now and Detroit has feet of clay.    80 games to get it sorted out. 

[Otule's Glass Eye]

Unless Detroit collectively grows a set, Cleveland is going to win the central.    Right now, Detroit is incapable of getting a clutch hit, getting a big out, or making the big defensive play.     Two hitters on the team are driving in runs, the bullpen is leaky.    Francona has the Indians playing loose and is getting the most out of his talent.    Now that Raburn is no longer the whipping boy for everything that went wrong in Detroit up to and including Hoffa, it turns out he is a decent hitter.  Cleveland has the momentum right now and Detroit has feet of clay.    80 games to get it sorted out. 

The battle of maybe the two worst cities in America.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The battle of maybe the two worst cities in America.

Cleveland not nearly as bad

[buckchuckler]

As a White Sox fan, I regrettably agree. This year, hopefully new GM Hahn will replenish the farm system by trading Peavy, Thornton, Crain and possibly Konerko and Dunn.

You missed their biggest trade chips.  Rios and Ramirez. 

[Lennys Tap]

You missed their biggest trade chips.  Rios and Ramirez. 

Back up the truck.

[buckchuckler]

The Sox would get something back for those guys but not enough to come anywhere close to replenishing the farm system.

I don't actually think their farm system is as bad as advertised.  AAA is just about a wasteland.  The only guys they have there are a C -- Josh Phegley who is hitting .317 with a .967 OPS.  And Andre Rienzo.  He started the season horribly but has turned it on his last 7-8 starts. 

They have some interesting OFers at AA Trayce Thompson (brother of Warrior Mychael Thompson), and Keeynan Walker, though Walker is having a bad season.  They have some great arms at AA, in Erik Johnson (8-2 2.23 ERA, close to 1 K/9 and sub 1 WHIP, throws 96 -- he was just promoted to AAA)  Nick McCully is having a great season, though he does not have the pedigree that Johnson does.  They also have a host of solid arms for the bullpen there. 

Everyone else is too far away to consider, but one guy needs to be mentioned, Micah Johnson, a 2B at Kannapolis, he is hitting .342, but already has 61 steals.  Yikes! 

Also remember that the Sox farm system was called the worst in baseball before last season, then guys from that worst farm system made major contributions.  See, Jose Quintana, Addison Reed, Nate Jones, Dylan Axelrod and Hector Santiago.  Maybe not superstars, but major contributors for sure. 

[keefe]

Not to change the subject but I'm watching the Puig segment on SC and I noticed the Dodgers have a new road uni where Los Angeles is written out in script a la Dodgers/Brooklyn. Looks strange. when did they switch to that look?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Not to change the subject but I'm watching the Puig segment on SC and I noticed the Dodgers have a new road uni where Los Angeles is written out in script a la Dodgers/Brooklyn. Looks strange. when did they switch to that look?

I don't care for the doyers, so I don't follow them much, but I believe they went to that look quite awhile ago...years.  

[keefe]

I don't care for the doyers, so I don't follow them much, but I believe they went to that look quite awhile ago...years.  

Oh well, shows what I know. Being an O's fan and living in Seattle I don't get much chance to see the senior circuit. I really don't care for that new road uni. The simple Dodgers script is a classic look. I especially like the red number on the front. A rather deft touch, actually. I should have guessed that you being an OC guy you would follow the Halos.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Oh well, shows what I know. Being an O's fan and living in Seattle I don't get much chance to see the senior circuit. I really don't care for that new road uni. The simple Dodgers script is a classic look. I especially like the red number on the front. A rather deft touch, actually. I should have guessed that you being an OC guy you would follow the Halos.

Looks like 1999

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/history/uniforms_logos.jsp


I follow the Halos for two reasons.  My family is close to Mike Scioscia...my mom taught all his kids in Catholic grade school.  Second, I used to work for the Halos, ironically during the era when Terry Collins was the manager, followed by Joe Madden and then Mike Scioscia...so that was a huge delight when Mike became the manager.  Class act all the way around. 

[keefe]

Looks like 1999

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/history/uniforms_logos.jsp


I follow the Halos for two reasons.  My family is close to Mike Scioscia...my mom taught all his kids in Catholic grade school.  Second, I used to work for the Halos, ironically during the era when Terry Collins was the manager, followed by Joe Madden and then Mike Scioscia...so that was a huge delight when Mike became the manager.  Class act all the way around. 

Hell, nice find. I had never noticed the uni change. I still prefer the classic look. I am guessing MLB didn't like it for some obtuse reason.

I have never liked the Halos. They were irrelevant until Autry bought them and I didn't like the way he and Steinbrenner upset the economics of MLB. It used to be that market size was not a significant factor in competitiveness. Cities like KC, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee fielded highly competitive squads but the economic reality of baseball has shifted toward manifest imbalance. Of course location plays into those decisions; when LA signed Don Stanhouse away from the O's he said the reason was women, women, and women. 

I have always liked Scioscia as he seems like a stellar gent. Of course I base that only on observing his demeanor during games and interviews but he is the antithesis to Kirk Gibson. He's been the Angels' Skipper forever now.

I remember a story about when Scioscia got called up and replaced Yeager. Yeager complained to Lasorda that he was the better player because Scioscia couldn't hit. Yeager accused Lasorda of starting Scioscia because Scioscia was from Little Italy in Philly. Lasorda replied that was BS. He told Yeager he started Scoiscia because he, Lasorda, was from Little Italy in Philly. 

