2013 Major League Baseball: World Series- Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals

Stele wrote:

Wow is Houston really this awful?

Rays win 12-0 last night, and now up 5-0 tonight in the 6th.

It's no wonder that teams like Oakland and Texas have such good records... they each get 18 free wins against Houston this year.

Oakland
vs their own division: 23-15
vs AL East: 7-9
vs AL Central: 9-8

Texas
vs their own division: 22-11
vs AL East: 9-10
vs AL Central: 9-8

Got MLB tv at the start of the month for 80 bucks. Saw he was pitching a no no and flipped it over. Great investment as I don't have cable and wanted to follow the A's and my fantasy team more closely.

Not related to the current season: I watched Knuckleball! on Netflix this weekend... really interesting documentary - makes me like R.A. Dickey even more, even if he is having a tough season this year.

Missing Ratboy. The Freak was pretty hot last night.

The Cardinals finished up the first half of the season with the best record in baseball. Further, based on their +127 run differential, they have won four fewer games than they should have.

I pretty much want them to stay pat, but there are rumors they may try to acquire Cliff Lee at the trade deadline. They have well-stocked farm system and ton of young players to offer, but I'd prefer to stick roll with the less expensive home grown players. But the idea of rolling into postseason with Lee and Wainright leading the rotation is pretty attractive, too.

Rays with a 9-1 home stand, and 10-1 in their last 11.

Sadly they have the fewest home games after the break. I think I heard 28, and the next lowest team has 38?

And as mentioned recently, Texas and Oakland both get 10 games (read: wins) against Houston, so it will be tough to overtake one of them for the wild card. Although I think we did just move a game (half-game?) ahead of Texas yesterday.

Even Houston is going to win ~55 games this year - those wins have to come against someone. Chances are at least a few more will come against Texas and Oakland. Also, there are two wild cards now, and looking at the standings, I'd think one of them will come out of the East unless all the teams beat each other up over the next few months and Cleveland or Detroit manages to sneak in.

Stele wrote:

Rays with a 9-1 home stand, and 10-1 in their last 11.

Sadly they have the fewest home games after the break. I think I heard 28, and the next lowest team has 38?

And as mentioned recently, Texas and Oakland both get 10 games (read: wins) against Houston, so it will be tough to overtake one of them for the wild card. Although I think we did just move a game (half-game?) ahead of Texas yesterday.

Oakland is going to win the AL West. I think the Rays will pull one WC out of the East. I actually think your Rays could still pull out the division.

Braun, the lying dirtbag, is gone for the remainder of the season.

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=428213

I assume that he took this road now ("I realize now that I have made some mistakes,") because the alternative was to miss not only the final ~60 games of this season, but also the first ~40 of next season.

Yes, clearly a negotiated deal between Braun, MLB and the MLBPA. The evidence MLB had must have been overwhelming. But honestly, we all already knew he was cheating. He got off on a technicality.

I have zero respect for this guy. Forget his talent, he's a bald-faced liar who threw a perfectly decent guy who was only doing his job (the sample collector) under the bus. Go back and read or watch his statement from February 2012 when he "won" his appeal. In light of what occurred today, it will tell you everything you need to know about Ryan Braun.

Guess who was my 3rd overall pick for my fantasy team this year :/

1. Trout
2. Miggy
3. Braun me.....

edit:

Jose Canseco ‏@JoseCanseco 3m
hug for ryan braun @mlb

I'm really surprised that Braun was given any kind of lenient treatment. Given the way he made a mockery of the system last year I would have thought the commissioner/MLB would have been out to inflict the heaviest punishment they could.

I would imagine the same logic would apply to A-rod for much the same reasons.

Cronox wrote:

I'm really surprised that Braun was given any kind of lenient treatment. Given the way he made a mockery of the system last year I would have thought the commissioner/MLB would have been out to inflict the heaviest punishment they could.

I would imagine the same logic would apply to A-rod for much the same reasons.

I think MLB wanted to send a message, and by negotiating with Braun they could get him to agree not to appeal. That way, the story was clearly about "we'll suspend anyone for PEDs," and not about the union, the appeal process, "did he or didn't he", etc.

As for A-Rod, rumor is he's likely to get harsher treatment because of his efforts to thwart the investigation, But we'll see.

Heyward's game ending catch last night was bananas. Sad about the loss, but hey, gotta tip the cap. In the rain and not in his usual position, no less.

