Baseball Thread Rated X -- Mature Audiences Only

OK, Mets fans and jagtrader. We'll see who's right in mid-October.

 

PS: Check out Cla Meredith's recent line scores.

 

Several things to cover:
1. The Royals have really enjoyed playing the role of spoiler. While there is almost nothing that can spoil the Yankees in a way to make them miss out of the playoffs, the Royals are going to be a tough team.

2. Last night was Mussina's first start after his injury. For Yankee fans, and the organization, it is hoped that he was just working off some rust.

3. Baseball is unpredictable. It is all based on whether some pitcher gets hot that night or who's bats are hotter.

4. Matsui is supposed to be playing in a minor league game today and Sheffield will begin batting practice. So, they are coming close to returning. There is no guarantee that they will excel once they return, but they both make that line-up much more dangerous.

 

Sorry, I was going purely off memory. I just remember that a lot of the media thought the Twins had the advantage in that series because of Santana and then that didn't pan out. Lefties are tough on the Yankees, but when you play them it tends to come down to your bullpen because they wear out starting pitchers so well.
Thanks for doing the research I was too lazy to do.

 

Pastor already answered the questions about Matsui and Sheffield, so to the first one my response is yes it is just the funny way of baseball.
Don't you find it amusing that a bullpen that gave up 11 runs in two innings came back and threw 3.2 innings of shutout relief the next night? Could you have predicted that the Royals were going to do so good or the Mariners were going to take 5-of-6 from the Yankees and Red Sox after losing 11 in a row? Or isn't that just baseball being funny business when the pressure is off for non-playoff teams having no pressure on them anymore?

 

Well, to be brutally honest, the pressure came off the Royals back in April with the first of two double-digit losing streaks in the first two months. So the Royals shouldn't have any different mindset from then to now. That theory doesn't fly here.

And yes, we could have told you that the Royals would play that well -- kingcreole even told you so before the series in this very thread. Since Aug. 8, the Royals have swept the Red Sox (pre-Ortiz and Manny injuries), split four games at Chicago and Oakland, then took 2 of 3 from both the White Sox and Twins at home. Only the Indians have given KC fits during this span, winning 6 of 7.

 

I think these teams are simply overlooking the Royals, chalking it up as easy wins.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but watch the Royals two years from now. They could be a contending team.

 

They have some really good players and some decent pitching, but they've got to stop signing people like Reggie Sanders and Mark Grudzldsatghds;glahg and wasting what little money they have on the free agent market. Maybe the Royals should hoard that money and try to sign some of their young players to long-term deals.

And I agree, the contending teams probably are overlooking the Royals which is dumb considering the stats that were just posted.

 

Just saw on ESPN ticker that Liriano pitched a simulated game and is on track to start Thursday against Cleveland.

 

Was his opponent Mark Prior? He fucking rules in simulated games.

 

If the Mets can't beat the Dodgers or Padres, they deserve to be golfing in mid-October.

 

Yeah, Prior can throw a wicked sharp curve with a towel.