2009 MLB Season Thread

[Epiphanic]

Showalter's plan lost me when he started with "contraction."

[STL FANATIC]

I don't like Showalter's idea in general, but here's where it fails BADLY for me.

He still rewards teams as "division winners", and yet, the divisions are meaningless other than that. If every team is going to play a completely balanced schedule against everyone else, then screw the divisions. Just put the top 4 or 6 or however many teams in each league in the playoffs. But, hell, his schedule is SO balanced, that the leagues are worthless, too. Just put the top 8 or 10 or 12 or whatever teams in one giant playoff pool. The bracket becomes one-sided.

But that's a stupid, dry idea isn't it? We like groupings of teams. We like having the winners of said groupings play each other as representative of their respective grouping and seeing which one comes out on top.

But the only way those groupings have any meaning is if you skew the schedule so that a winner of any particular grouping won that grouping in large part because they outplayed, head-to-head, the other members of their grouping.

This is why I'm one of the few who opposes the schedule change the NHL underwent. I don't care about teams from the East. I don't care that much about teams from the Western Pacific or Western Northeast. I care about playing the teams in the Western Central, because those are the teams my Blues are fighting in order to grab a division championship.

But in the NHL it can slide a little easier. I still don't like the idea of playing the East more, but in the NHL, teams are fighting for what are essentially 5 Wild Card spots. Division championships matter for the top seeds, but with the other spots being up to the whole conference, it makes sense to play other conference teams a bit as well.

Under Showalter's plan, divisional or even league groupings have absolutely no factor in the schedule but do on the playoff seeding, and that's incredibly stupid. If Showwalter wants a system like this, he needs to scrap the ideas of groupings all together.

But we know that won't fly, because it's simply not a system anybody would embrace.

[Epiphanic]

Save for soccer fans.

I agree with you, STL. Having divisions really only means something if you have unbalanced schedules (balanced within each division, of course).

[STL FANATIC]

Heres the thing the Mets scouting and player development sytems are horrendous they dont turn out prospects out all, and when someone they call a five tool player comes up hes a big bust like Lanstings Miledge.

Well there's two responses to that statement.

One is that Mets fans need to focus their demand for change into that area of the ball club. It's an essential area for a Major League team to be good in if it is to succeed, and while it doesn't get the glitz and glamour of big money signings, it's equally as important. Demand the Mets make changes there.

The second is that a successful farm system isn't always churning out superstars. I understand, Milledge was billed as a future superstar, so he's not the best example, but great farm systems produce quality MLB players in addition to a great player once every few years.

Look around the league at the best teams. You'll no doubt see some star players that were signed with big money, and some that were acquired by using products of their farm system as trade chips. And some stars will be home-grown ones. But then look at the players that fill-in around the stars.

Some of those guys will small signings and such, but probably somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3s of those remaining players are quality, legitimate MLB players produced by that clubs farm system. They receive little fanfare as they're coming up the ladder or even now as regulars or reserves, but they do their job, they do it well, and they're a key part of the winning clubs. And because they're home-grown, they're cheap, and they allow the club to spend that saved money on the stars that they do need.

The process doesn't have to take that long, but it requires some patience. And if the Mets scouting system truly isn't up to par, that's where change needs to be focused as opposed to demanding the next shiny new free agent.

[STL FANATIC]

Save for soccer fans.

Right.

Fans, of course, need to be open to change, but sports would be very little without embracing the past. The culture of soccer allows for a division-less system. But the culture of more Americanized (for lack of a better term) sports practically REQUIRES divisional grouping. In those sports, I just can't see it being embraced.

[BrySmalls]

In an error filled game, Cliff Lee looks to be on pace for another Phillies "W".

[NJTank]

Heres the thing the Mets scouting and player development sytems are horrendous they dont turn out prospects out all, and when someone they call a five tool player comes up hes a big bust like Lanstings Miledge.

Well there's two responses to that statement.

One is that Mets fans need to focus their demand for change into that area of the ball club. It's an essential area for a Major League team to be good in if it is to succeed, and while it doesn't get the glitz and glamour of big money signings, it's equally as important. Demand the Mets make changes there.

The second is that a successful farm system isn't always churning out superstars. I understand, Milledge was billed as a future superstar, so he's not the best example, but great farm systems produce quality MLB players in addition to a great player once every few years.

Look around the league at the best teams. You'll no doubt see some star players that were signed with big money, and some that were acquired by using products of their farm system as trade chips. And some stars will be home-grown ones. But then look at the players that fill-in around the stars.

Some of those guys will small signings and such, but probably somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3s of those remaining players are quality, legitimate MLB players produced by that clubs farm system. They receive little fanfare as they're coming up the ladder or even now as regulars or reserves, but they do their job, they do it well, and they're a key part of the winning clubs. And because they're home-grown, they're cheap, and they allow the club to spend that saved money on the stars that they do need.

The process doesn't have to take that long, but it requires some patience. And if the Mets scouting system truly isn't up to par, that's where change needs to be focused as opposed to demanding the next shiny new free agent.