IMAGE(http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/HeywardCatch.gif)

B Dog wrote:
Cronox wrote:

I'm really surprised that Braun was given any kind of lenient treatment. Given the way he made a mockery of the system last year I would have thought the commissioner/MLB would have been out to inflict the heaviest punishment they could.

I would imagine the same logic would apply to A-rod for much the same reasons.

I think MLB wanted to send a message, and by negotiating with Braun they could get him to agree not to appeal. That way, the story was clearly about "we'll suspend anyone for PEDs," and not about the union, the appeal process, "did he or didn't he", etc.

As for A-Rod, rumor is he's likely to get harsher treatment because of his efforts to thwart the investigation, But we'll see.

Yea the way I understand it Braun came clean which saved MLB a huge long drawn out headache. He was going to get suspended eventually but he could of appealed through the union for a long long time supposedly.

Its telling that 0 other players have been dinged yet. From a fantasy perspective (how I've been following this) theres productive players still associated that are blowing in the wind (Everth Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Big Fat Bartolo and Melky). A bunch of other guys also.

The Yankees must be hoping A-Rod gets crucified and them out of their obligations or at the very least he never suits up again.

Do you think that Melky will get dinged again? He's already served 100 games... presumably for this offense.

AndrewA wrote:

Do you think that Melky will get dinged again? He's already served 100 games... presumably for this offense.

Not sure thats the confusing part. Big Fat Bartolo also.

A-Rod supposedly is going to get hit the hardest for trying to submarine the whole investigation.

Rangers are kinda screwed here. No more Nelson Cruz I imagine?

Slumberland wrote:

Heyward's game ending catch last night was bananas. Sad about the loss, but hey, gotta tip the cap. In the rain and not in his usual position, no less.

IMAGE(http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/HeywardCatch.gif)

What is it with Atlanta, and everything that goes to center field dying..

ukickmydog wrote:

Rangers are kinda screwed here. No more Nelson Cruz I imagine?

I think most players will be suspended next season after they go through the entire appeals process and such. Braun was smart to accept it this season because 1) the Brewers aren't contending and 2) he makes more money next year, so it's costing him less to get it out of the way now. I'd expect players on other non-contending teams to attempt to work out a similar deal, but someone like Cruz will ride the whole process out.

As a Orioles fan, I am deathly afraid that the other shoe will drop on Chris Davis considering the stark differences in years he is having between 2012 and 2013. I mean, who has 32 HR all year and then busts more than that before the All Star break?

I just hope it isn't true. And so far, I haven't even heard any rumors.

Paleocon wrote:

As a Orioles fan, I am deathly afraid that the other shoe will drop on Chris Davis considering the stark differences in years he is having between 2012 and 2013. I mean, who has 32 HR all year and then busts more than that before the All Star break?

I just hope it isn't true. And so far, I haven't even heard any rumors.

He's always had huge power. Coming up through the minors he posted a few years with slugging % not too far off what he's doing this year. Chances are the power is real but the number of homeruns is fluky. Here's his HR/FB % by year: 20.5, 19.6, 3.4, 10.0, 25.2, 33.6. Combine that with his groundballs being way down and his flyballs being way up and you've got a recipe for a fluky homerun total.

Paleocon wrote:

I mean, who has 32 HR all year and then busts more than that before the All Star break?

It reminds me of Jose Bautista's breakout season (only better).

It feels like the Cardinals are the most boring best team in baseball ever. Hopefully they will continue to roll in Atlanta this weekend.

Stupid rain. Rays could have taken the division lead tonight.

Rescheduled for Mon.

Hopefully the Rays can take the Yankees this weekend and the Orioles give Boston some trouble.

After today's 11-0 drubbing, the Nationals now have more losses than the Mets.

Mind you, that's doesn't make the Mets good, but it does make the Nationals bad.

Here we go again. CC pitching for the Yankees. Rays up 6-0 in the 2nd already.

Seriously, why do they let him pitch against us?

Bust out those brooms Bravos! I'll admit I definitely did not see them sweeping the Cardinals before this series began, especially facing Wainwright and Miller.

IMAGE(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s137/Ncdwn108/Temp/sweep.gif)

ukickmydog wrote:

Bust out those brooms Bravos! I'll admit I definitely did not see them sweeping the Cardinals before this series began, especially facing Wainwright and Miller.

I saw it. Pretty much happens every time I post positively about a sports team I care about.

The joys of being a White Sox fan:

Paul Konerko was asked whether the trade rumors surrounding Jake Peavy, Alex Rios and other White Sox have negatively impacted the team:

“Not really. We were sh***y before the rumors.”

Ha!