2011 MLB Season Thread

[Cujo]

The Chicago Cubs have relieved Jim Hendry of his duties as vice president and general manager.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[BBTV]

I wonder if he'd clear waivers though.

He would most likely clear waivers. The Sox traded him through waivers to the Dodgers two years ago, and he hasn't improved since then. Only potential playoff teams would claim him and I don't see him as a pressing need for any of those teams.

He didn't really do anything for the Dodgers in the handful of ABs they got him. They picked him up hoping to start him at 1B every few games, but he told them his back was so bad that he couldn't play 1B even in an emergency situation. Also, he is really streaky now. He has a long swing and needs constant AB to be effective. You won't get much out of him giving him a PH every night.

I was thinking more along the lines of teams just blocking the Phillies rather than wanting him for themselves, but you're probably right about his inability to contribute off the bench. Still, I'm not sure what the money is but he has to be an upgrade over Gload at this point.

[TheClevelandHockey]

FWIW, I think the Rangers might claim Thome if he were to hit waivers. They could use a lefty bench bat that's not David "50% ground balls" Murphy, and they were in on him in the offseason.

It'd be awesome to see Thome on a contender. I hope this happens, no matter how improbable it may be.

[NJTank]

The Chicago Cubs have relieved Jim Hendry of his duties as vice president and general manager.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I can hear the cheering in Wrigleyville all the way in Jersey.

[AnythingChicago]

GTFO, Hendry! Get your sorry ass and ugly face out of Chicago for good!

Now I'm off to change my avatar.

[The_Admiral]

It's a nice day out today.

Hendry said Ricketts told him he would be let go on July 22

Hmm. Maybe not so nice.

[BJBerthiaume]

I will warn you people who want Thome that he will cost your team runs/bench players if he doesn't hit homers. If the Phillies are down run one in the 7th or 8th, and Thome accidentally hits a single instead of a homer, you are going to have to use another bench player on the spot to run for him. And if he is DHing for the Rangers, he will cost them runs on the basepaths early in the game. A single will never score Thome from second and a gapper will never score Thome from first. I can't tell you how many times Thome's brick feet have cost the Twins runs early in games. BBTV I guarantee you would rather have Ross Gload running around the bases than Thome, but if he hits the long ball, he's great to have. I hope he is traded to a contendor.

[The_Admiral]

I wonder how many home runs Thome would have retired with if he had to stop playing baseball when he was no longer able to run the bases and field a position, the way most athletes are forced to retire when they can't fulfill a majority of their job requirements.

[Cujo]

I wonder how many home runs Thome would have retired with if he had to stop playing baseball when he was no longer able to run the bases and field a position, the way most athletes are forced to retire when they can't fulfill a majority of their job requirements.

Yep. Another reason why I cannot stand the DH.

Fat, slow, power hitters who are allowed to mash for an extra five years.

[TheClevelandHockey]

I wonder how many home runs Thome would have retired with if he had to stop playing baseball when he was no longer able to run the bases and field a position, the way most athletes are forced to retire when they can't fulfill a majority of their job requirements.

Yep. Another reason why I cannot stand the DH.

Fat, slow, power hitters who are allowed to mash for an extra five years.

As opposed to scrawny, measly, .034 hitters who never are meant to get on base anyway?

[The_Admiral]

.034 hitters don't stay in the majors either, numbnuts.

[TheClevelandHockey]

.034 hitters don't stay in the majors either, numbnuts.

(I'm talking about the pitchers)

[The_Admiral]

Pitchers would hit and get on base better if there weren't so many backward-thinking managers wasting outs on them. Even that's preferable to my sensibilities than the corpse of Jim Thome's career.

[TheClevelandHockey]

He's obviously going to retire after this year, so you can prefer that all you want come 2012. I don't see the point of the grudge but alright.

Why blame the managaers though? Isn't that what "LOL NL IS BEST WE R SUPERIOR" fans always say? Best strategy? Hell if I remember correctly, playing the Diamondbacks Tomlin got the green light to swing away and went like 2-3 and got an RBI.

It amazes me how much people need to go to justify them liking one league over another.

[crashcarson15]

Honestly, even as a fan of an AL team, I prefer the National League. Daniel Hudson's hitting .327 this year. Hell, at the game I saw him pitch in, they let him hit and then took him out of the game. A real hitting pitcher can be a great asset to an NL club.

