MLB Thread

[Lowerdeck]

Don't worry about it. They'll trade for either Bret Boone or Jose Vidro around the 31st of July. Then in the offseason, they'll get abandoned for Nomar - who'll get signed and get converted to a second baseman.

[Kapalua2483]

And that's because the Yankees have little to no loyalty unless your name is Jeter or Rivera.

[thuganomic]

And that's because the Yankees have little to no loyalty unless your name is Jeter or Rivera.

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or Bernie.

But that's until Beltran comes next year

[Lowerdeck]

Do you think even with Beltran there will be loyalty?

[sahyder1]

And that's because the Yankees have little to no loyalty unless your name is Jeter or Rivera.

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Speaking of loyalty. I'm not a Yankee fan by any stretch of the imagination but I was pretty pissed when they gave Pettite's # this year to Donovan Osborne. Pettite had 8 great years for Yanks and then they show him the door and top that off with this stunt.

[thuganomic]

Speaking of loyalty. I'm not a Yankee fan by any stretch of the imagination but I was pretty pissed when they gave Pettite's # this year to Donovan Osborne. Pettite had 8 great years for Yanks and then they show him the door and top that off with this stunt.

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Well, Pettite and Clemens hardly showed loyalty by fleeing to the Astros.

Still, I agree with you. Especially since Donovan Osborne sucks. Giving Pettite's number to Osborne was pretty disrespectful.

[sahyder1]

Well, Pettite and Clemens hardly showed loyalty by fleeing to the Astros.

Still, I agree with you. Especially since Donovan Osborne sucks. Giving Pettite's number to Osborne was pretty disrespectful.

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Clemens you can't blame. He was set on retiring but he got a chance to play with his best friend in his home town. Pettite should've been locked up way early. The Yankees tried to take advantage of his loyalty and leave him off till the end. There is no way he should've been a free agent at the end of last year. And even then the Yanks were persuing other people like Brown and Sheffield before they even attempted to sign Pettite. If I was Pettite given the circumstances and an offer from my hometown team I would've left too.

[thuganomic]

Clemens you can't blame. He was set on retiring but he got a chance to play with his best friend in his home town. Pettite should've been locked up way early. The Yankees tried to take advantage of his loyalty and leave him off till the end. There is no way he should've been a free agent at the end of last year. And even then the Yanks were persuing other people like Brown and Sheffield before they even attempted to sign Pettite. If I was Pettite given the circumstances and an offer from my hometown team I would've left too.

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Clemens has shown that he has completely no regard for loyalty. Red Sox fans should know what I'm talking about.

Pettite - meh. His injury problems prevented the long contract, and even this year, it's been proven the Yankees did the right thing by not resigning him. I sure wish we had Clemens though.

[sahyder1]

Clemens has shown that he has completely no regard for loyalty. Red Sox fans should know what I'm talking about.

Pettite - meh. His injury problems prevented the long contract, and even this year, it's been proven the Yankees did the right thing by not resigning him. I sure wish we had Clemens though.

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Clemens' past I'll give you. Pettite's injuries this year happened from him swinging the bat. That's how he hurt the elbow. The Yanks could definitely use him this year.

[thuganomic]

Clemens' past I'll give you. Pettite's injuries this year happened from him swinging the bat. That's how he hurt the elbow. The Yanks could definitely use him this year.

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Bah. I still don't think Pettite is worth the money that he wanted.

[sahyder1]

Associated Press

PHOENIX -- Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks became the fourth pitcher to record 4,000 strikeouts when he struck out San Diego's Jeff Cirillo in the eighth inning Tuesday night.

Johnson trails Nolan Ryan (5,714), Roger Clemens (4,200) and Steve Carlton (4,136), but reached the milestone the quickest.

The Big Unit, midway through his 16th year in the majors, got there in 3,237 1-3 innings, a strikeout-to-inning ratio of 11.12. None of the others had a double-figure ratio, with Ryan's 9.55 the next-best based on 3,844 2-3 innings.

Johnson's 196 double-digit strikeout games are second only to Ryan's 215.

Johnson threw three sliders to Cirillo to reach a 2-1 count before blowing a fastball by him to make it 2-2. After missing with a slider to run the count full, Johnson got his eighth strikeout of the game with an 87 mph slider low on the outside corner.

