2009 MLB Thread

[nec13]

John Mozeliak is the Executive of the Year, IMO. He turned a middling team into possibly the best team in the National League.

[Gilly]

He's got a chance but I think it might go to Sabean who really did a great job with the Giants. People doubted him for years as he put old veterans on the field and maybe he didn't need to do that...but the team now is setup pretty great and they'll be able to make some moves to make them real contenders next year.

[hugman]

here's my prediction for the NL playoffs.  The Phillies will dispense of either the Rockies or Giants and the Cardinals will handle the Dodgers.  I have a really bad feeling about Lee.  I feel like he's going to Schilling us to death.

[hugman]

And yes, I said "us". I'm on the team.

[Gilly]

The Phillies are going to kill everyone in the NL. They are so much better than anybody else in that league.

[scratchbomb]

The Phillies are going to kill everyone in the NL. They are so much better than anybody else in that league.

Their lineup is fantastic, but I'm not sure about the rest of the team. Cliff Lee's awesome, but Hamels has been totally up and down this year, and all their other starters are mediocre at best. The bullpen's good, but Brad Lidge is as bad this year as he was last year (at least lately).

Then again, I also thought pretty much the same thing last year (with variations on the players, of course), so who knows? I could see the Phillies either storming all the way to the World Series again, or getting bounced if they run into good pitching. Neither would surprise me.

I think the Cards could stop them, because their starters are so good (although none of them are lefties, which puts them at a disadvantage). Giants and Rockies, possibly but not likely. Dodgers, no.

[nec13]

I agree with gilly in that the Phils are the best team in the National League. However, I don't think they are THAT much better than the Cardinals. The additions of Holliday, DeRosa, and Lugo really solidified their lineup. They have the best player in the game in Fat Albert. And they have the best starting rotation in the NL. However, I think their main weakness is at closer. I don't trust Ryan Franklin. I think his success can be attributed more to luck than anything else.

[jbissell]

I think his success can be attributed more to luck than anything else.

Sometimes that's all you need.  Broxton's recent implosion has left Franklin as the most reliable closer in the NL right now.

[scratchbomb]

I think his success can be attributed more to luck than anything else.

Sometimes that's all you need.  Broxton's recent implosion has left Franklin as the most reliable closer in the NL right now.

Or have a good defense behind you, which the Cards mostly do. There's no butchers on their field, anyway.

I think Lidge's success last year = Leaving A Totally Clueless Organization + Luck. He didn't blow a single save in 08, and yet I felt like 9 times out 10 that I saw him pitch, he'd teeter on the brink of implosion.

[hugman]

The Cardinals have a knack for coming together as a team and playing above their abilities.  See '06 and the first half of this season. But like I said, the Phils scare me.  And I hate them so much, too.

[hugman]

It should come as no surprise that TLR, Dave Duncan, and Chris Carpenter have adjusted Smoltz's mechanics since he came over and he's succeeding thus far.
The three of them watched him throw a bullpen session and Carpenter noticed he was tipping every pitch.  They adjusted the angle at which he held his glove in his approach, and Smoltz has a 0.82 era, 15 k's and 1 walk in 11 innings so far.  He's yet to go deeper than 6 innings, but I don't think they ever expected him to pitch more than 6 very often.

[dave from knoxville]

Did any of you baseball freaks catch Gene Weingarten's column this week regarding left handed catchers.

I thought of you guys when I read it.



My speculative answer to his query: because there are more right-handed batters than left-handers.

I still think the "if your left arm's strong enough to throw out a runner, maybe you should use it to pitch instead" theory makes the most sense to me.

You may have it dere, Stupe.

Did you read the column? pretty funny regarding number freaks.

You take that back

[nec13]

This hasn't been discussed yet.

The Wilpons may be forced to sell the Mets.

Interesting, if true.

[jbissell]

It should come as no surprise that TLR, Dave Duncan, and Chris Carpenter have adjusted Smoltz's mechanics since he came over and he's succeeding thus far.
The three of them watched him throw a bullpen session and Carpenter noticed he was tipping every pitch.  They adjusted the angle at which he held his glove in his approach, and Smoltz has a 0.82 era, 15 k's and 1 walk in 11 innings so far.  He's yet to go deeper than 6 innings, but I don't think they ever expected him to pitch more than 6 very often.

Not to take anything away from his fine starts, but they were against two of the worst teams in baseball.

[hugman]

It should come as no surprise that TLR, Dave Duncan, and Chris Carpenter have adjusted Smoltz's mechanics since he came over and he's succeeding thus far.
The three of them watched him throw a bullpen session and Carpenter noticed he was tipping every pitch.  They adjusted the angle at which he held his glove in his approach, and Smoltz has a 0.82 era, 15 k's and 1 walk in 11 innings so far.  He's yet to go deeper than 6 innings, but I don't think they ever expected him to pitch more than 6 very often.

Not to take anything away from his fine starts, but they were against two of the worst teams in baseball.

yea, there's that.