2009 MLB Season Thread

[Cujo]

Sorry Braves fans, I wasn't really surprised at all of the change of heart.

And sorry Braves fans, but I kinda wanted to Junior go back to where it all started.

[BrySmalls]

I'm not too surprised that the Nationals signing a player who falsified their name and age hasn't made a dent on the boards....until now. It is all documented on Nats Journal:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/

[epper]

i'm glad to see Junior Griffey back where he belongs. i'd rather see him play DH 3 or 4 times a week and put butts in the seats for a hurting sports town, than hobbling around the Turner Field outfield looking weird in a Braves uni.

[The_Admiral]

Did we forget that Griffey left "where he belongs" in the first place because they moved into a pitcher's park, which would hurt his statistics? And that was when he was still really good? This is a dumb signing.

[Epiphanic]

I think the Griffey signing is largly motivated by nostalgia on both sides. Griffey will be able to play a season in the "house that Griffey built" and Seattle can showcase (to an extent) the player that was (and in some ways, still is) the face of that franchise. I think this is really a one year thing and at the end of it all, Griffey will hang up the cleats on a fantastic career.

[JayJaxon]

Everyone bought into him coming to Atlanta. I know I and TFoA did for sure. I'm not as upset about not getting Griffey as I am about Frank Wren not being able to lock down an outfield bat that we really need. The Braves outfield produced less than any outfield in the league last year. Now he's gonna march those same guys out there? I dunno.

[Drew22]

Everyone bought into him coming to Atlanta. I know I and TFoA did for sure. I'm not as upset about not getting Griffey as I am about Frank Wren not being able to lock down an outfield bat that we really need. The Braves outfield produced less than any outfield in the league last year. Now he's gonna march those same guys out there? I dunno.

I bought in too. The OF will have even less now that Kots is gone.

[JayJaxon]

Everyone bought into him coming to Atlanta. I know I and TFoA did for sure. I'm not as upset about not getting Griffey as I am about Frank Wren not being able to lock down an outfield bat that we really need. The Braves outfield produced less than any outfield in the league last year. Now he's gonna march those same guys out there? I dunno.

I bought in too. The OF will have even less now that Kots is gone.

I wouldn't mind the Braves going after Anderson, but I'm sure that would be another let down too.

[raysox]

New Joe Maddon/Rays team saying....

09>08

The guys on ATH didn't think that was very good, but I like it.

[JayJaxon]

The Braves and Jeff Francoeur avoided arbitration and Chipper is talking with the team about a contract that will keep him there through the rest of his career. Finally some good news.

[gingerbreadmann]

The Braves and Jeff Francoeur avoided arbitration and Chipper is talking with the team about a contract that will keep him there through the rest of his career. Finally some good news.

"He sucks balls, so let's septuple his salary."

But hey, he got a player to sign!

[TFoA]

Everyone bought into him coming to Atlanta. I know I and TFoA did for sure. I'm not as upset about not getting Griffey as I am about Frank Wren not being able to lock down an outfield bat that we really need. The Braves outfield produced less than any outfield in the league last year. Now he's gonna march those same guys out there? I dunno.

I bought in too. The OF will have even less now that Kots is gone.

I wouldn't mind the Braves going after Anderson, but I'm sure that would be another let down too.

If Garrett freakin' Anderson plays Wren...then I'm done for 09 already. That would be ing ridiculous.

With that said...good to see that we got Kelly Johnson signed (avoiding arbitration), GREAT to know that Chipper will be a Brave for life (hopefully...can't even guarantee it with the way Smoltz and Glav left town) and I'm pissed at Francoeur still. Considering what he did last year, he shouldn't have even THREATENED arbitration. Still think that we overpaid a little, but he better be worth it. That was ridiculous.

[JayJaxon]

Everyone bought into him coming to Atlanta. I know I and TFoA did for sure. I'm not as upset about not getting Griffey as I am about Frank Wren not being able to lock down an outfield bat that we really need. The Braves outfield produced less than any outfield in the league last year. Now he's gonna march those same guys out there? I dunno.

I bought in too. The OF will have even less now that Kots is gone.

I wouldn't mind the Braves going after Anderson, but I'm sure that would be another let down too.

If Garrett freakin' Anderson plays Wren...then I'm done for 09 already. That would be ing ridiculous.

With that said...good to see that we got Kelly Johnson signed (avoiding arbitration), GREAT to know that Chipper will be a Brave for life (hopefully...can't even guarantee it with the way Smoltz and Glav left town) and I'm pissed at Francoeur still. Considering what he did last year, he shouldn't have even THREATENED arbitration. Still think that we overpaid a little, but he better be worth it. That was ridiculous.

