Major League Baseball 2011/12

[Makan]

I tried making this thread before for last season but saw very minimal response. I guess baseball just isn't that popular, but I love it almost more than any other sport!

Anyone here a baseball fan? Give us the lowdown on your team's lineup and rotation, and how you think they're going to do.

When the Dodgers picked up Garland I thought we were actually going to have a decent chance at seeing a winning record and a possible playoff berth considering how fluctuating the NL West has been for the past couple of years. The Uribe signing was a bit too much money, but he gives us some decent (and much needed) power for the infield.

Once the Phillies picked up Lee everyone and their mother knew it was over. Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels? Hands down best 1-4 in any rotation in the entire NL, let alone ML.

Has anyone seen the Red Sox lineup? Their infield is absolutely insane and their outfield ain't no slouch either... Gonzales 1B, Pedroia 2B, Scutaro SS, Youkilis 3B... pure insanity. Oh right, with an OF of Crawford, Drew and Ellsbury, with Ortiz rounding out as DH. :bs:

Dodgers don't stand a chance this year. Not enough power at the corner bases, and the pitching isn't going to stand up to SF or Philly in the NL. Kemp and Ethier have to show that they can actually put together one FULL solid season and come into their own. I fully expect Kershaw to cement his role as the ace on the team, and I also expect September callups of Dee Gordon, Ivan DeJesus Jr, and Jerry Sands, and hopefully one of them makes a notable impact come September.

Would it be way too obvious to call it Phils and Red Sox in the WS this year? Probably.

[radin119]

imo
baseball is not a sport

[Makan]

At least you're one less Yankees fan.

[dcpp]

I always watch baseball when there's nothing on tv late at night btw i'm a red sox fan
I won't be so sure about them making it to the WS actually with the team they got this year it will really depend on their pitching and i hope that Dice-K will have an injury-free year

[Makan]

Sands went 2 for 2 with a triple and a 3 run homer today against the Rockies. Loney is down at 1B so there might be a chance Sands sees some playing time much earlier than expected! This is great news because I love this Jerry Sands guy and he's got a lot of potential to be the power-hitting 1B the Dodgers have been waiting for. He just has to work on his glove a bit and he has the potential to be an everyday infielder.

[Babak]

I used to be a die hard New York Mets fan in the early to mid 90's growing up as a kid. The Giants were always my 2nd favorite team since I was growing up in the Bay Area. By the late 90's I stopped caring and became less and less interested in baseball for a long time. My old love and passion for baseball gained a faint pulse last season as the Giants made their epic World Series run. Lets see if it dies off again or grows with this coming season.

[ali alipour]

True baseball is not a sport because you need no athletic ability to play it. As long as you eat alot and use steroids you can be a 300 pound slow guy making many million dollars a year. But anyway Blue jays gonna make it to post season this year!!!!!!

[persepolisfan]

baseball is not a sport imo. baseball isnt really popular amoung iranians me thinks

[PouriaAkaBarut]

Montreal Expos only

[The]

Washington Nats only

Fixed that for you.

[Ghormeh Sabzi]

[ommy48]

Die hard SF Giants Fan since 1995 here, so expect some very gentle ribbing against any Fodger fans. I love ya Makan jan, but you being a Fodger fan is truly disappointing. Enjoy the World Champions when they visit your lowly LA Dodgers in 3 weeks. lol

[Makan]

"Fodgers" is the best term you guys could think of? I used to think "Gnats" was a stupid term for Giants fans, but Fodgers? Come on... you bat-probing, Castro District living, fluke WS winners can't think of anything better than that?

[Darvish11]

i used to be into it a lot only because it was really big in the places i grew up, but as i got older i realized how stupid it really was. Even when i was into it i have never been able to sit through/watch an entire game. I always seem to end up at shea/turner field/chase field somehow, and usually by the 6th inning im asking everyone if we can go. SO BORING. I went to a diamondbacks game once cause i knew the girl singing the national anthem and got free tickets, and left after a half inning Might be a record.

Doesnt it bother anyone else that the dimensions of every field are different? Thats like the staples center having 11 ft baskets and msg having 10 ft baskets. Makes no sense. And how many god damn warm up pitches do relief pitchers need? They throw like 50 times in the bullpen. Thats what the bullpen is for, warming up. Then they come out, and they need another 5 minutes to warm up!? So retarded. Imagine if every time someone wanted to come off the bench in bball, they went and warmed up in an aux gym for 10 mins, then after they come on they stop the game and let the them just shoot around for 3 minutes. (I like to compare all of baseballs stupid things to basketball)

and players stepping off the plate/mound dont even get me started. Imagine kobe before attempting a game winning shot just stopping and saying "hold on guys, stop for a sec, i dont think im ready...*everybody stops where they are, kobe takes deep breath*...ok im good to go" and then shoots. Same thing.

So yeah baseball sucks

[Makan]

It's been four days now since the season has started. The first series is ultimately a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the year, but the Dodgers have played pretty decently overall. 7-3 in L.A.'s favor at the top of the 8th, and it feels so good to really give it to the Giants.

Kansas City is looking surprisingly good after going 3-1 in their series against the Angels. Baltimore also looking good, TB on the other hand in a surprising slump. Boston is in the same boat as TB. Looking to be an interesting season (at least until all the standard pieces start falling into their usual place).