2008-2009 Hot Stove Thread

[WorldB3]

This just in: Manny is the dumbest dumbfuck in the history of Dumbfucks!!! Turns down 25 Million to play this year with the Dodgers, with a players option to leave after one year, or take 20 Mil and play for them in 2010(Or get hurt this year, and get a guaranteed contract for 2010!)

I love how the Dodgers are doing their best to hold firm. No other team can afford him here or in Japan. The remarks by the owner about how they won't bid against themselves are hilarious. I think this a battle of chicken they can win. One potential problem is if they do indeed sign him that he'll then not try hard because he's "only" getting $25 a year with whatever else he gets.

True, all the Giants are doing is making sure the Dodgers are bidding against themselves. The Giants have no intention of getting Manny and Manny won't come to SF.

[tkeith]

True, all the Giants are doing is making sure the Dodgers are bidding against themselves. The Giants have no intention of getting Manny and Manny won't come to SF.

Caught Dodgers/Giants Thursday. Both look like they have some talent in camp. Giants have a kid named Romo they should trade to the Yankees immediately so that the rest of the east thrives. It was a decent game until this guy showed up. Pretty sure Eddie Gaedel would have taken him deep.

[Tim McG]

This just in: Manny is the dumbest dumbfuck in the history of Dumbfucks!!! Turns down 25 Million to play this year with the Dodgers, with a players option to leave after one year, or take 20 Mil and play for them in 2010(Or get hurt this year, and get a guaranteed contract for 2010!)

I love how the Dodgers are doing their best to hold firm. No other team can afford him here or in Japan. The remarks by the owner about how they won't bid against themselves are hilarious. I think this a battle of chicken they can win. One potential problem is if they do indeed sign him that he'll then not try hard because he's "only" getting $25 a year with whatever else he gets.

True, all the Giants are doing is making sure the Dodgers are bidding against themselves. The Giants have no intention of getting Manny and Manny won't come to SF.

Now how cool is that?

Make the [hated] dodgers spin their wheels over that prima dona Manny, the attitude boy.

Manny won't be coming to SF [or anywhere else for that matter] with Scott Boras as his greedy agent.

Barry Zito's contract made certain of that one.

Edited March 1, 2009 by GoodSpeak

[Soulstation1]

Going to the LAA vs Colorado today

Should be around 90 degrees out there

[tkeith]

Going to the LAA vs Colorado today

Should be around 90 degrees out there

Thanks... about to go plow... just punch me in the nuts.

[Soulstation1]

You enjoy the plow

I'll enjoy the bikinis

[Quincy]

I'll enjoy the bikinis

Ahhhhhh...fun at the old ballpark.

[Matthew]

Things that make me go hummmm: So ARod is having trouble with his hip now. Strange, but isn't hip trouble one of the side effects of constant use of steroids (exhibit A: Albert Belle)? But that can't be, ARod stopped years ago, right?

[Soulstation1]

Webb pitches vs a team from Mexico

My nose is sun burnt from monday's game

[tkeith]

You enjoy the plow

I'll enjoy the bikinis

You know, that was the one thing that didn't impress me in the least about Arizona -- very low HQ (Hottie Quotient). Fortunately, my wife was with me, so I was a happy man. But really, not an attractive populace.

[tkeith]

Webb pitches vs a team from Mexico

My nose is sun burnt from monday's game

That'll go away in about two days.

[BERIGAN]

You enjoy the plow

I'll enjoy the bikinis

You know, that was the one thing that didn't impress me in the least about Arizona -- very low HQ (Hottie Quotient). Fortunately, my wife was with me, so I was a happy man. But really, not an attractive populace.

You have got to be kidding me!!! Where were you, staying in old age homes???

[tkeith]

You enjoy the plow

I'll enjoy the bikinis

You know, that was the one thing that didn't impress me in the least about Arizona -- very low HQ (Hottie Quotient). Fortunately, my wife was with me, so I was a happy man. But really, not an attractive populace.

You have got to be kidding me!!! Where were you, staying in old age homes???

Perhaps. We stayed in Scottsdale and went to Hohokam and Scottsdale stadium. But everywhere we went, arts district, casino, restaurants... I'm telling you, the talent level was low (and the weight level was NOT). Loved the climate, but when it comes to gauging HQ, 'Zona is no Florida.

[Dan Gould]

ESPN is reporting that A-Rod's hip injury will require surgery and he'd be out for 10 weeks. No confirmation but its being reported that the team will make an announcement later today, suggesting that its accurate. If its true, this puts extra pressure on Teixeira as the very expensive lineup addition/new Yankee and that doesn't bode well as he's been such a consistent slow starter in his career, with his worst numbers in April and May. Can they afford to ask Teixeria to play third and have Swisher play first to ease the stress on the lineup?

If the Yankees struggle out of the gate this would be a major problem, because of the competition in the division but also because of the pressure on Girardi and the team to win in their new stadium. So this is extra pressure on C.C. and A.J. to do well out of the gate.

[Chalupa]

Here's a link to the article....

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3954457

love this comment at the bottom.....

He's going to miss April and part of May??? But those are his most productive months!

Gee, I wonder if there is anything he could take to help heal faster?

[tkeith]

Here's a link to the article....

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3954457

love this comment at the bottom.....

He's going to miss April and part of May??? But those are his most productive months!

Gee, I wonder if there is anything he could take to help heal faster?