It bothers me a lot that Francoeur was like that with the arbitration deal after the year he had. I mean really Jeff? Are you serious? But I guess we can't expect everyone to have the thought process of Chipper Jones when it comes to the team. It's at least good to have him still showing that kind of leadership though. Maybe he can kick Francoeur in the ass and he'll hit.

[Gary]

Orlando Hudson has signed a 1 year, 3 Million Dollar deal with the LA Dodgers. Damn

[crashcarson15]

Orlando Hudson has signed a 1 year, 3 Million Dollar deal with the LA Dodgers. Damn

[Cujo]

Orlando Hudson has signed a 1 year, 3 Million Dollar deal with the LA Dodgers. Damn

Hmm, I though O-Dog would have been worth a little more than $3M -- and for that, couldn't Arizona have just re-signed the guy?

[Gary]

Orlando Hudson has signed a 1 year, 3 Million Dollar deal with the LA Dodgers. Damn

Hmm, I though O-Dog would be worth a little more than $3. *shrugs*

When you don't get the offers you want you pretty much have to make a compromise. Tood bad it was with the :censored:ing Dodgers

[StarrDogg]

I knew it would happen but the A's officially confirmed it:

A's halt plans for ballpark village in Fremont

It's strike three for the Oakland Athletics in Fremont. The team has bowed out of plans to build a new stadium and relocate 25 miles south on the Nimitz Freeway, A's officials said Friday.

"At this time we have decided to no longer pursue the Fremont project," said A's spokesman Bob Rose. "We are regrouping and will have discussions internally about our future options."

The team asked the city of Fremont this week to halt the planning process required to build a stadium. A City Council meeting on the stadium scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's dead," said Fremont Vice Mayor Anu Natarajan. "I don't know if this was the right thing for Fremont or not, but I'm very disappointed we didn't let the process unfold."

The A's had planned to build a $1.8 billion "ballpark village" next to the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge consisting of a 32,000-seat stadium, 3,100 units of housing and 500,000 square feet of high-end retail about 5 miles from the nearest BART station.

The plan instantly ran afoul of environmentalists, Nummi auto plant officials who said the village would disrupt their business operations, and some council members, who feared it would wreak havoc on the adjacent wetlands and create a traffic nightmare.

The 226-acre development would have been completed in 2012.

Many merchants, residents and public officials embraced the plan, hoping it would raise the city's profile and boost the economy.

Mayor Bob Wasserman, a longtime proponent of the move, was devastated that the plan had fallen through.

"It's terrible news," he said. "Fremont's lost the best opportunity we've ever had."

The city will stop reviewing the site near the wildlife refuge, called Pacific Commons, as well as a site in Warm Springs. In December, the A's said they would consider the Warm Springs alternative, which would put the ballpark village near a BART extension. But residents balked at that idea, too, because they said the Warm Springs location is too close to an elementary school and residential neighborhoods.

A's officials would not comment on specific reasons for the team's withdrawal, but owner Lew Wolff has said he has been frustrated with delays and community opposition.

Wolff wanted to relocate the team from Oakland, its home for 41 years, because of the inconvenience of sharing a stadium with the Oakland Raiders. The field needs to be constantly restriped, and the wear and tear of Raider games on the grass can create hazards for the A's players.

In addition, no land around the Coliseum was available for Wolff to build the shopping and housing development he envisioned.

Before announcing plans to move to Fremont in 2007, the A's looked at sites in Oakland, including Uptown, Lake Merritt and the former Army base, but were not able to reach an agreement with the city.

The A's also have said they'd like to relocate to San Jose, but Santa Clara County is part of the San Francisco Giants' marketing territory, according to Major League Baseball.

A move to San Jose became even more enticing for the A's when Santa Clara County voters approved a sales tax in November to help pay for a BART extension to San Jose. Access to BART would make it easier for fans to travel to games.

Many A's fans said they are relieved that the A's apparently will stay put, at least for the next few years. The Coliseum, while not perfect, is familiar, easy to reach by public transit and not without a certain grungy charm, they said.

"If this means the A's stay in Oakland, the boosters would be pleased," said Ray Dickinson, vice president of the Athletics Booster Club. "But baseball's a business, and they're going to do what they can to put money in their pockets. So I wouldn't be surprised if they just moved somewhere else."

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

[TalktoChuck]

Well since Fremont and San Jose are out of the question and the owner grows tired of Oakland, would it be possible for the A's to move up north to Portland? As Portland seems to be the best fit for a new MLB team.

[NJTank]

One of these days someone will have the courage to put a team in Vegas.