2012 MLB Thread

[Lowerdeck]

Boston fans tend to outnumber the home team's fans in Oakland, Baltimore, sometimes Toronto, and a few other cities. Montreal back in the day was nearly all Boston fans, northern New England would just flood the place.

[The Buscher]

That was easily the best game I've been to live. I love David Wright.

[The Buscher]

Yadier Molina and Ian Desmond are out of the All Star Game. Matt Holliday and Michael Bourn are in as replacements.

Also Giancarlo Stanton is out of the Home Run Derby and All Star Game. Out 4-6 weeks with knee surgery. I have no idea who replaces him on the roster. I THINK the Marlins still have to have a rep on the team who will play.

-edit-

Apparently not, Bryce Harper is in.

[gunnar hendershow]

Stanton has the potential to be the premier power hitter of this generation, but if these knee problems become chronic he'll be a flash in the pan.

What's the point of the Final Vote if most of the guys end up making the team after players pull out with injury or because they can't pitch anyway?

[Lint]

This is for the minor league Easten Leagues all star hitting challenge. It really seems like they just said "How much crazy shit can we put out there.."

[The Buscher]

That might be the greatest thing I've ever seen.

Anyway, All Star lineups are gonna be announced at some point on Monday afternoon. Gonna go ahead and try to predict what TLR and Wash go with:

NL:

LF Cabrera

RF Beltran

1B Votto

DH Braun

CF McCutchen

C Posey

3B Sandoval

2B Uggla

SS Furcal

P Strasburg

Braun and McCutchen are the easy choices for the DH spot and Kemp replacement, respectively. The bottom of that lineup is just unbelievably weak. I hope TLR bats Furcal 9th as he should be rather than forcing him into the leadoff spot. With the pitching I still think Dickey should get the start. He's been the best pitcher in the NL, has an incredible story, and may never get this chance again whereas Strasburg and Cain have plenty of All Star Games left in them. But in any event I see La Russa wimping out and saving Dickey for the middle innings when division rival Carlos Ruiz is in the game to catch.

AL:

SS Jeter

CF Granderson

LF Hamilton

RF Bautista

DH Ortiz

3B Beltre

2B Cano

1B Fielder

C Napoli

P Verlander

Just a ridiculous amount of power in this lineup. I see Washington splitting up the lefties and righties in the middle. This one was a lot harder to put together. The only lock is that Napoli hits last as he really shouldn't be there to begin with. I'm guessing that Verlander and Weaver will be the first two pitchers in and Verlander getting the starting nod is really just a hunch more than anything else.

As an added bonus - if the managers announce their official closer ahead of time I'd guess Kimbrel and Nathan.

[gunnar hendershow]

NL:

SS Furcal

LF Cabrera

1B Votto

DH Braun

RF Beltran

CF McCutchen

C Posey

3B Sandoval

2B Uggla

P Dickey

AL:

SS Jeter

CF Granderson

LF Hamilton

DH Ortiz

RF Bautista

1B Fielder

2B Cano

3B Beltre

C Napoli

P Verlander

And I figure later this week I'll do midseason projections for awards and final standings.

[The Buscher]

Verlander and Cain to start.

La Russa is a piece of shit. Nothing against Cain, but Dickey deserved the start way more. He's getting robbed because he doesn't think Posey can handle the knuckleball.

[Maxx]

Verlander and Cain are your starters. I'd have rather seen Dickey start, but it's hard to argue against Cain this season.

[The Buscher]

The thing I worry about now is Dickey may not even get into the game. If TLR worries about a catcher handling the knuckleball, he may not put him in. The last 3 knucklers to make the ASG never got out put into the game for much the same reason.

[naiwf]

KC giving it to Robinson Ca-no home runs was special.

[Panni]

The AL Starting Lineup, along with Verlander on the hill, is one of the best overall groups of starters I've seen at the All Star Game in a while.

[gunnar hendershow]

I understand putting battery mates together, but is LaRussa just not going to use Dickey at all? This would bother me and a lot of fans. I'm sure with a little bit of practice before the game a backup catcher and Dickey can get handling the knuckleball for an at bat or two down.

[Panni]

I understand putting battery mates together, but is LaRussa just not going to use Dickey at all? This would bother me and a lot of fans. I'm sure with a little bit of practice before the game a backup catcher and Dickey can get handling the knuckleball for an at bat or two down.

I'd be absolutely shocked if LaRussa doesn't use Dickey tonight. He'll definitely get some work later on in the game when Yadier is catching.

[Maxx]

Yadier's not going to be at the game.

[The Buscher]

LaRussa ended up saying Ruiz will catch Dickey, since he's a better defensive catcher than Posey and has seen Dickey's knucklers this year.

He still should have started though...pretty much everybody outside of SF knows this. Cain himself basically even admitted it. Dickey's been pretty humble but you can tell it does bother him, and rightly so. He has very right to think "well, that's a bit shit" that he's essentially being punished for having a unique pitch.

[GhostMachine]

The knuckleball is my favorite pitch (with the splitter a close second, though) and its a damned shame more pitchers don't use it, though I understand why. Its damned hard to master and control.

He may or may not have invented it (its believed another pitcher used it a decade earlier), but Eddie Cicotte, one of the infamous Black Sox was the first significant pitcher to use it.

And now I really want the Reds to make it to World Series just so St. Louis fans can ask why there are no Cardinals on the bench and Reds fans like myself can answer "Because LaRussa's a dick!".

[HC]

And now I really want the Reds to make it to World Series just so St. Louis fans can ask why there are no Cardinals on the bench and Reds fans like myself can answer "Because LaRussa's a dick!".

Honestly, unprofessional or not, I wouldn't have let Phillips and Cueto in either. Both got really big heads during the '10 season when the Reds finally got a taste of success, with Phillips saying that he hates the Cardinals and Cueto pretty much ending Jason Larue's career during that brawl. In my opinion, Cueto has no buisness playing anymore after what he did, let alone making the all-star team, talent or not. Phillips has also proven himself to be a massive douche. They both deserve what they got, imo.

[Meacon Keaton]

Notice how it's the Reds and Mets fans actually giving a crap. It's been so long since they were worth a damn, this is how they now get their jollies.

[GhostMachine]

And now I really want the Reds to make it to World Series just so St. Louis fans can ask why there are no Cardinals on the bench and Reds fans like myself can answer "Because LaRussa's a dick!".

Honestly, unprofessional or not, I wouldn't have let Phillips and Cueto in either. Both got really big heads during the '10 season when the Reds finally got a taste of success, with Phillips saying that he hates the Cardinals and Cueto pretty much ending Jason Larue's career during that brawl. In my opinion, Cueto has no buisness playing anymore after what he did, let alone making the all-star team, talent or not. Phillips has also proven himself to be a massive douche. They both deserve what they got, imo.

I completely agree with you about Cueto, but not Phillips. There are plenty of massive douches who have gotten into the All Star Game, and Phillips shouldn't have been kept out based on that and what he said about the Cardinals. It doesn't quite make LaRussa as bad as when Charlie Manuel left Votto, who was the friggin' MVP, out in favor of Ryan Howard and actually tried to justify it, though. (Hopefully that fat fuck Howard never even makes it to another All Star Game, but I'm not holding my breath) But I'd put it up there with the time Bobby Cox loaded up the reserves with Braves players. (Which is why I think managers should be given a limit to how many of their own players they can pick)

Notice how it's the Reds and Mets fans actually giving a crap. It's been so long since they were worth a damn, this is how they now get their jollies.

(N)