2011 MLB Season Thread

[DrAwesomeberry]

Over/under. 50%

The World Series will be played entirely in the Northeast.

I say over, hard to predict anyone beating the Phillies in the NL or Red Sox/Yankees in the AL.

Meh, that probably will happen. But it would be boring as all hell.

Personally, if my Rangers don't make it, I would love for a Brewers/Indians or Pirates/Tigers series just to watch the Fox suits' heads explode.

[Lights Out]

Rays/Pirates World Series or bust!

[HedleyLamarr]

Based on that angle, I'm not 100% sold that the heel of his right foot touches the plate. The catcher's leg hides the part where the runner's foot most likely touches the plate.

If I were the replay official and this were my only angle of viewing, I wouldn't have the cliched "conclusive evidence" to overturn the call.

[Dexter Morgan]

Rays/Pirates World Series or bust!

Nothing against the Rays, but that convention hall they call a ballpark is just an awful backdrop for the Fall Classic.

[JayJaxon]

Are you guys seriously predicting a Phillies/Red Sox/Yankees World Series already? Please go back and look at the games and don't just look at what ESPN says. There are other good teams besides the damn Phillies, Yankees, and Red Sox.

[JayJaxon]

Rays/Pirates World Series or bust!

Nothing against the Rays, but that convention hall they call a ballpark is just an awful backdrop for the Fall Classic.

Yea because a bad ballpark and bad attendance means you can't possibly make it to the World Series.

[sportsfan0518]

Rays/Pirates World Series or bust!

Nothing against the Rays, but that convention hall they call a ballpark has no business hosting a World Series game. It's just an awful back drop for the Fall Classic.

They almost did not sell out games 1 and 2 back in 2008.

[Lights Out]

Based on that angle, I'm not 100% sold that the heel of his right foot touches the plate. The catcher's leg hides the part where the runner's foot most likely touches the plate.

If I were the replay official and this were my only angle of viewing, I wouldn't have the cliched "conclusive evidence" to overturn the call.

Looks to me like he touched the plate here:

[Dexter Morgan]

Rays/Pirates World Series or bust!

Nothing against the Rays, but that convention hall they call a ballpark is just an awful backdrop for the Fall Classic.

Yea because a bad ballpark and bad attendance means you can't possibly make it to the World Series.

Did I say that?

[Dexter Morgan]

Rays/Pirates World Series or bust!

Nothing against the Rays, but that convention hall they call a ballpark has no business hosting a World Series game. It's just an awful back drop for the Fall Classic.

They almost did not sell out games 1 and 2 back in 2008.

That's true, but I wasn't even referring to attendance and certainly wasn't speaking to the Rays play like jayjackson said, just the fact Tropicana is a hideous stadium and not a good backdrop for baseball's showcase.

[Lights Out]

Neither is the Yankees' tacky, overdone bandbox of a stadium, with all the empty seats visible behind the backstop because everyone's been priced out.

[cameroncrazie07]

Are you guys seriously predicting a Phillies/Red Sox/Yankees World Series already? Please go back and look at the games and don't just look at what ESPN says. There are other good teams besides the damn Phillies, Yankees, and Red Sox.

Part of this is me being a homer, and ESPN probably has skewed my opinion, but I really don't think anyone else is going to compete with those three. Look at some of the other division leaders (especially in the AL) who's going to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox? The Indians? The Rangers? I highly doubt that. And even in the NL the only teams that could compete with the Phillies are maybe the Braves and the Giants. But with the way Lincecum's pitching I doubt the Giants can beat the Phillies. Who knows what we will see what happens when we get to October, but right now you've got to say it's going to be one of those three teams. I know it sounds stupid but that's truly what I think.

[Lights Out]

Weren't the Yankees and Phillies hyped as being "unbeatable" last year? How did that work out for them in the playoffs?

[Dexter Morgan]

Neither is the Yankees' tacky, overdone bandbox of a stadium, with all the empty seats visible behind the backstop because everyone's been priced out.

Compared to Tropicana, yes.. yes it is.

[cameroncrazie07]

Weren't the Yankees and Phillies hyped as being "unbeatable" last year? How did that work out for them in the playoffs?

You could basically say that for every year though . I know for a fact that they both were in 2009 and that worked out pretty well. To be honest I didn't really think the Yankees were going to win it all last year. But it just shows that you never know what will happen in October. All I'm saying is right now those three teams are clearly the favorites.

[Lights Out]

Neither is the Yankees' tacky, overdone bandbox of a stadium, with all the empty seats visible behind the backstop because everyone's been priced out.

Compared to Tropicana, yes.. yes it is.

I'm not denying that the Trop is a hideous mess, but the new Yankee Stadium represents everything wrong with baseball: it's a bandbox where fly balls turn into home runs, the stands are half-empty because the majority of the fanbase has been priced out, it's filled to the brim with restaurants, arcades and other crap that distracts the pink-hats in the crowd from the actual game, and the freaking Yankees play there.

As for good stadiums for the World Series: Kauffman Stadium and Great American Ballpark are awesome stadiums that need some World Series action.

[Dexter Morgan]

Neither is the Yankees' tacky, overdone bandbox of a stadium, with all the empty seats visible behind the backstop because everyone's been priced out.

Compared to Tropicana, yes.. yes it is.

I'm not denying that the Trop is a hideous mess, but the new Yankee Stadium represents everything wrong with baseball: it's a bandbox where fly balls turn into home runs, the stands are half-empty because the majority of the fanbase has been priced out, it's filled to the brim with restaurants, arcades and other crap that distracts the pink-hats in the crowd from the actual game, and the freaking Yankees play there.

You sound like someone who has never been there. What arcade? There are 2 restaurants, NYY Steak and Hard Rock.Stands are half empty. Really? Then explain the Yankees attendance numbers the last 3 years? You can get seats for 10 bucks during the weak, 20-25 bucks on the weekend. Stub Hub is your friend. Yes, fans like myself, can't afford to sit behind the plate or dugouts, but I wasn't able to do that in the older stadium either, or in places like Fenwayy. But we are not priced out of the stadium. I go to countless games a year on the cheap.

[NJTank]

Here my idea five man ump crews they still rotate, but after serving home plate the ump sits in a both wired down to another ump for replays.

Strikes and Balls can not be reviewed everything else can be.

Each team can make a challenge per game, but the video ump can look at every play. He sits at a monitor and he has 60 seconds to look at a call after asking for a review.

[HedleyLamarr]

I'm not denying that the Trop is a hideous mess, but the new Yankee Stadium represents everything wrong with baseball: it's a bandbox where fly balls turn into home runs, the stands are half-empty because the majority of the fanbase has been priced out, it's filled to the brim with restaurants, arcades and other crap that distracts the pink-hats in the crowd from the actual game, and the freaking Yankees play there.

As for good stadiums for the World Series: Kauffman Stadium and Great American Ballpark are awesome stadiums that need some World Series action.

Doesn't Tropicana Field have shorter field dimensions than Yankee Stadium?

[Dexter Morgan]

Yankee Stadium doesn't have an arcade, but Nationals Park does.

and it has a playground.