2011 MLB Season Thread

[pmoehrin]

I think people have every right to knock him for skipping out. Like I said earlier my opinion is that if you skip the All-Star game it should be a three game suspension. If your healthy enough to play immeidately after the break, your healthy enough to play during it as well.

Anytime you make that kind of money there's a responsibility that comes along with it I feel. If your asked to do something like this for the people that give you that salary, you have no excuse to say no in my opnion. Don't like it, then fork back over some of your salary.

I really have no sympathy for anyone in the kind of position Jeter is in, or anyone else for that matter. I don't think going to an All-Star is asking alot.

He's responsible to the Yankees, they are the one's who write his checks, not the All-Star game, that no gives a crap about. The All-Star game has nothing to do with Jeter's salary, that makes no sense.

Every non Yankee fan in the country b-tched for a week that Jeter was on the team in the fist place. Oh but now that he got 3,000 hits he's a bad guy for not going. LOL

And who gives the money to the Yankees to allow for his checks to be written? The fans do, and that's what this game is for.

I don't think he should be there either, but if you get voted in, obviously there's enough people out there who think you should be there. The fact that your not showing up means they wasted their time voting for him. And he's not hurt. He's not going because he's tired. Well boo hoo. I don't wannna go, I'm tired. I know two year olds that pull that excuse.

I really don't understand how people can actually get up and defend these guys and I'm seeing it more and more. What is so damn difficult about their lives? They get paid millions of dollars for playing a game, that they can afford to walk away from at any moment they choose if the pressue is that intense. Obviously that doesen't apply to everyone in baseball, but it does for the majority of the players going to the All-Star game.

[FiddySicks]

Jeter has no business in the All Star Game this year anyway. Him not going is fitting.

[Dexter Morgan]

I think people have every right to knock him for skipping out. Like I said earlier my opinion is that if you skip the All-Star game it should be a three game suspension. If your healthy enough to play immeidately after the break, your healthy enough to play during it as well.

Anytime you make that kind of money there's a responsibility that comes along with it I feel. If your asked to do something like this for the people that give you that salary, you have no excuse to say no in my opnion. Don't like it, then fork back over some of your salary.

I really have no sympathy for anyone in the kind of position Jeter is in, or anyone else for that matter. I don't think going to an All-Star is asking alot.

He's responsible to the Yankees, they are the one's who write his checks, not the All-Star game, that no gives a crap about. The All-Star game has nothing to do with Jeter's salary, that makes no sense.

Every non Yankee fan in the country b-tched for a week that Jeter was on the team in the fist place. Oh but now that he got 3,000 hits he's a bad guy for not going. LOL

And who gives the money to the Yankees to allow for his checks to be written? The fans do, and that's what this game is for.

I don't think he should be there either, but if you get voted in, obviously there's enough people out there who think you should be there. The fact that your not showing up means they wasted their time voting for him. And he's not hurt. He's not going because he's tired. Well boo hoo. I don't wannna go, I'm tired. I know two year olds that pull that excuse.

I really don't understand how people can actually get up and defend these guys and I'm seeing it more and more. What is so damn difficult about their lives? They get paid millions of dollars for playing a game, that they can afford to walk away from at any moment they choose if the pressue is that intense. Obviously that doesen't apply to everyone in baseball, but it does for the majority of the players going to the All-Star game.

It's easy to defend guys who don't go to a game you don't give a crap about. Apprently you care about the All-Star game, I don't. I like seeing players getting the honor of being named, but I don't care about about the game one bit. In football All-Pro selections matter more than the Pro Bowl selections. In baseball, Silver Sluggers and Gold Gloves should matter more than All-Star selections.

[trekbkr]

Lots of discussion regarding superstar players sitting out the ASG tonight for various reasons. There's been some talk of players needing "official recognition" of an injury in order to be allowed to skip -- in other words, Joe Player gets a permission slip sent to the MLB office from his manager, who'd likely be more than happy to give his star a few days' rest. The only thing that proposed system would do is make someone else responsible for the player's absence.

How's this for a new rule: If you're on an All-Star roster, the only way you're allowed to sit out is if you're on IR. Thoughts?

[BBTV]

Howabout you declare before voting starts if you want to participate or not, and if not, you're removed from the ballots and from manager consideration. Therefore, you don't get your All Star bonus or an official All Star stat, but you don't have to go.