[BBTV]

I will warn you people who want Thome that he will cost your team runs/bench players if he doesn't hit homers. If the Phillies are down run one in the 7th or 8th, and Thome accidentally hits a single instead of a homer, you are going to have to use another bench player on the spot to run for him. And if he is DHing for the Rangers, he will cost them runs on the basepaths early in the game. A single will never score Thome from second and a gapper will never score Thome from first. I can't tell you how many times Thome's brick feet have cost the Twins runs early in games. BBTV I guarantee you would rather have Ross Gload running around the bases than Thome, but if he hits the long ball, he's great to have. I hope he is traded to a contendor.

Oh I totally get what you're saying, and really can't disagree with you, but Gload has a torn labrum and is pretty much HR or bust, so it wouldn't really be different there. The Phillies have actually used pitchers as pinch runners when Gload hits something other than a HR. They foolishly tried to play him at 1b for some reason, and that may have made his daily pain even worse.

Don't get me wrong - I don't want him, but if he was available, I think he might be an upgrade over the duct-taped-together body that they currently have.

[pmoehrin]

I will warn you people who want Thome that he will cost your team runs/bench players if he doesn't hit homers. If the Phillies are down run one in the 7th or 8th, and Thome accidentally hits a single instead of a homer, you are going to have to use another bench player on the spot to run for him. And if he is DHing for the Rangers, he will cost them runs on the basepaths early in the game. A single will never score Thome from second and a gapper will never score Thome from first. I can't tell you how many times Thome's brick feet have cost the Twins runs early in games. BBTV I guarantee you would rather have Ross Gload running around the bases than Thome, but if he hits the long ball, he's great to have. I hope he is traded to a contendor.

Oh I totally get what you're saying, and really can't disagree with you, but Gload has a torn labrum and is pretty much HR or bust, so it wouldn't really be different there. The Phillies have actually used pitchers as pinch runners when Gload hits something other than a HR. They foolishly tried to play him at 1b for some reason, and that may have made his daily pain even worse.

Don't get me wrong - I don't want him, but if he was available, I think he might be an upgrade over the duct-taped-together body that they currently have.

Thing is the Phillies can afford an extra bench player or two if needed.

They don't need anymore then a four man rotation, and possibly could even go a three man rotation with either Hamels or Oswalt coming out of the pen. (Normally I'd go Hamels even though he's having the better year, just because he's a lefty. But because of the fact that the Phils already have Cliff Lee as their clear number two and Bastardo, I'd say it has to be Oswalt by default, and if I were Charlie Manuel I would ask him if he would be willing to go to the pen for September while making a spot start here or there just to get used to it, because I think the Phillies are in better shape with a three man rotation then a four man if Oswalt can come out of the pen throwing 98+ MPH gas, something he can't do right now because he's a starter.)

I can't see them taking any more then 11 pitchers into the playoffs. They only took ten last year if I'm not mistaken and I think that's about what they are going to take this year as well.

[Dexter Morgan]

Jack Curry

With Hendry being fired as Cubs GM, speculation has already begun about Cashman, who is in final yr with Yanks, as replacement.

[pmoehrin]

Jack Curry

With Hendry being fired as Cubs GM, speculation has already begun about Cashman, who is in final yr with Yanks, as replacement.

I gotta think there is at least a little frustration with how the Yankees have been running recently with Cashman. He did not want to sign Rafael Soriano and its looking more and more like not signing him would have been the right call to make.

Its also no secret that he is not seeing eye to eye at all with Posada and Jeter. Posada is definately going to be gone, and I don't think the Yankees can get rid of Derek Jeter fast enough. He is not as good offensivley as he used to be, and is now a massive defensive liability at short to the point where the Yankees really don't even have a choice but to move him at season's end. They give up on average an extra base hit a game simply because Derek Jeter is the starting shortstop. You just can't have that defensively. Even if your replacing him with somebody who's hitting .220 your may still be better off.

Do I think there's a chance Cashman will go to the Cubs, yes. Do I think it will happen though, no. I think he's going to want more control over the club more then he'll want money, which could be a sticking point, but I think they'll work it out in the end.

[Audiodrama]

Jack Curry

With Hendry being fired as Cubs GM, speculation has already begun about Cashman, who is in final yr with Yanks, as replacement.

That wouldn't shock me at all. Cashman's been trying to get out of the Bronx for a few years.