2012 MLB Season

[BigMac12]

Arizona has 3 1st-inning home runs in thier 1st 2 games. Unbelievable!

[pmoehrin]

Josh Beckett working at his usual ultra fast pace and Cabrera just took him yard.

Also Prince looks even fatter then usual. They bumped his listing up to 285 in the which means he's probably close to 320 now.

Ortiz looks like he lost at least 15 pounds as well.

[Don]

Nats bullpen has looked pretty damn good in these first 2 games.

[pmoehrin]

Nats bullpen has looked pretty damn good in these first 2 games.

I thought Tyler Clippard was the best relief pitcher in baseball last year and I think it was a crime that nobody gave him a top ten Cy Young vote.

If he has a year like he did last year, Brad Lidge asserts himself as being at least an average closer, Sean Burnett once becomes one of the leagues top lefty specialists and Sean Rodriguez continues his progression they will have a very tough bullpen. Maybe even the best in baseball.

Everyone is looking at Miami as being the breakout team in that division, but I think its going to be Washington. I could even see them taking the NL East over Philadelphia especially if the Phillies are unable to get healthy.

[Don]

Nats bullpen has looked pretty damn good in these first 2 games.

I thought Tyler Clippard was the best relief pitcher in baseball last year and I think it was a crime that nobody gave him a top ten Cy Young vote.

If he has a year like he did last year, Brad Lidge asserts himself as being at least an average closer, Sean Burnett once becomes one of the leagues top lefty specialists and Sean Rodriguez continues his progression they will have a very tough bullpen. Maybe even the best in baseball.

Everyone is looking at Miami as being the breakout team, but I think its going to be Washington. I could even see them taking the NL East over Philadelphia especially if the Phillies are unable to get healthy.

All Lidge needs to do is stem the tide till Storen comes back.

[sportstar1212]

Blue Jays win again in extras.

Get the winning out of their system before they face the Red Sox

[pmoehrin]

Nats bullpen has looked pretty damn good in these first 2 games.

I thought Tyler Clippard was the best relief pitcher in baseball last year and I think it was a crime that nobody gave him a top ten Cy Young vote.

If he has a year like he did last year, Brad Lidge asserts himself as being at least an average closer, Sean Burnett once becomes one of the leagues top lefty specialists and Sean Rodriguez continues his progression they will have a very tough bullpen. Maybe even the best in baseball.

Everyone is looking at Miami as being the breakout team, but I think its going to be Washington. I could even see them taking the NL East over Philadelphia especially if the Phillies are unable to get healthy.

All Lidge needs to do is stem the tide till Storen comes back.

Completely forgot about Storen although I'm not so sure Storen will have the closer spot once he comes back. Depends on how well Lidge does. They also may want him to bring him back slow. Although having to potentially decide between a fully healthy and confident Brad Lidge and a solid young reliever in Drew Storen for the closer role would be a good problem to have.

[McCall]

Nats bullpen has looked pretty damn good in these first 2 games.

I thought Tyler Clippard was the best relief pitcher in baseball last year and I think it was a crime that nobody gave him a top ten Cy Young vote.

Why would you give a Cy Young vote to a non-closing reliever?

[Don]

Nats bullpen has looked pretty damn good in these first 2 games.

I thought Tyler Clippard was the best relief pitcher in baseball last year and I think it was a crime that nobody gave him a top ten Cy Young vote.

If he has a year like he did last year, Brad Lidge asserts himself as being at least an average closer, Sean Burnett once becomes one of the leagues top lefty specialists and Sean Rodriguez continues his progression they will have a very tough bullpen. Maybe even the best in baseball.

Everyone is looking at Miami as being the breakout team, but I think its going to be Washington. I could even see them taking the NL East over Philadelphia especially if the Phillies are unable to get healthy.

All Lidge needs to do is stem the tide till Storen comes back.

Completely forgot about Storen although I'm not so sure Storen will have the closer spot once he comes back. Depends on how well Lidge does. They also may want him to bring him back slow. Although having to potentially decide between a fully healthy and confident Brad Lidge and a solid young reliever in Drew Storen for the closer role would be a good problem to have.

Thats for sure. Storen was a bit inconsistent last year so having a veteran to mentor him a bit wont hurt at all.

[pmoehrin]

Nats bullpen has looked pretty damn good in these first 2 games.

I thought Tyler Clippard was the best relief pitcher in baseball last year and I think it was a crime that nobody gave him a top ten Cy Young vote.

Why would you give a Cy Young vote to a non-closing reliever?

I just said top ten not over Kershaw. And its not unprecedented. Mariano finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting in '96 and he wasn't closing at the time. He had a 2.09 ERA over 108 innings pitched out of the pen.

Likewise Clippard had an awesome year. ERA of 1.83 over 88 innings, a little over 100 strikeouts, just 26 walks and he didn't lose a single game. I don't care if he's not a closer I will take somebody like that in a second over someone who saves 50 games but also loses 5 and doesn't pitch as much.

[WJMorris3]

Honestly, I don't see anyone topping the Nationals in the NL. They have the best rotation in baseball and some bats to match.

[Kramerica Industries]

Beckett is dealing today.

[pmoehrin]

Beckett is dealing today.

For the sake of Red Sox fans I would hope not.

They're down 5-0 and Beckett has only struck out two through four innings.

If this is him at his best, they got problems.

[Brass]

With the exception of one season, Beckett has been one of the most overrated players the Sox have had in recent memory. I still don't understand how so many Sox fans like him. Boggles my mind. I was hoping they would have dealt him this past offseason.

EDIT: "What the hell, have another home run, Tigers!" - Josh Beckett

[sportstar1212]

Watching the Red Sox play feels like I'm being continuously kicked in the testicles!

It took Valentine long enough to get that Beckett clown outta there.

[Kramerica Industries]

They might like him since he was an ace on a World Series team.

Same reason why many Yankee fans probably like Sabathia despite two of his three postseasons being horrific as well. Title pedigrees change everything.

[pmoehrin]

With the exception of one season, Beckett has been one of the most overrated players the Sox have had in recent memory. I still don't understand how so many Sox fans like him. Boggles my mind. I was hoping they would have dealt him this past offseason.

Probably because he had a monster postseason in '07 and he beat the Yankees in '03 to clinch the World Series for the Marlins.

His entire reputation is built on what he can do when healthy but the problem is he is hurt all the time. He's only been top ten in innings pitched once during his career and his numbers have not been very consistent.

I think most fans look at him for what he is which is a upper end 2nd tier pitcher. He is more in the category of guys like Tim Hudson, Chris Carpenter and C.J. Wilson then he is in the category of Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver and Clayton Kershaw. You can win with him as your best pitcher but you can also do better.

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

I would put Carpenter in the same category as Verlander and etc.

[pmoehrin]

I would put Carpenter in the same category as Verlander and etc.

He led the NL in innigns pitched last year and had a solid postseason, but he wasn't top ten in any other major category in the NL except striekout to walk ratio where he was ninth.

Certainly an innigns eater and when he is on he can be as good as anybody (see the three shutouts he pitched last year) and I would still buy him as being a number one starter on a good team, but I would not put him in that elite class of pitcher at this stage of his career.

Also get ready for the "what's wrong with the Red Sox" full blown ESPN treatment. Two games into the season, why not go into panic mode?

[DEAD!]

Watching the Red Sox play feels like I'm being continuously kicked in the testicles!

Let's kick you in the testicles continuously to see if that feels like watching the Red Sox play.

... oh on the subject of handwriting, I mostly use ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils. I tend to have bad luck when sharpening wood pencils. I must admit, my handwriting has deteriorated in the past decade or so.