2009 MLB Season Thread

[BBTV]

Giants add Brad Penny

I know he struggled in Boston this season, but I think that has a lot to do with him being an NL pitcher. I've always liked Brad Penny, and feel that this is a HUGE move for the Giants.

There is no such thing as an NL or AL pitcher, either you can pitch or you can't

Yup. I've never understood the distinction.

[BaltimoreFan]

The problem with that is that you give the division winners a week-long break... something that won't sit well with many teams.

It would only be one game, so it shouldn't give the division winners anymore than one extra day off after the season.

So after a 162 game season, one game, in which a team may need to use it's 5th starter because there's no time to set up a rotation, should decide everything? Who cares i there's a surging team - even a surging team still had to win enough games in order for their "surge" to put them over the top.

It would be between the top two wildcard teams, the two teams that weren't good enough to win their own division. To be honest I just like the idea of having a one game playoff every year. The games are exciting. It would also sort of reward the teams that win their division. Those teams would get an extra day off to regroup and rest before the playoffs. The top team would get a more tired team, with a their rotation possibly skewed (The wildcard team may use their ace or one of their top pitchers for the playoff game).

[HedleyLamarr]

I agree. I hate that the Wild Card wins so often (really, I'm not sure it's that often, but it's plenty), but in the end, the Wild Card is good for the game, and there's not an obvious and reasonable way to disadvantage them any further, so it is what it is.

Sure there is.

Eliminate that rule where division teams can't meet in the LDS. Then, the division winner with the best record gets 4 home games in the 5-game series, thus giving the Wild Card team just 1 home game of the 5 games in the series. This gives more emphasis on not only winning your division, but also having the best record and getting the opportunity to host more playoff games.

This forces the Wild Card team to win at least two road games against the team with the best record in the league, and also gives the team with the best record a better shot at reaching the LCS.

[NJTank]

Wow if the reports are true the Dodgers after just struck some midnight lightning, it looks like the are getting Thome, Contreras and Garland if they got them before the midnight deadline they could have a big impact

Check that Contreras is going to the Rockies, that one is not so good for them his ERA is a mile high already.

[Cujo]

Giants add Brad Penny

I know he struggled in Boston this season, but I think that has a lot to do with him being an NL pitcher. I've always liked Brad Penny, and feel that this is a HUGE move for the Giants.

There is no such thing as an NL or AL pitcher, either you can pitch or you can't

Yup. I've never understood the distinction.

I'd say Penny is more of a "Sun Belt" pitcher, or a "Teams Mike Piazza has played for" pitcher.

[LMU]

I'm not exactly seeing where Thome would fit in with the Dodgers. They already have a solid first baseman in Loney, and Blake has been playing well most of the year. With no DH, seems like he may be a pinch hitter for the most part.

[NJTank]

I'm not exactly seeing where Thome would fit in with the Dodgers. They already have a solid first baseman in Loney, and Blake has been playing well most of the year. With no DH, seems like he may be a pinch hitter for the most part.

Left handed power off the bench could be valuable in down the stretch and in the playoffs.

[capsfan1000]

Giants add Brad Penny

I know he struggled in Boston this season, but I think that has a lot to do with him being an NL pitcher. I've always liked Brad Penny, and feel that this is a HUGE move for the Giants.

There is no such thing as an NL or AL pitcher, either you can pitch or you can't

Yup. I've never understood the distinction.

John Smoltz would disagree with you.

[HedleyLamarr]

Giants add Brad Penny

I know he struggled in Boston this season, but I think that has a lot to do with him being an NL pitcher. I've always liked Brad Penny, and feel that this is a HUGE move for the Giants.

There is no such thing as an NL or AL pitcher, either you can pitch or you can't

Yup. I've never understood the distinction.

John Smoltz would disagree with you.

He's pitched against the Padres and Nationals. We could register a quality start against the Padres and Nationals.