The 4,000 K Club

Pitcher  Strikeouts

Nolan Ryan  5,714

Roger Clemens  4,200

Steve Carlton  4,136

Randy Johnson  4,000

The Padres, aware of his 15-2 record in 19 previous starts against them, came out swinging early, and Johnson's first five outs were two flies, two grounders and a popup.

He got the first against Ryan Klesko to end the second, starting with an 0-2 count that got the disappointing crowd of 34,633 -- nearly 14,000 below capacity -- going. Johnson finished with three straight fastballs, the last two at 97 mph to get Klesko on a called third strike.

In the third, Johnson struck out Padres starter Brian Sweeney after giving up a single and double that led to a 2-0 San Diego lead.

Johnson struck out Phil Nevin and Jay Payton in the fourth after starting both off with 0-2 counts, got Sweeney again in the fifth and Cirillo -- for the 19th time in 54 career at-bats -- in the sixth.

He recorded his seventh strikeout against Klesko for the third out in the seventh.

Pretty impressive for a late bloomer.

Edited June 30, 2004 by sahyder1

[Lowerdeck]

Derek Lowe. 9 fucking runs in one game.

What the fuck is going on???

[sahyder1]

Derek Lowe.  9 fucking runs in one game.

What the fuck is going on???

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The defense was horrible behind him. They just couldn't get out of innings because of bad defense.

Edited June 30, 2004 by sahyder1

[Hellfire]

Lowe has been really awful this season. I think that he wont be back next year most likely

[sahyder1]

By Eric Neel

Page 2

Remember buying something at Toys R Us with your allowance money? You wanted the 12-inch GI Joe action figure with the Kung Fu grip because your pal Johnny had one. But Johnny's dad was an investment broker and his mommy was a lawyer and money was nothing to them.

When you got to the store it turned out Joe was pricey and you didn't have the coin to bring him home. So you settled for those little hard-plastic commandos with the thin parachutes attached to their backs, the ones you'd throw from the garage roof and then watch while they floated into the grass below. The little guys weren't as exciting as Joe, maybe, but they were fun enough, and you could afford them. After a while you came to love them like they were every bit as cool as the fancy Joe, and Johnny didn't have nothing on you.

This is an all-star team full of those commandos, guys on the bottom shelf, good players on the cheap, the best team that allowance money can buy. The rule is everybody under a million (which, you know, passes for cheap these days).

Catcher: Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians; $304,500

Pudge is the spendy pick, and he's worthy enough, but Victor, who's currently fifth in All-Star voting, is a steal. The numbers: .304/.373/.540, 11 HRs, 57 RBI, and 24 doubles. Read that again. 24 doubles. For a catcher. He's young, he's a switch-hitter, he's on the team.

Backup: Johnny Estrada, Atlanta Braves; $312,500

First Base: Lyle Overbay, Milwaukee Brewers; $326,000

Lyle hits doubles just falling out of bed. He's shown good plate discipline, and surprising power this year. The Diamondbacks gave up on him and shipped him in the Sexson deal. Now Sexson's sitting and Overbay's rounding second, again and again. The numbers: .331/.396/.541, 9 HRs, 56 RBI and a league-leading 30 doubles.

Backup: Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians; $316,300. (I know he's mainly a DH, but the price is right, so I'm putting him at first on the All-Allowance Team.)

Second Base: Juan Uribe, Chicago White Sox; $350,000

They got him for his glove -- he's terrific all over the infield (45 games at second, nine at third, and 17 at short) -- but his bat's been a pleasant surprise so far this year. The numbers: .291/.346/.507, 11 HRs, 35 RBI, and only 24 years old.

Backup: He's hurt right now, but Marcus Giles, Atlanta Braves, is a bargain at $430,000.

Third Base: Hank Blalock, Texas Rangers; $550,000

If he can figure out how to hit lefties (he's improving some this year), Hank's due for a big, big raise and will someday be courted by deep-pocketed suitors from coast to coast. While he's still cheap and still a Ranger, he's our Allowance All-Star third baseman. The numbers: .313/.377/.597, 21 HRs, 57 RBI, and 52 runs.

The backup: Chone Figgins, Anaheim Angels; $320,000 ... as if your name being spelled "Chone" wasn't already good enough.

