The Official MLB Thread

[MistaNova]

Just came home from Yankees Stadium. Saw the awesome combo that was CC-Robertson-Mo and Zoilo Almonte continue to come up big. Not to mention seeing Wells come back from the dead.
I also got a huge sunburn on my face and arms and a pair of free sunglasses. And boy do I wish that my camera hadn't died during the 8th since I really wanted to take a pic of Mo.

[Hack Wilson - real]

Just came home from Yankees Stadium. Saw the awesome combo that was CC-Robertson-Mo and Zoilo Almonte continue to come up big. Not to mention seeing Wells come back from the dead.
I also got a huge sunburn on my face and arms and a pair of free sunglasses. And boy do I wish that my camera hadn't died during the 8th since I really wanted to take a pic of Mo.

that grand slam was some BS...if gardner let it go it would have only been a triple lol

[MistaNova]

that grand slam was some BS...if gardner let it go it would have only been a triple lol

True but if anyone can take away hits it's Gardner (remember what he did in the Subway Series?), can't knock him for trying. Plus in the end a win's a win and I'll take it whenever I can.

[MistaNova]

With the latest A-Rod related controversy I've now finally realized that Alex Rodriguez haters are pathetic.

[Remedy360]

With the latest A-Rod related controversy I've now finally realized that Alex Rodriguez haters are pathetic.

Are you alluding to Brian Cashman?

[MistaNova]

To an extent yes. I was referring more to the media that seems to be after A-Rod and goes out of it's way to soil his name even further.
Like shortly after that Twitter thing happened the media and it's anti A-Rod stance was in full effect and the "fans" all ate it up.

And to be fair IMO the only people who are allowed to shit on A-Rod are Mariners fans. I don't include the Rangers because he didn't leave, he was traded and the Rangers got a pretty decent bat in Soriano.

[Remedy360]

To an extent yes. I was referring more to the media that seems to be after A-Rod and goes out of it's way to soil his name even further.
Like shortly after that Twitter thing happened the media and it's anti A-Rod stance was in full effect and the "fans" all ate it up.

And to be fair IMO the only people who are allowed to shit on A-Rod are Mariners fans. I don't include the Rangers because he didn't leave, he was traded and the Rangers got a pretty decent bat in Soriano.

The funny thing is, the whole perception of A-Rod being a douche didn't exist AT ALL in Seattle (before he left obviously). For instance, Griffey was known to be really difficult with the media at times and rubbed some teammates the wrong way, but you never heard anything like that about A-Rod. One of the talk radio guys here says he was one of the more friendly athletes he ever dealt with covering the team, and I remember when he first came back here with Texas guys like Mike Cameron and Mark McLemore were defending him left and right hoping the fans wouldn't boo him. It's not like he wasn't great here either, got screwed out of the MVP his first full season and was a superstar every year after that. It would be interesting to go back and see when exactly shit changed, I don't really know if it's more him or the media, likely a combination of both.

[MistaNova]

I'd say 75% of it is the, New York, media and 25% is him personally.
I think the whole anti-A Rod thing started happening when he came to New York. I know a lot of Yankees fans and writers never really gave him a chance because they were worried that he was going to take the SS position from Jesus Christ.
When he "admitted" to using steroids is probably where the whole thing really took off since people seem to immediately consider drug users in the mlb to be vile terrible people for some reason. The moment he got that bloated contract was probably the straw that broke the Carmel's back.
And to a point I really feel sorry for A-Rod. Dude's obviously socially awkward, yet he's put in some of the most mentally demanding places imaginable. Casual baseball fans seem to really hate the guy even though he is/was one of the greatest baseball players of all time and Yankees fans are pretty much on the fence. 50% of them hate him and want him traded to Japan, the other 50% hopes he can regain his past self and eventually become the all time home run leader.

And speaking of A-Rod, apparently he thinks the Yankees are holding him back from getting back to the field. And I think that might be happening since if A-Rod doesn't play the Yankees have a chance to say they don't want to pay him because he didn't play a single game for them, I dunno if it'd work but I'm sure the Yankees are looking to explore it.
Which is kinda dumb IMO since the third basemen the Yankees are using now have been really bad. Youk's been pathetic and I like Adams but he's not getting the job done. As old and past his prime as he is, I'm sure A-Rod's still a bigger threat than most of the other right handed batters the Yankees are trotting out there.