[Sport]

In about ten years the American League should add two teams, one in the east and one in the west. This will give the last expansion a 20 year period for the professional baseball playing community time to catch up and regroup so the product isn't so watered down. 98's expansion was way too close to the 93 expansion especially for 3 new national league teams.

Adding two new teams would give us 8 divisions of 4. To avoid a stop-reel-line-mint pic I won't post them. My plans for the playoffs is similar to the NFL. The four division winners make the playoffs and so do the 2 best second place teams, these will be our wildcards. The top two division winners get a first round bye. Right now you're saying, "you can't have a bye in baseball", but I have a plan that I think will work. The 3 and 4 seeds (the two worst division winners) would play the 6 and 5 seeds (the wildcards) in a best of three "mini-series" with the division winner hosting all necessary games so no travel would be necessary. These series would take 3 days at the longest with one day off after the regular season and one day off after the end of the best of three. If you get a bye then you have to wait for 5 days at the most and you get to play a team that had to use it's three best pitchers. This really rewards the two best teams in a league, it's not a guarantee that they'll advance, but it's a greater reward for being the best teams than the crapshoot you see now. If you're a wildcard and you want to host a home playoff game then you have to play your way into the LDS. If your one of the 3 or 4 seeds then you're team is guaranteed at least two home playoff games, which is more than they're guaranteed now. After the wild-card rounds then the next round would your regular LDS, LCS and WS, however I would do away with the rule that two teams from the same division can't meet in the LDS.

What do you think?

[Epiphanic]

Can I oppose it on the grounds that it would take the World Series further into November?

[BaltimoreFan]

Can I oppose it on the grounds that it would take the World Series further into November?

Yea, the playoffs are already too long and drawn out, no reason to expand the playoffs and make it worse. Plus the byes are not an advantage, especially in baseball. If your going to do eight 4 team divisions (which I don't like at all, I think it should be six 5 team divisions, with interleague play spread throughout the season) just have the 4 division winners go to the playoffs and keep the format the same.

[BrySmalls]

Can I oppose it on the grounds that it would take the World Series further into November?

Or worse, December!

[KevinMcD]

AJ Burnett is a fool, Felix Pie hit a HR off of him in the first inning tonight. Pie wasn't sure if it was out of the park or not so he sprinted from home to halfway between 1st and 2nd. As he is doing this Burnett points at him and mouths something to the effect of "Why the @$&@ is he running" and has a disgusted face. Michael Kay (Yankees announcer) says AJ must think he is showboating, since when has runnning around the bases on a HR been showboating? I would rather have more people run out HR's than walk around the bases.

[rainmaker17]

What is with the pants on the Toronto pitcher? I didn't know capri pants were legal in pro baseball.

[JayJaxon]

This is the time of year when other teams help shape the playoff races of teams trying to get in. So with that said, GO PHILLY AND GO METS!

P.S: I'm not exactly counting on the Mets to deliver but at least Philly has done their job tonight

[VandyDelphia Mike]

It only took 129 games, but Cole Hamels' complete game shutout of the Giants was the first time all season the defending World Series Champions defeated a team 1-0.

So is the Cole of his last two starts (17 shutout innings, at one point retiring 21 consecutive batters) the one we can expect in September/October? And how nice will it be if Lee and Hamels are on top of their game at once?

[Buschwackers03]

Cole Hamels Stole 2nd! The last time for a Phillie was Curt Schilling in 1997. When was the last time before tonight that a pitcher stole a bag?

[STL FANATIC]

Cole Hamels Stole 2nd! The last time for a Phillie was Curt Schilling in 1997. When was the last time before tonight that a pitcher stole a bag?

I thought I remembered a Cardinal having one this year, and the first guy I checked was Joel Pineiro, and sure enough, he's got one this year. Don't remember when it happened. (Edit: just checked and I got lucky or had the right intuition, because Pineiro is the only guy on the staff with one.)

I would guess that it's not THAT uncommon.

[BigEd76]

I know they're thinking about player safety, and I appreciate the effort....but...

(that's not photoshopped)