Look through out baseball, how many players that are key contributors have come from the Mets farm system?

The Mets have two Wright and Reyes, but I mean through out all of baseball.

[NJTank]

Just a glance at all 30 rosters here are the only key players currently who were developled and drafted by the Mets

Orioles

Melvin Mora

Ty Wiggington

Marlins

Matt Lindstrom

Royals

Mike Jacobs

Twins

Carlos Gomez

Yankees

A.J. Burnett

Pirates

Lastings Milledge

Padres

Heath Bell

Rays

Scott Kazmir

Blue Jays

Marco Scutaro

[STL_Ian]

I feel like I just wasted my time reading that Showalter article. You just look at the Divisions the put together and can see flaws right away. Like why in the World would he claim the divisions are region based when the Pirates are in the same division with the Indians, Brewers and Twins and put the Rockies with the Braves, Tigers and Astros?

Heh, what, you have a problem with a division comprised of teams from 3 different time zones?

Also, what the hell is he talking about when he wrote, "No team travels any more or less than any other."? Is that even possible?

[rams80]

The Buck Showalter Plan?

It's another "Stop Reel A Line Mint" ideas, must be a slow day at ESPN.

Cubs and Cardinals in SEPARATE divisions?!

My head, it....it...arrgh.

/If I may make a suggestion, perhaps ESPN would be best served to not hype up each and every Yankees and Red Sox game in the manner they do if that is what Showalter objects to.

[BBTV]

Cliff Lee with Phillies:

5 wins, 0 losses, 0.68 ERA.

[WJMorris3]

Cliff Lee with Phillies:

5 wins, 0 losses, 0.68 ERA.

If you're trying to put him up for Cy Young, you're horribly mistaken. Sabathia was better last year and he didn't even get much of a sniff.

[BBTV]

Cliff Lee with Phillies:

5 wins, 0 losses, 0.68 ERA.

If you're trying to put him up for Cy Young, you're horribly mistaken. Sabathia was better last year and he didn't even get much of a sniff.

Did the words "Cy" and / or "Young" appear anywhere in my post?

[BrySmalls]

Cliff Lee with Phillies:

5 wins, 0 losses, 0.68 ERA.

If you're trying to put him up for Cy Young, you're horribly mistaken. Sabathia was better last year and he didn't even get much of a sniff.

Did the words "Cy" and / or "Young" appear anywhere in my post?

Yes, it was all over that post! I believe it was somewhere lost in his microscopic ERA!

[BaltimoreFan]

I agree with you, STL. Having divisions really only means something if you have unbalanced schedules (balanced within each division, of course).

I agree, Showalter's plan was just way too radical. I think the simpliest idea would be to just move one NL team to the AL. The both league would have 15 teams, 5 teams per division. Just spread interleague play throughout the season. Neither expansion nor contraction seems plausible right now. So I would think this is the best plan to fix the mess they currently have.

[NJTank]

Sigh What did the Mets do to deserve this?

NEW YORK -- Mets players said Monday they expect Johan Santana will require surgery on his left elbow to repair whatever malady has prompted the club to scratch the pitcher from his scheduled start against the Marlins in Miami on Tuesday. Instead of making his 26th start, Santana is to have his elbow examined by Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.j...sp&c_id=nym

I revise my 2010 Mets prediction to 124 losses and the medical and training staff keep their jobs too.

[FiddySicks]

Just a glance at all 30 rosters here are the only key players currently who were developled and drafted by the Mets

Orioles

Melvin Mora

Ty Wiggington

Marlins

Matt Lindstrom

Royals

Mike Jacobs

Twins

Carlos Gomez

Yankees

A.J. Burnett

Pirates

Lastings Milledge

Padres

Heath Bell

Rays

Scott Kazmir

Blue Jays

Marco Scutaro

Um, no he wasn't. He was developed in the minors with the Indians and Brewers. He spent some time with the Mets, but not much and that was at the major league level.

[NJTank]

Oh my mistake thats one less, but you get my point that the Mets minor league/talent scouting and player development sucks and that is the main reason I want Omar fired, but Omar keeping his job means this won't change.

Just a reminder Omar was also Expos GM and the Nats player development in his tenure there was just as bad.

[Still MIGHTY]

SHUT THE UP!

-----------

Meanwhile, around the rest of the majors

Big, interesting, and possible playoff maych-up (if Texas wins the Wild Card) series starting in Anaheim tonight, AL West-leading Angels vs AL Central-leading Tigers.

Weaver vs Verlander tonight.

Lackey vs Washburn tomorrow.

Saunders vs Jackson Wednesday.

Should be a good one, and with Yankees vs Rangers starting tomorrow, The Halos could extend their division lead a little further or need to play well to keep it where it is at 5.5 games. The Tigers are also fighting to keep their division lead. Should be very entertaining

[infrared41]

Cliff Lee with Phillies:

5 wins, 0 losses, 0.68 ERA.

Another Millwood eh?