Shortstop: Michael Young, Texas Rangers; $450,000

If you'd been looking, you might have seen him coming last year, but you would have to have been looking. This year he's been impossible to ignore, raising his rate in home runs, walks, and RBI, and, oh by the way, changing his position and filling the shoes of a certain departed Hall of Famer. The numbers: .326/.365/.496, 10 HRs, 46 RBI, and 110 hits.

Backup: Bobby Crosby, Oakland Athletics; $300,000

Lew Ford has the Twins smiling for many reasons.

Left Field: Lew Ford, Minnesota Twins; $300,000

He got called up when Torii Hunter went down and they couldn't get him out of the lineup. Everybody likes his game and everybody loves saying "Leeeeeewwwww." The numbers: .319/.384/.493, 9 HRs, 39 RBI, and 9 SB.

Backup: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Devil Rays; $320,000

Center Field: Scott Podsednik, Milwaukee Brewers; $400,000

The "D" is silent. Everything else is pretty loud. The numbers: .260/.341/.418, 9 HRs, 26 RBI, 50 runs, and 31 stolen bases.

Backup: Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays; $870,000

Right Field: Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins; $320,000

I'm going to keep this simple. He's 21 years old, he has 19 home runs, and he comes to the park for $1975 a night. Mark it a bargain. Make him an All-Star. (By the way, he's currently 10th in the real All-Star balloting. What the heck?)

Backup: Jody Gerut, Cleveland Indians; $325,600. The Indians and Rangers are getting a lot for their money in the field these days. Now, if they can only find some arms ...

Starting Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs; $450,000

In a year when the northsiders have lost Prior and Wood for long stretches, Zambrano's been an anchor. The numbers: 8-3, 2.56 ERA, 8.38 K/9, and a batting average against of .221.

Backup: Nate Robertson, Detroit Tigers; $305,000

Relief Pitcher: Francisco Rodriguez, Anaheim Angels; $375,000

There was a hiccup early last season, but he's basically been the same unhittable pitcher you saw in the 2002 Series week in and week out. If anything, he's actually more confident than he was then. The numbers: 1.06 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, .171 batting average against, and a legion of hitters lining up to say the kid should be banned from the league for violating the laws of physics.

Backup: How about Akinori Otsuka, San Diego Padres; $700,000?

[Sabu]

Jim Thome already has 27 Home Runs on the Season!

I think he can get 60 if he keeps it up.

[sahyder1]

Jim Thome already has 27 Home Runs on the Season!

I think he can get 60 if he keeps it up.

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Big question.....why doesn't he get the Bonds treatment? Start walking him already you idiots.

[naiwf]

Tonight's Yankees/Red Sox game was one of the best games I've ever seen. Some of the defensive stuff was simply off the charts, especially that catch by Derek Jeter. As much as I hate the guy, that is one of the best plays you'll ever see. He very nearly could have broken his neck falling into the stands, in what was largely a meaningless game on July 1st.

Boston must be crushed right now, and I wouldn't be shocked to see them miss the playoffs.

[sahyder1]

If you missed tonight's game you probably missed the greatest regular season game of all time. This game was definitely the greatest I've ever seen.

That was one hell of a game those 2 teams played and as the slogan says....."I live for this". There is no way you can criticize either of the teams after tonight's game. Nomar was sitting because of an injury. He's obviously returned early from the injury and is still bothered by it. I'd rather have him sit a game out on July 1st rather then October 1st. No one thought that the Yanks would gain 12 games on the Red Sox over these 2 months......there's no reason to eliminate the Red Sox just yet especially since these two teams face 9 more times this year and the Red Sox have more then enough time to put streaks together. I If you think the Red Sox are done you're crazy. Sure there are problems with Nomar and the Red Sox....but that will be dealt with later. Nomar's enough of a pro not to let that bother him. Personally I'd much rather have my Angels play the Yanks in the playoffs then the Red Sox.

...and Naiwf, Yanks/Red Sox is never meaningless.

Edited July 2, 2004 by sahyder1

[sahyder1]

Son of Sam is reporting this rumoured deal.....

Sox get: Odalis Perez and Carlos Delgado

Jays get: Cesar Izturis and minor-league pitcher

Dodgers get: Nomar and Kim

I really don't see the Jays doing that deal unless Jackson is coming to them but Delgado to Boston makes sense to me.