Shit! #1, with him out of the lineup, the Skankees actually have a chance to be winners. #2, the jerk is on my fantasy team as one of my four keepers. Aaaaarghghghgh!!!!

[Chalupa]

Man, there is no way A-Rod gets back in 10 weeks if he has the surgery now. He has a torn labrum. He will need surgery at some point despite what the Yankees are saying. The longer he waits the worse the injury will get and the longer the recovery time will be. It's the same injury that Chase Utley and Mike Lowell are both recovering from. Utley had his surgery 3.5 months ago and he hasn't had an AB this Spring. Lowell had his surgery in October and is two weeks away from playing his first game.

[Dan Gould]

I agree, they are playing with fire in all likelihood. If they're talking about surgery after the season that means that rehab only hopes to let him play now, and for what? Lowell reported hip trouble in June, it got worse and worse until he really aggravated it when they were chasing the Rays in September and after that he was worthless. (BTW, Tito said he's a week away from playing, not two) I don't know how A-Rod's injury compares to Lowell's but it didn't take very long for Lowell to show the stress of trying to play through it.

We should start a "When Will A-Rod Go On the DL for Hip Surgery?" Pool.

And how about this nugget from the NYT:

Cashman said the Yankees discovered an irregularity in Rodriguez’s hip last May when he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam for a right quadriceps injury. By June or July, the hitting coach Kevin Long said he could notice subtle changes in Rodriguez’s hitting, notably in his right foot — the back one in his stance.

The foot was not pivoting fully, Long said, and as a result, Rodriguez could not completely turn his waist and clear his hips. This caused his bat to drag and prevented him from driving through the ball and generating maximum power.

“Speed-wise, to catch up to 95, 96 mile-an-hour pitches, you’ve basically got to get your hips through,” Long said. “It affects bat speed, power, balance. From a technical standpoint, it affects quite a few things. But he’s so gifted and so talented that he made due with what he had.”

So last year was quite mediocre by A-Rod's standards, and there was an "irregularity" that effected his swing and his power. Doesn't that mean that with something that went from an irregularity to a labrum tear that its highly unlikely A-Rod even matches last year's diminished numbers?

I don't think they even get the A-Rod they expect for the time he manages to play this year - which won't help with the fans - because now every team will know to pound him inside with fastballs. He won't clear his hips and if he makes contact he won't have the power that he did.

[BERIGAN]

Here's a link to the article....

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3954457

love this comment at the bottom.....

He's going to miss April and part of May??? But those are his most productive months!

Gee, I wonder if there is anything he could take to help heal faster?

Shit! #1, with him out of the lineup, the Skankees actually have a chance to be winners. #2, the jerk is on my fantasy team as one of my four keepers. Aaaaarghghghgh!!!!

Without A-Rod, and if Tex has a typical Tex April/May, the Yankees will be in big trouble.

[papsrus]

Pena did well today in his first game back -- doubled the first pitch he saw, added another double in his second at bat.

Price is tagged to start the season in the minors, it looks like.

[Dan Gould]

Pena did well today in his first game back -- doubled the first pitch he saw, added another double in his second at bat.

Price is tagged to start the season in the minors, it looks like.

I hadn't heard that, Paps, is that because of how he looks or because of innings restrictions?

[papsrus]

Pena did well today in his first game back -- doubled the first pitch he saw, added another double in his second at bat.

Price is tagged to start the season in the minors, it looks like.

I hadn't heard that, Paps, is that because of how he looks or because of innings restrictions?

Maddon says he wants to bring him along slowly; doesn't want to burn out his arm. I wouldn't imagine it would be be too long before they call him up. From my point of view, the main concern remains the bullpen and Percival.

EDIT: I hadn't been paying that close attention, but our beat guy says Price hasn't even had any game action yet. Hammel or Niemann figure to get the five spot in the rotation to start the season, he says. Price could be called up pretty early and moved into the five spot, especially if the pen falters, with Hammel sliding into a reliever role. Maddon's holding back more than a few players this spring because of the long season last year and the long spring training season this year. Hope he's not waiting too long. Shields made his first start today -- 2 innings, 2 hits, 1 run against the Red Sox B squad.

Edited March 8, 2009 by papsrus

[T.D.]

Holy crap, colossal upset in the "World Baseball Classic":

Outsider Netherlands beats the fancied Dominican Republic twice, advancing to the second round and eliminating the D.R.

[PHILLYQ]

Holy crap, colossal upset in the "World Baseball Classic":

Outsider Netherlands beats the fancied Dominican Republic twice, advancing to the second round and eliminating the D.R.

That one was a real shocker- I think about 30% of MLB players are from DR, so they have a deep talent pool. Maybe the DR players didn't take Netherlands seriously, maybe Netherlands caught lightning in a bottle. You'd think after losing once to them that the DR team would win big, but...

[Dan Gould]

But look at who didn't play on the DR team - A-Rod, Pujols. I am frankly happy that they lost as it means that Papi goes back to being DH. Alou was using him at 1B because he wanted both of his SS in the lineup, and Ortiz's throwing shoulder has been barking at him, though he says it has no effect on his hitting, I'm glad he won't have to do that shit anymore. Come back to Fort Myers and get that swing down and be ready for April. With enough offense, I believe the Red Sox can win 98 games and the AL East, if their starters and relievers perform as they should.