Warning!! It's Baaaaaack!! Off-topic Baseball Thread '08 !!

[mick]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

I can't wait to get out to that park in Houston, it looks pretty darn cool. Won't be this year, tho.

Minute Maid Park?

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by mick

Minute Maid Park?

Not if I can help it!

Any Texas folks want to offer suggestions for a "real" name for the Astros' ballpark?

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by Dan

Well, Chuck is posting pretty regularly now with assorted annoyingly inane sox nation news flashes..

Ok, here's a Yankee tidbit instead. On this date in 1907, the Washington Senators swiped 13 bases against the Yankees, who had Branch Rickey at catcher.

Oh, what the heck, here's a piece of Sox history, too. On this date in 1984, Dwight Evans hit a 3-run walk-off homer in the 11th inning, to give Boston a win over DJ's Mariners. The HR not only won the game, but gave Evans the cycle for the day.

[mick]

"Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo combined to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night - and it still wasn't good enough for the Los Angeles Angels." - from msn.foxsports.com

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/wcSto...#story=8295630

[Adam]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Not if I can help it!

Any Texas folks want to offer suggestions for a "real" name for the Astros' ballpark?

How about the Astro Dome?
NASA Stadium?

[Jurassic Referee]

And in the latest example of "Manny being Manny" (tm), Manny didn't get the number of free tickets he wanted....so.....Manny shoves the BoSox traveling secretary to the ground.

The man is all class.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basebal...ramirez_w.html

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

How about the Astro Dome?
NASA Stadium?

I'm not sure about giving the stadium the same name as the old one. I like the NASA reference, tho. Is there a particular person within Houston's NASA community that is deserving?

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

How about the Astro Dome?
NASA Stadium?

Here's a good candidate: Covington Field. Dr. Benjamin Jesse Covington was a black doctor who worked his way through medical school and then established the first city hospital for blacks, starting with only 10 beds. He also developed the first formula for battling the influenza virus.

[ChuckElias]

Sox climb into a tie with the Rays. Dice-K gets the win, but again has a short outing b/c of his huge pitch count.

Brew Crew fires their manager with 12 games left in the season. Wow! The Sox did that a few years ago, putting the pitching coach (Joe Kerrigan) in charge for the last 2 or 3 weeks, and it was a disaster.

The Cubbies get a no-hitter and a 1-hitter from their starters in consecutive games, playing in a "neutral" site.

[ChuckElias]

I forgot. Derek Jeter is tied with Joe D. for most hits in Yankee Stadium. The more I think about that, the more incredible it seems. To have the length of career, the health, the prolonged production, and to stay with one team for that whole time just seems more and more amazing.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

.....and to stay with one team for that whole time just seems more and more amazing.

And disappointing too.

Tough sometimes to be a "team fan" when the players have absolutely no loyalty! The Jeter's, Gwynn's and Ripken's of the world are increasingly difficult to find - no matter what the sport (look under Favre in the encyclopedia).

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Brew Crew fires their manager with 12 games left in the season. Wow! The Sox did that a few years ago, putting the pitching coach (Joe Kerrigan) in charge for the last 2 or 3 weeks, and it was a disaster.

This one really confused me. Granted, I'm a Cubbie fan and I don't mind seeing the Brewers take this step because I don't see any way this will help the team. But as a baseball fan, this one really puzzles me - when was the last time a manager was fired this late in the season while his team was in second place in the division and leading/tied for the wild card? I haven't heard of any peripheral issues, such as fights with players, sleeping with owner's daughter, or whatever, so how does making the change now help vs. making it at the end of the year when everyone knows for sure if they made the playoffs or not?

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

This one really confused me. Granted, I'm a Cubbie fan and I don't mind seeing the Brewers take this step because I don't see any way this will help the team. But as a baseball fan, this one really puzzles me - when was the last time a manager was fired this late in the season while his team was in second place in the division and leading/tied for the wild card? I haven't heard of any peripheral issues, such as fights with players, sleeping with owner's daughter, or whatever, so how does making the change now help vs. making it at the end of the year when everyone knows for sure if they made the playoffs or not?

Owners/Management are looking for the Willie Randolph-like "short-term" bounce. They are gambling that stirring the pot this late in the season will infuse enthusiasm (or scare the team) resulting in a short burst of victories to put them in the playoffs. Certainly a gamble....which they apparently felt was worth taking.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Owners/Management are looking for the Willie Randolph-like "short-term" bounce. They are gambling that stirring the pot this late in the season will infuse enthusiasm (or scare the team) resulting in a short burst of victories to put them in the playoffs. Certainly a gamble....which they apparently felt was worth taking.

And the owner was looking for a reason to get rid of Yost anyway.

I've umpired one of his sons at the D-3 college level. Talk about body armor and a human rain delay when getting into the batter's box. Sheesh.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

This one really confused me. Granted, I'm a Cubbie fan and I don't mind seeing the Brewers take this step because I don't see any way this will help the team. But as a baseball fan, this one really puzzles me - when was the last time a manager was fired this late in the season while his team was in second place in the division and leading/tied for the wild card? I haven't heard of any peripheral issues, such as fights with players, sleeping with owner's daughter, or whatever, so how does making the change now help vs. making it at the end of the year when everyone knows for sure if they made the playoffs or not?

From Today's USAToday:

"With a $90 million payroll in a small market, a quarter century of playoff-less history weighing on them and the clock ticking on the time they get to keep stud starters CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers felt their fading club needed shock treatment.

There are few moves more shocking than firing the manager of a winning team that's tied in the race for a playoff spot with 12 games left in the season.

In fact, it had never been done....."