MLB Thread Number 3, 2007

The great Dice-K is going to get plenty of rope. He's a product of ESPN right now, and a factor really for nobody else.

I don't like Joe Morgan any more than anyone else around here but he nailed it on the broadcast a few weeks ago, the guy is a different pitcher throwing out the stretch. The Blue Jays killed him and so did the Yankees with runners on. Joe doesn't get credit for much, but the Boston newspapers jumped all over that about a week later.

 

A couple of thoughts and questions:

*How stupid were the Cardinals for not re-signing Jeff Suppan?
*Chipper Jones has returned to being a force.
*How does Adrian Gonzalez when the reputations of Pujols, Howard, Berkman and Delgado also man the same position?
*Is anybody else surprised to see that Bobby Abreu's power seems to have disappeared?
*Wouldn't Larry Bowa do a better job than Charlie Manuel?
*Can good guy Sam Perlozzo continue to exist in Baltimore or is Peter Angelos getting antsy?

 

My thought has been Perlozzo is safe no matter what this year (barring some titanic collapse) because if he goes, Leo Mazzone likely follows him out the door.

Besides, the Orioles are in second place right now.

 

Interesting points, Casty

*The Cardinals may have been foolish not to resign Suppan, but he also has a history of strong starts. Last year was unique for him in that he finished strong. He's solid, but I'm not sure he's this good.

*Chipper Jones was this good last year. He just couldn't stay healthy. The question is if he can stay on the field this year.

*I think you left a few words out on the Gonzalez note. He's VERY good. So far, he has outplayed all of those guys. Oh, and you forgot one. Derrek Lee, who has probably been better than all the big names you mentioned, too. Gonzalez is going to have a hard time making the All-Star game, but he'll deserve it.

 

Today's Nationals lineup includes TWO players hitting under .070. And they expect to score runs?

 

And one of them (Langerhans) is batting second in the lineup. Nice.

 

Once the Trib goes through with the sale, would that make Angelos the worst owner in MLB? You can't blame KC, TB or Florida for their poor financial situations, but the Orioles are in a big enough market with a nice stadium and solid fan base. They have no excuse for not being able to hang with everyone in the AL financially, short of the Yankees and Red Sox. Yet their mediocrity has gone on unabated for about a decade. And since Angelos is so hands-on, a lot of the blame has to fall on him, no?

 

Tough to argue otherwise, for sure, Doc.

 

Go figure: No Nationals baserunners through three innings.

 

Little shoulder-hunting battle going on in Yankee Stadium, brought about when Josh Phelps went out of his way to take out Kenji Johjima with a slide at home. Igawa went after Ichiro's head twice in the opening game. One more game to go tomorrow; this could get interesting.
Procter and Torre are goners. Procter threw at Betancourt and missed; the teams had been warned when Washburn plunked Phelps following the play at the plate.

 

Did you all see the catch that the guy made in the center field stands on Bonds' home run yesterday? Talk about right into your mitts.