Or, if you opt out, you're automatically removed from next year's consideration.

Put me down as one who thinks that this game is meaningless now that there's cable TV and the internet.

[NJTank]

Howabout you declare before voting starts if you want to participate or not, and if not, you're removed from the ballots and from manager consideration. Therefore, you don't get your All Star bonus or an official All Star stat, but you don't have to go.

Or, if you opt out, you're automatically removed from next year's consideration.

Put me down as one who thinks that this game is meaningless now that there's cable TV and the internet.

Which is why letting it decide HFA is silly.

[slapshot]

Here's the perfect way to make the Homerun Derby worth watching again (as well as cutting down on the actual length of the event...no way should this take over 3 hours).

1. Aluminum bats. Let's see balls routinely travel over 500 feet.

2. Pitching machines that throw the ball in the heart of the strikezone each time. Machine gets operated by an umpire.

3. Pitch limits per batter (15-20 sounds about right). No more "outs", but all you get is X-amount of pitches to hit homers. Fans don't pay big money to watch batters keep the bat on their shoulder and take about 55-60% of the pitches tossed their way.

4. None of these time-wasting shenanigans, whether it be a little kid bringing his dad Powerade or teammates/countrymen fanning the batter with a towel after each pitch.

5. Keep Chris "Back back back back back back back back, hello Poughkeepsie!" Berman the hell away from the broadcast booth.

1. The players would never enter. It would throw off their swing, and in addition could hurt some fans.

2. As Sam Fuld said last night, live arms are the way to go. I, personally, agree with that. Hitting is all about timing, and it's near impossible to time a pitching machine.

3. But the best part is seeing the players (like Josh Hamilton or Bobby Abreu) hit 25-30 homers!

4. That would ruin the whole fun aspect of this for the players. The players would never want to come if they couldn't have fun with it.

5. Agreed.

1. More players have hurt their arms swinging in Home Run Derby already, the aluminum bats might make it easier for them because they don't have to swing as hard. You can put up more fences or netting if you're worried about nearby fans getting injured.

2. How is it impossible to time a pitching machine? That's why they exist, to consistently project baseballs to the batter. They can be adjusted for height and speed, it should not be an issue for the batter. If they were so bad, they wouldn't be used in batting cages.

3. True. But the whole event shouldn't take 3 hours.

4. Meh. They can adjust "having fun" with speeding the event up.

5. Berman is as popular as Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

[Dexter Morgan]

Forcing players to attend something as unimportant as the All-Star game is ridiculous

[trekbkr]

How about you declare before voting starts if you want to participate or not, and if not, you're removed from the ballots and from manager consideration. Therefore, you don't get your All Star bonus or an official All Star stat, but you don't have to go.

Or, if you opt out, you're automatically removed from next year's consideration.

Put me down as one who thinks that this game is meaningless now that there's cable TV and the internet.

That's worth looking into.

Forcing players to attend something as unimportant as the All-Star game is ridiculous

I'm not a huge ASG fan (haven't watched the game in years), but obviously others love the event, and MLB itself trumpets it as a display of the game's elite. If baseball fans like me couldn't care less, surely even more will tune out when the roster is increasingly filled with 3rd and 4th choices at each position. If MLB insists on peddling this product as the fans' game, marketing it as a collection of superstars, giving it the responsibility of determining World Series home field advantage, all that stuff, then they probably need to ensure that the stars show up. If, however, they're going to continue to allow the fans' choices and other top players to sit out, conceivably someday putting World Series home field advantage on the shoulders of a fifth-place team's utility infielder in the late innings, then maybe it's time to just let the ASG be a thing of the past.

[infrared41]

Put me down as one who thinks that this game is meaningless now that there's cable TV and the internet.

And it's been meaningless for quite some time. The fact that this year's game is taking on all the wonderful characteristics of the NFL Pro Bowl should end any argument in support of continuing this outdated cluster- of an exhibition game. The HR Derby is stupid too. So there. Flame away!

[Dexter Morgan]

Morons of ESPN saying Jeter should be fined. *

[Dexter Morgan]

I think people have every right to knock him for skipping out. Like I said earlier my opinion is that if you skip the All-Star game it should be a three game suspension. If your healthy enough to play immeidately after the break, your healthy enough to play during it as well.

