Baseball Season has started in the USA

[jimandr]

I thought the AL West was a weak division, and Seattle had strengthened themselves a lot with the addition of Cliff Lee. But their pitching didn't have much depth past Lee and Felix, which meant the bats had to produce. They didn't. Now the Lee has been traded, they have given up as well.

Lee is a good pickup for Texas, but history has shown that teams with good, but not great bats, and pitching that is only average often fade away when the pressure of the pennant race kicks in. Having said that, I'd like to see Texas make it just to break a long losing streak.

Boston are a good playoff team, but their biggest challenge is to make it. Yankees should win the division, and the AL East is quite strong, so racking up enough wins to get the wild card will be the battle.

[McMw]

I only got caught up last year when there were showing nothing but the Yankee games Saturday/Sunday morning's and following them every since!!! I don't follow much of the other teams going around, so just rooting for the Yanks!!!

Batting line up doesn't seem as strong this year with the lost of Godzilla, Burnett very inconsistent this year, and the reliefs all sux!!!

MO's A-W-E-S-O-M-E tho!!! 40yo and still pitching it at the 90s...WOW!!!

[Johnny Canuck]

Check out this catch, awesome!

[henno]

Clearly that's a ninja in the offseason.

[Johnny Canuck]

Too bad his team didn't have black uniforms.

[macjackass]

I don't know which of those two was better!

[Johnny Canuck]

The first had the "flashy: factor, but the second took unreal balance and timing. Both were awesome.

[jimandr]

Can I just say how good it was to have a Friday off work today, then wake up after a sleep-in to find TWO live baseball games on my TV at the same time (and neither of them on ESPN, which has Yankees v Boston tomorrow).

From what I saw, both Phillies/Florida and Giants/Braves were good games, with high quality pitching.

Life can be good sometimes (but then I has to spend an hour waiting to get my driver's licence renewed, so that brought me down a bit).

[MegaWatty]

Not a huge baseball fan so I won't post much in here.

But how bad was that foul call today?!?!?!

[McMw]

But how bad was that foul call today?!?!?!

and his retaliatory remark was a JOKE!!!

[jimandr]

I thought one of the other baseball followers might have bumped this thread, being playoff season and very quiet in most other sports at the moment.

This is my favourite time of the year, with three playoff games occurring every day, and all on our Tv's.

Before today's results, I fancied Yankees over Minnesota, Phillies over Reds, Tampa over Texas and Giants over Braves.

I taped Phillies/Reds and Yankees/Twins, but I saw the result of the Phillies game by accident, so I only watched the Yankees game. It was a good game, but typical Yankees baseball.

Even though the Twins looked good today, the Yankees were able to beat their ace pitcher, so I think their bats will see them home.

Not a bad effort by Roy Halliday for the Phillies though. Only the second no-hitter in post season history.

[Johnny Canuck]

Roy Halladay is the man. All class.

[McMw]

Wow - CC got lucky, but Wow - what a comeback by the Yankees!!!
Can't wait for G2 this morning (4am start!!!)

[terrys]

its ground hog day. Yanks down 5-0 again, but have one back now.

[jimandr]

Wow. No baseball posts for four years.

I thought we had a more recent MLB thread, but this is all I could find, apart from discussion of the SCG season opener this year.

Nevertheless, some other thread discussion showed that a few posters were watching the playoffs, so I think it is worth bringing this thread back from the dead.

Some big things happening in baseball right now.

For me it was great seeing the Dodgers getting knocked out. Coupled with the demise of the Yankees, this was further proof that you cannot buy championships in baseball.

[pt73]

SF Giants win, the dynasty continues.

[jimandr]

Yep. While I wasn't actually waving my Giants orange Rally Rag (but I do have one), I was cheering them on, while not being too upset if the Cinderella Story that is Kansas City got up.

Strange World Series, and post-season in general. The old formula of superior starting pitching seems to be being replaced by superior relief pitching, but it is still timely hitting and high quality defence that wins more than old-style home run mashing (that often goes quiet against the best pitching). Both teams had that, even though their starters didn't deliver.

Madison Bumgarner will be an even richer man someday when he eventually becomes a free agent. Three times he has helped win the pennant for the Giants. What a star.

[pt73]

I would have been bummed if the Giants had lost but the Royals showed real heart to keep coming back. After we dusted them 5-0 in Game 5 I figured we would roll over them in Game 6 given our experience but they stepped up big time.

My son said Bumgarner's 2014 contract was around 750K but 2015 will be 11m, I've never seen pitching like that and the guy never shows any real emotion even when he gets behind. He's so laid back I don't think anything gets to him.

His post season stats were just amazing and Pablo's post season hitting was crucial.

I agree on the formula change, there were very few homers in this year's World Series compared to 2014 or previous years.

[jimandr]

So, another year passes with no baseball comments, but I've been watching all year.

Not an enormous degree of change, actually. Kansas in the Series again, Dodgers and St Louis make the playoffs but no further, and a team without a massive payroll will win it.

I'd like Kansas City to win but I think it will be the Mets. They have the perfect end of season formula of great pitching, good defence and guys who get on base.

Should be a classic.

Starts tomorrow just in case some are wondering why I'm posting.

[jimandr]

Another double post? I swear I only pressed the button once.

Can I think of anything else to add? Yes, I'm glad the Yankees failed again.

[oldracer]

Go Royals, had both boys in Kansas for a few years and the locals LUV their sport. I think the Royals pen will hold whatever lead their hitters put up, read that KC hitters were many points above everyone else against pitching 95 and above....ala Mets, hardest throwing rotation around. Should be a great series, KC running game will test D'Arnaud

[Jazz18]

Can't believe the Blue Jays aren't in the WS given how well they played all year. Still got a Joe Carter t-shirt from 1993 I think when they played the Phillies in the WS. I'm guessing their great rookies didn't fire under the pressure of postseason play. Don't mind who wins it this year. Either team is cool. I'm with you Jim, anyone but the Yankees (and the Red Sox!) but prefer the National League so will have to go for the Mets. Probably shouldn't though as I'm really a Braves fan!

[oldracer]

Can't believe the Blue Jays aren't in the WS given how well they played all year. Still got a Joe Carter t-shirt from 1993 I think when they played the Phillies in the WS. I'm guessing their great rookies didn't fire under the pressure of postseason play. Don't mind who wins it this year. Either team is cool. I'm with you Jim, anyone but the Yankees (and the Red Sox!) but prefer the National League so will have to go for the Mets. Probably shouldn't though as I'm really a Braves fan!

David Price 0-9 in post season I think, KC hitters are pretty good, very patient, bit like the Sawx of old

[Jazz18]

Just watching it now actually. Harvey looks awesome on the mound. Can't wait to see DeGrom pitch as well. Boy that kid can throw. Just wish he'd cut his bloody hair!

[oldracer]

Just watching it now actually. Harvey looks awesome on the mound. Can't wait to see DeGrom pitch as well. Boy that kid can throw. Just wish he'd cut his bloody hair!

he's cutting it after the WS