[Remedy360]

I'd say 75% of it is the, New York, media and 25% is him personally.
I think the whole anti-A Rod thing started happening when he came to New York. I know a lot of Yankees fans and writers never really gave him a chance because they were worried that he was going to take the SS position from Jesus Christ.
When he "admitted" to using steroids is probably where the whole thing really took off since people seem to immediately consider drug users in the mlb to be vile terrible people for some reason. The moment he got that bloated contract was probably the straw that broke the Carmel's back.
And to a point I really feel sorry for A-Rod. Dude's obviously socially awkward, yet he's put in some of the most mentally demanding places imaginable. Casual baseball fans seem to really hate the guy even though he is/was one of the greatest baseball players of all time and Yankees fans are pretty much on the fence. 50% of them hate him and want him traded to Japan, the other 50% hopes he can regain his past self and eventually become the all time home run leader.

And speaking of A-Rod, apparently he thinks the Yankees are holding him back from getting back to the field. And I think that might be happening since if A-Rod doesn't play the Yankees have a chance to say they don't want to pay him because he didn't play a single game for them, I dunno if it'd work but I'm sure the Yankees are looking to explore it.
Which is kinda dumb IMO since the third basemen the Yankees are using now have been really bad. Youk's been pathetic and I like Adams but he's not getting the job done. As old and past his prime as he is, I'm sure A-Rod's still a bigger threat than most of the other right handed batters the Yankees are trotting out there.

Funny that you mention Jeter as "Jesus Christ," lol I used to hate the guy so much because he'd always get more attention than A-Rod even though dude was clearly leagues ahead of Jeter when he was out here. Now that you mention it, that book Joe Torre wrote definitely didn't help. The whole phony steroid apology wasn't a good look either but it seems like people hated him before that.

[MistaNova]

Torre also called A-Rod, "A-Fraud" if I'm not mistaken. Makes me really appreciate Girardi and how he keeps a lot of things to himself. Much to the chagrin of the NY media.

As for Jeter, apparently I have to consider him as Jesus Christ because I'm a Yankees fan. While I love the guy (no homo), he's far from my favorite player though. My all time favorite player is and forever will be Jorge Posada.

BTW, who would you pick? A-Rod, Jeter or Garciaparra (throwback!). And yes, in their prime.

[Remedy360]

Torre also called A-Rod, "A-Fraud" if I'm not mistaken. Makes me really appreciate Girardi and how he keeps a lot of things to himself. Much to the chagrin of the NY media.

As for Jeter, apparently I have to consider him as Jesus Christ because I'm a Yankees fan. While I love the guy (no homo), he's far from my favorite player though. My all time favorite player is and forever will be Jorge Posada.

BTW, who would you pick? A-Rod, Jeter or Garciaparra (throwback!). And yes, in their prime.

Yeah, the "A-Fraud" comment is what I remember most. But, A-Rod deifnitely, Nomar second, and Jeter third. Jeter is certainly a model of consistency, he just never put up the absolute freak-show numbers those guys did in their prime.

Edit: After looking at the numbers he's closer to Nomar than I thought initially but I'd still take A-Rod in his prime in a heartbeat.

[MistaNova]

Which departure was more heartbreaking to M's fans? The departure of Griffey, Johnson or A-Rod?

[Remedy360]

Which departure was more heartbreaking to M's fans? The departure of Griffey, Johnson or A-Rod?

Griffey, by far. Seattle was always a Sonics/Seahawks town but the Mariners always sucked ass and never had much of a following, image, or anything. Griffey was really the first legit "face of our franchise" and dude was everywhere. The most famous Mariners image of all time is him smiling on the bottom of the pile after we beat the Yanks in the division series in what was known as the season that saved baseball in Seattle (funny thing is A-Rod is right next to him). Outside of Michael Jordan, he was arguably the most marketed athlete period during his hey-day. He was the type of guy that people who didn't give a fuck about baseball wanted to pay to watch, and as amazing as Johnson and A-Rod were they never hit that level, or even came close IMO. The backwards hat, sweet swing, home run trot, jaw-dropping catches, etc were things that set him apart, dude struck a chord with the city in a way that I'd argue that no other athlete has. Those two leaving sucked, no doubt, but I think people reacted more like "fuck them" as opposed to the devastation of Griffey leaving.

[MistaNova]

Okay then how many people committed suicide in Seattle after Griffey left? Over or under 60?

[MistaNova]

Play of the year.

<a href="http://youtube.com/v/KfFrHM8uP9g" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://youtube.com/v/KfFrHM8uP9g</a>