Anytime you make that kind of money there's a responsibility that comes along with it I feel. If your asked to do something like this for the people that give you that salary, you have no excuse to say no in my opnion. Don't like it, then fork back over some of your salary.

I really have no sympathy for anyone in the kind of position Jeter is in, or anyone else for that matter. I don't think going to an All-Star is asking alot.

He's responsible to the Yankees, they are the one's who write his checks, not the All-Star game, that no gives a crap about. The All-Star game has nothing to do with Jeter's salary, that makes no sense.

Every non Yankee fan in the country b-tched for a week that Jeter was on the team in the fist place. Oh but now that he got 3,000 hits he's a bad guy for not going. LOL

And who gives the money to the Yankees to allow for his checks to be written? The fans do, and that's what this game is for.

I don't think he should be there either, but if you get voted in, obviously there's enough people out there who think you should be there. The fact that your not showing up means they wasted their time voting for him. And he's not hurt. He's not going because he's tired. Well boo hoo. I don't wannna go, I'm tired. I know two year olds that pull that excuse.

I really don't understand how people can actually get up and defend these guys and I'm seeing it more and more. What is so damn difficult about their lives? They get paid millions of dollars for playing a game, that they can afford to walk away from at any moment they choose if the pressue is that intense. Obviously that doesen't apply to everyone in baseball, but it does for the majority of the players going to the All-Star game.

Derek Jeter performed for the fans 162 games a year for 17 years now. The idea he is obligated to show up to a meaningless exhibition game that very few people care about is laughable. I'm a fan. I've giving the Yankees and Jeter a lot of my hard earned cash over the years. I care how hard he plays for the Yankees, not if he shows up to some stupid side show.

[NJTank]

You know considering Jeter came off the DL just last week I think we can cut him some slack.

[Dexter Morgan]

You know considering Jeter came off the DL just last week I think we can cut him some slack.

No, he should risk re-injuring his calf in a meaningless exhibition game because blowhards in the media want a story to write and talk about.

Again. Jeter has an obligation to the Yankees and Yankee fans, not the MLB All-Star game.

[infrared41]

Morons of ESPN saying Jeter should be fined. *

Completely ignoring the fact that Jeter doesn't really deserve to be there this year. Typical ESPN.

[Dexter Morgan]

Morons of ESPN saying Jeter should be fined. *

Completely ignoring the fact that Jeter doesn't really deserve to be there this year. Typical ESPN.

John Kruk was saying just that a a week, now he's outraged Jeter isn't going.

[Dexter Morgan]

I gotta pick up this cover.

[RyanMcD29]

Morons of ESPN saying Jeter should be fined. *

Completely ignoring the fact that Jeter doesn't really deserve to be there this year. Typical ESPN.

John Kruk was saying just that a a week, now he's outraged Jeter isn't going.

John Kruk's also a moron

But yeah, you want good baseball analysis?

Probably my favorite specific sport channel, outside of maybe ESPNU during football, hoops, and lax seasons

[Dexter Morgan]

Morons of ESPN saying Jeter should be fined. *

Completely ignoring the fact that Jeter doesn't really deserve to be there this year. Typical ESPN.

John Kruk was saying just that a a week, now he's outraged Jeter isn't going.

John Kruk's also a moron

But yeah, you want good baseball analysis?

Probably my favorite specific sport channel, outside of maybe ESPNU during football, hoops, and lax seasons

Eh, MLBN has a lot of "ball washers" You would think every player in MLB is perfect without flaws if you always watched MLBN. I watch Quick Pitch before I go to bed, a lot less talking, just highlights.

Former players 99 times out of 100 times are bad analysts.

[cameroncrazie07]

I actually think that Jeter should have at least showed up to the game. Granted I'm as big of a Jeter fan as anyone else on the planet, but I have to say I don't agree with him. The idiots of ESPN who are trying to say he should play are completely wrong, as Dexter said there's no need for him to risk re-injury playing in a meaningless (let's be honest) game. But in my opinion he could've shown up for 2 or 3 innings, waved to the fans and left in the 4th, then he has a over a day to rest and do what he wants. That's just my opinion.