2014 MLB Season Thread

[dbadefense1990]

So the Dodgers can wrap-up the NL West tomorrow with Kershaw on the mound.

Cool!

P.S.: I find it disturbing that the Pirates doused themselves in champagne for clinching a non-divisional playoff spot. Should the Giants do the same tomorrow if they lose? I mean, they'll see their hated rival clinch the division in front of them, but by all means, hose yourselves in the bubbly anyway because Milwaukee collapsed down the stretch, allowing you to play a 163rd game for a trip to the Division Series.

Stupid.

[cmm]

It was pretty sweet to see Derek Jeter strike out with the tying run on first to end the game tonight.

[masterchaoss]

So the Dodgers can wrap-up the NL West tomorrow with Kershaw on the mound.

Cool!

P.S.: I find it disturbing that the Pirates doused themselves in champagne for clinching a non-divisional playoff spot. Should the Giants do the same tomorrow if they lose? I mean, they'll see their hated rival clinch the division in front of them, but by all means, hose yourselves in the bubbly anyway because Milwaukee collapsed down the stretch, allowing you to play a 163rd game for a trip to the Division Series.

Stupid.

Hell i think you should only celebrate like that once as a team wining the world series, and mabye getting there. I don't think you should be able to celebrate and pop champagne unless they win it all.

[Tigers6884]

It was pretty sweet to see Derek Jeter strike out with the tying run on first to end the game tonight.

You don't know how tired I am of constantly being reminded that this is his last season. Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter get all these grand gifts and media coverage in their last seasons, whereas Todd Helton and Paul Konerko subtly retire with class. I'm sure if Jeter played anywhere other than New York, Boston, or Los Angeles, he'd just be regarded as an average shortstop on defense. He makes “nice plays", but that's because he makes average plays seem difficult and makes sure the spotlight's on him at all times.He is the all-time leader in hits for shortstops, but he's pretty much a liability in the Yankees lineup this season. Part of the blame for the Yankees not making the playoffs has to be put on his shoulders for not even willing to move down in the batting order. Sure, Phil Rizzuto has to be the most overrated player of all-time, but Derek Jeter has to be somewhere up on the list.

[MEANS]

:woot: Bravo, spot on.

[OnWis97]

I don't blame Jeter for this. If he'd spent his whole career anywhere else, this would not be happening.

Of course he's overrated...that's what comes with being the Captain of the Yankees. However, I went on Facebook and clicked the "Keith Olbermann" trending button. Seems just about everyone thinks this is just the right amount of attention. Of course in thinking this is over the top, I had forgotten about the flip play vs. the A's...so yeah, he's the greatest of all time.

It's times like this that I am kinda thankful that national sports media is so NFL-focused.

[kewp80]

I don't blame Jeter for this. If he'd spent his whole career anywhere else, this would not be happening.

Of course he's overrated...that's what comes with being the Captain of the Yankees. However, I went on Facebook and clicked the "Keith Olbermann" trending button. Seems just about everyone thinks this is just the right amount of attention. Of course in thinking this is over the top, I had forgotten about the flip play vs. the A's...so yeah, he's the greatest of all time.

It's times like this that I am kinda thankful that national sports media is so NFL-focused.

If great playoff plays are what makes greatest of all time then David Freese was a better Cardinal than Stan Musial

But yeah I'm getting a little tired of all the Jeter talk as well. Who was it that just recently wrote an article saying the Yankees being forced to play Jeter all season long could be the reason why they're not making the playoffs. Thank goodness the Yankees aren't making the playoffs...

[OnWis97]

I don't blame Jeter for this. If he'd spent his whole career anywhere else, this would not be happening.

Of course he's overrated...that's what comes with being the Captain of the Yankees. However, I went on Facebook and clicked the "Keith Olbermann" trending button. Seems just about everyone thinks this is just the right amount of attention. Of course in thinking this is over the top, I had forgotten about the flip play vs. the A's...so yeah, he's the greatest of all time.

It's times like this that I am kinda thankful that national sports media is so NFL-focused.

If great playoff plays are what makes greatest of all time then David Freese was a better Cardinal than Stan Musial

But yeah I'm getting a little tired of all the Jeter talk as well. Who was it that just recently wrote an article saying the Yankees being forced to play Jeter all season long could be the reason why they're not making the playoffs. Thank goodness the Yankees aren't making the playoffs...

That was me being sarcastic. I rue the day he made that play. It may be the most over-hyped MLB play of this century (or ever).

[HedleyLamarr]

I can do without all the Jeter grovelling that's been going on this season.

That said, if I'm a GM or manager in a one-game, life-or-death situation and I'm able to pick any 9 players in their prime to fill out my lineup....Derek Jeter's in my lineup.

[Sport]

I don't think there's ever been an athlete that has benefited more from playing in New York. If he had been a Royal, Tiger, Red, and let’s say oh the Marlins he’d be another guy with 3,000 hits.