[bilsu]

You know it is a serious list when UT-Arlington is on it.

His parents want him to play close to home.  He is not going to come to Milwaukee.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

I don't actually think their farm system is as bad as advertised.  AAA is just about a wasteland.   

AAA, as far as the Sox system, is not usually stacked.   They are mostly guys who are not going to make it and it is pretty much the same in most organIzations.  AA are where the studs are at especially in the Soxes system.

[GGGG]

Article on the Brewers, their meager farm system, and troubled future.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/67678/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-milwaukee-brewers

Hypothesis is that the downfall started when Jack Zduriencik left.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I remember a story about when Scioscia got called up and replaced Yeager. Yeager complained to Lasorda that he was the better player because Scioscia couldn't hit. Yeager accused Lasorda of starting Scioscia because Scioscia was from Little Italy in Philly. Lasorda replied that was BS. He told Yeager he started Scoiscia because he, Lasorda, was from Little Italy in Philly. 

A few hours with Mike is pretty awesome.  He comes across as very measured and reserved on television, but he can spin a yarn of baseball stories.  It's pretty awesome.  Here is Chico's mom and him on the field last year as I surprised her when she flew in and we went to a game.  She hadn't seen him or Anne (his wife) in about 5 years.  He's a delight.  Went to the game last night....a ton of fun and great 9th inning.  Go Halos (tough season, hope to get it going)

[GGGG]

She needs a new jersey.

[NavinRJohnson]

Article on the Brewers, their meager farm system, and troubled future.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/67678/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-milwaukee-brewers

Hypothesis is that the downfall started when Jack Zduriencik left.

No question losing Jack Z. and several others hurt, and there is no question that this season is one of those years where nothing has gone right. I also thinks they have drafted too much on need - pitching - which seems to be such a crapshoot. All of that said, they're still likely to continue to get 3 million through the door every year, and have a pretty solid core of young position players that can build around in Braun, Segura, Gomez, LuCroy, Aioke. Pitching is obviously a huge issue, but I love the idea of trading Gallardo, KRod, Lohse, etc. for some top pitching prospects, and you can probably be competitive again in fairly short order - especially as payroll decreases, and they gain the ability to fill in with free agents. Do they have the baseball men under Melvin to get it done? We're gonna find out.

I also thinking is just too easy to overlook the losses they've suffered, for which there just is no equal replacement. They lost a Cy Young pitcher, and HoF player in Fielder, (and immediately lost his replacement, and the team's top prospect to injury (two years in a row)). Teams like the Cardinals are extremely unique in their ability to recover from losses like that.

[MerrittsMustache]

No question losing Jack Z. and several others hurt, and there is no question that this season is one of those years where nothing has gone right. I also thinks they have drafted too much on need - pitching - which seems to be such a crapshoot. All of that said, they're still likely to continue to get 3 million through the door every year, and have a pretty solid core of young position players that can build around in Braun, Segura, Gomez, LuCroy, Aioke. Pitching is obviously a huge issue, but I love the idea of trading Gallardo, KRod, Lohse, etc. for some top pitching prospects, and you can probably be competitive again in fairly short order - especially as payroll decreases, and they gain the ability to fill in with free agents. Do they have the baseball men under Melvin to get it done? We're gonna find out.

I also thinking is just too easy to overlook the losses they've suffered, for which there just is no equal replacement. They lost a Cy Young pitcher, and HoF player in Fielder, (and immediately lost his replacement, and the team's top prospect to injury (two years in a row)). Teams like the Cardinals are extremely unique in their ability to recover from losses like that.

John Schuerholz once said that his strategy for building a winner was to first, draft a room full of pitchers and second, draft a room full of pitchers. Bottom line: Crapshoot or not, you should never worry about having too much pitching.

Gallardo, K-Rod and Lohse should all be traded but you may want to temper your expectations on what the Brewers would get in return. K-Rod and Lohse aren't going to bring back and top-level prospects and Gallardo is having the worst season of his career.

[ChicosBailBonds]

She needs a new jersey.

  Yeah, I need to get her a new one this year... Torii one of our all-time favorites.  Hell, my wife wore her Adam Kennedy jersey last night and my daughter her Vlad Guerrero jersey.   Looks like I need to get them all some new duds. 

[MerrittsMustache]

  Yeah, I need to get her a new one this year... Torii one of our all-time favorites.  Hell, my wife wore her Adam Kennedy jersey last night and my daughter her Vlad Guerrero jersey.   Looks like I need to get them all some new duds. 

That's why you need to go with throwbacks. They never become outdated. Stay away from the big name/HOFers though. An old school California Angels Jim Abbott, Bobby Grich or Mark Langston jersey would suffice.

[Lennys Tap]

A few hours with Mike is pretty awesome.  He comes across as very measured and reserved on television, but he can spin a yarn of baseball stories.  It's pretty awesome.  Here is Chico's mom and him on the field last year as I surprised her when she flew in and we went to a game.  She hadn't seen him or Anne (his wife) in about 5 years.  He's a delight.  Went to the game last night....a ton of fun and great 9th inning.  Go Halos (tough season, hope to get it going)

Not a big fan of the "adult dressed in pro sports jersey" look. Like your Mom's Asics, though. Is she a runner?