I get it. He’s sort of a cool guy, he made it big in New York, he hit some big postseason home runs (aided by Jeffrey Maier and Byung Hyun Kim), he won 5 rings (aided by the largest payroll in sports, and the very well managed Yankees of the late 90’s early 00’s). But this funeral procession is ridiculous. There’s far better players who never received close to this treatment.

And to be fair to the Yankees, I thought it was weird when this sort of happened to Chipper Jones a few years ago.

[TheOldRoman]

The stupidest part of this is that starting with Rivera and increasing with Jeter, we're started the practice of obligatory gifting to retiring old players. As mentioned, Paul Konerko is retiring quietly, and he's a shell of his former self, playing once a week. Still, he was given a scoreboard number at Wrigley Field, he was given something by the Twins, Indians, Royals and Yankees, among others.

I guess it doesn't hurt anyone and it won't receive the media orgasm outside of NYY/BOS/LAD players, but it's slightly annoying that the precedent has started that all teams HAVE to give gifts to players for having played in their stadium a few dozen times over the last decade. It's like the pink battle in October. If you don't wear pink gear or include it in your uniforms, you're bad because everyone else is doing it. I mean, it would be a nice gesture if the Red Sox gave some kind of little gift to Jeter which had a sentimental value since he's had so many battles with Boston. But the Rays, who didn't exist during his first title and spent most of his career as a joke, giving Jeter a freaking kayak? The Royals giving Konerko a truck full of BBQ sauce or whatever? Dumb. Both guys have made well over $100 million in their careers. They can buy their own kayaks and BBQ sauce if they so desire.

[kewp80]

Jeter is also one of those types of players that you hardly ever hear about this day in age in sports. Where he grew up in New York, dreamed for playing with the Yankees, and worked really hard to see that dream come true. Plus he stayed there his whole career, another thing you don't see in sports that often.

[sportstar1212]

All I know is that the Yanks are cashing in huge on the Jeter farewell tour. When I went to Yankee Stadium back in July, the team shop might as well been called the Jeter Shop. Literally 99% of the stuff in there was somehow Jeter-related.

[HedleyLamarr]

The stupidest part of this is that starting with Rivera and increasing with Jeter, we're started the practice of obligatory gifting to retiring old players. As mentioned, Paul Konerko is retiring quietly, and he's a shell of his former self, playing once a week. Still, he was given a scoreboard number at Wrigley Field, he was given something by the Twins, Indians, Royals and Yankees, among others.

I guess it doesn't hurt anyone and it won't receive the media orgasm outside of NYY/BOS/LAD players, but it's slightly annoying that the precedent has started that all teams HAVE to give gifts to players for having played in their stadium a few dozen times over the last decade. It's like the pink battle in October. If you don't wear pink gear or include it in your uniforms, you're bad because everyone else is doing it. I mean, it would be a nice gesture if the Red Sox gave some kind of little gift to Jeter which had a sentimental value since he's had so many battles with Boston. But the Rays, who didn't exist during his first title and spent most of his career as a joke, giving Jeter a freaking kayak? The Royals giving Konerko a truck full of BBQ sauce or whatever? Dumb. Both guys have made well over $100 million in their careers. They can buy their own kayaks and BBQ sauce if they so desire.

Well, it didn't start with Jeter or Rivera...Chipper and Bobby Cox got the same gifting treatment, too. Can't recall who else got this similar treatment before Cox, though.

And it was neat with Cox because he had been around baseball all his life, and some of those gifts he got from teams were really cool, like one of the scoreboard 6's placed in a frame in his last trip to Wrigley Field and something from the Cardinals involving Musial (since they both wore #6).

With the players....not so much. Especially when you're getting tacky cowboy boots from the Astros.

[FiddySicks]

Jeter is also one of those types of players that you hardly ever hear about this day in age in sports. Where he grew up in New York, dreamed for playing with the Yankees, and worked really hard to see that dream come true. Plus he stayed there his whole career, another thing you don't see in sports that often.

Most of that really doesn't sound THAT uncommon to me.

And didn't Jeter grow up in Michigan?

[kewp80]

He went to school in Michigan, but was born and spent his summers in New Jersey where he became a huge Yankee fan. It just seems a heck of a lot uncommon to me nowadays. Again, take David Freese as an example, from St. Louis, grew up wanting to be a Cardinal, finally became a Cardinal fan favorite, but fell off and is with a different team now. I don't know. Maybe it is more common than I realize.

[cmm]

And the Yankees are officially eliminated.

[FiddySicks]

Absolute shocker.

Link to ESPN article

[kewp80]

Damn you! I never wanted to hear that song ever again! You have ruined my life now

That being said... I wouldn't be surprised if he did become baseball's version of Brett Farve.

[dbadefense1990]

And the Yankees are officially eliminated.

ESPN headquarters right now: