May MLB Thread

[Jedieb]

Let's keep these from getting too big by cranking one out on a monthly basis.
To recap, my hatred for the Sox and their fans grows by the hour. The Yanks are on a 3 game skid, but are clinging to a 1 run lead against the Blue Jays in the bottom of the 7th. A-Rod is heating up. He had that monster 3 HR and 10 RBI game this week and he's homered again today (9). Jeter is over .350. But we're way under .500 and looking up at the O's. Oh the shame, the shame.......

On a side note, the wife is in NYC and has just bought me a Yankees cap, the first in over 20 years. I'm still not retiring the old one. So what if you can smell it from outside the house. It's my baby!!!!!!!

[JMK]

Selig wants to put forth a new framework for steroid testing:

•50 game first offense suspension
•100 game second offense suspension
•Lifetime ban for a third offense.
He would also like to add amphetamines or 'greenies' to the list of substances tested for.

Personally I think this is a great move. This is all clearly being done because of outside pressure on MLB to toughen their stance on steroids, and I don't truly believe that Selig wants to clear it up, but this is a dramatic step up from what they have currently in place. The proposal has been submitted to Donald Fehr of the player's association. I hope he agrees to it too.

[jjwr]

I would love it if they made those changes. Is there any word on why this wasn't asked for initially?

[JMK]

I think it's because MLB & the MLBPA really underestimated how serious people/congress are about getting rid of steroids. They probably thought that whatever policy they made would be enough to satisfy...but that clearly isn't the case.

[jjwr]

The first policy is way too much a slap on the wrist. Its possible after the NFL got brought into the mix that people started comparing the two.

NFL its a 4 game suspension for first offense vs a 10 day in MLB which depending on your position is only 2-3 games out of 162. By going 50 Games they vault ahead of the NFL in strictness. That would be rougly a 6 Game Penalty in the NFL which would still be huge.

[JMK]

I still hope that MLB furthers tightens up in the future by giving people one chance. You get caught, you're gone 81 games, period. Get caught again, you're banned unless there's some extreme circumstance, and it would be at the commissioner's sole discretion. No hearing with lawyers present so they can lie about how the player 'needed' them for medical reasons, or was 'misled' by a trainer and was taking them accidentally...

[Jedieb]

Why is Kevin Brown still breathing? Honestly, can't someone from the Bronx do me a favor and put him out of his misery? He got pummeled for 6 runs by the mighty Devil Rays in the first inning today. He's off to a blistering 0-4 start with an ERA of over 8. This season is just going to be painful. :cry

[Jedi Master Carr]

He is terrible he ought to help the Yankees out and just retire. He has nothing left.

[JMK]

The whole rotation is under siege right now. Johnson has been so-so, as has Pavano. Wright has been awful and so has Brown. Who's left? Well Gordon has been mediocre at best and Rivera has struggled. What, has Tanyon Sturtze been their best guy this year? If that's the case then this will be an awfully long season for the Yankees, and their fans, but it will be GREAT entertainment for the rest of us! >D

[Jedi Master Carr]

Heh we can only hope. Lets see when Steinbrenner has a fit. What is sad for Yankee fans is Steinbrenner will fire Torre and Cashman if they don't win. What really needs to be done is to rebuild the team. Get rid of Brown and let the aging stars retire (or hope they do) trade a way the better talent (Mussina maybe) and rebuild the farm system. But I don't see Steinbrenner going that road.

[jjwr]

On the bright side Lieber is having a solid year, guess the Yankee's made the wrong choice on that one :)

Sadly JMC is right, the wrong people will get blamed for this. Let Cashman and Torre have full control over the team again and give them time to clean up the roster and build a farm system and they can bring the team back up to parr.

Sadly the Sox aren't doing super hot either, its a long season but one of these teams is definetly missing the playoffs.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The Sox's problem is more injuries to their starters. Wade Miller will be back later this month and I am hoping he gives them a shot in the arm. Although here is one thing that could happen. If Houston isn't in it at all, would they trade Clemens? It would be funny to see him come back. I guess I would welcome him back, if he came, of course this is just wishful thinking on my part.

[CMJ]

The White Sox continue to play good ball. I doubt they'll hold off the Twins, but I definitely see them getting the Wild Card the way the Yanks and Sox are struggling.

Boston isn't playing that bad, but we aren't playing great. And Baltimore is just playing lights out.

[jjwr]

I don't agree that the Sox problem is the starting pitching, there are I think 3 games lost in the 9th inning and at least 2-3 others blown late. Even last night they gave up another run in the 9th, until Foulke can lock things down again I won't feel safe unless they have a really big lead.

Miller should be a huge shot in the arm once he shows up. Clement has been solid and Arroyo & Wakefield are good as well. Those 4 are a strong lineup and then add in a healthy Schilling & Wells for the stretch and they should be ok.

Clemens would be a nice pickup, I'd like to think the Sox could get him over the Yanks, I don't even know who they would offer in return for him.

[JMK]

Originally posted by Jedi Master Carr
Heh we can only hope. Lets see when Steinbrenner has a fit. What is sad for Yankee fans is Steinbrenner will fire Torre and Cashman if they don't win. What really needs to be done is to rebuild the team. Get rid of Brown and let the aging stars retire (or hope they do) trade a way the better talent (Mussina maybe) and rebuild the farm system. But I don't see Steinbrenner going that road.

It can only be a matter of time before Mount Steinbrenner blows again. You gotta love how he ORDERS Cashman to get certain players, he gets them, then gets blamed when they flop.

Yankee fans & the Yankees organization would never suffer the 'indignity' of rebuilding.

The worst part is, they won't even have the option to rebuild. No other team wants their old, overpriced, washed up stars. They're stuck with them, they have no young talent to replace them and if they want to trade them away they will essentially have to pay for them to play somewhere else. Will King George stand for that? No way!

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am not sure if Baltimore can survive all season. They have looked awful against Toronto at home. I think they might fade by midseason because of their lack of pitching. Right now the best team in the American League is the Angels, IMO.

[Jedieb]

The entire team is praying that Steinbrenner's horse wins the Kentucky Derby. If that horse loses it's head will end up in Cashman's bed. Rebuilding isn't an option because those salaries aren't going anywhere. They'd be rebuilding, but still paying out well over $100M to players no longer on the team. It's a Catch-22. The only way to fix it is too rebuild, or spend even MORE money. But spending more money is what got them where they are right now. Ughh.

Meanwhile, the White Sox aren't just winning, they're DOMINATING. I think they can be the surprise of the year and hold off the Twins.

[JMK]

Well if you hold any memories about the 'good old days' of baseball, you can squash those right now:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2052364

Simply put, there are no 'good old days'. Pre 1947 the major leagues consisted of only white men, when many potential hall of fame black players were relegated to the negro leagues. Apparently shortly thereafter the performance-enhancing era began. So what then? There was a window during the 50's where we can say those were 'the good old days'.

This just keeps getting worse and worse.

[CMJ]

Well, I think Bellamy Road has a shot, so maybe Cashman won't get canned. ;)

I honestly doubt steroid use was that prevalent back in the 60's. If you look at the pictures the guys just weren't THAT big by and large.

[JMK]

Steroids by themselves don't make you large. It's the weightlifting that makes you large. Steroids give you the recovery speed and energy to work out much more than you would be capable of if you just work out and 'ate right'. Look at the guys who have been busted this season. None of them are exactly large guys. Infact I would say they're small.

I think it's time we took the blinders off...from the sound of his story, it did sound like a ton of guys were taking something. 6 or 7 pitchers per team even. And they were doing it because they were trying to get over on the hitters who were "out milligramming" them with all of their drugs.

Of course, this is just one man's opinion, one cheaters take on what was happening 30+ years ago. But he didn't name names and he's not releasing a book so there's no reason why he needs to lie about it. He doesn't stand to make any cash from this. In fact it would have been in his best interest to let fans around the world think that he was part of the golden days of baseball. The further we move along the more we are seeing that there was never a golden age.

Once somebody admits steroid use, for better or worse, his entire era becomes subject to eye brow raising. Now that he's come forward, all of his peers now get the 'what if?' stigma.

[CMJ]

I still have my doubts they were that prevalent. Relief pitchers taking roids does make sense though sense they have to recover so fast. It's pretty well accepted that they can't get you to throw harder.

I'd think relief pitchers wouldn't take steroids so much as some of the doping agents which alot of Olympic athletes get caught taking. Anabolic steroids are great for short intense things(sprints, etc). The other ones help long term endurance related events, like the 10K.

[JMK]

Well whatever performance enhancers, steroids, drugs, hormones that they may be taking, they're all cheating and/or illegal.

The problem with the guys in the 60's & 70's is that the stuff was neither illegal nor considered cheating.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well I don't think the guy is telling the truth. The man is probably just trying to sell some books. Of course who knows if it was widely used. Steroids existed after WW2 but were not well known until the 70's.

[JMK]

He doesn't have a book to sell...what would he lie for?

Maybe steroids weren't well known to the public, but they may very well have been common knowledge to people in elite athletic professions. That's precisely the reason why it took soooo long for the public to start putting pressure on steroid users. It has been such a well kept secret for so many years that only now has it become impossible for cheaters to conceal it.

Besides, steroids weren't illegal or controversial back then because their harmful effects weren't known. No one would have given them a second thought anyway.

[JMK]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=page2/yankees/050504

:lol :lol :lol

[CMJ]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBqdjIzNzFqBF9TAzk1ODYxNzc3BHNlYwNl Y2w-?slug=dw-bronxbombers050505&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

:cool

[JMK]

The sad part is, he's right: The Yankees won't stay down for long, so we'd best enjoy it now.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well he isn't totallly right because of the fact that the Yankees have destroyed themselves with their farm system. They have nothing nobody wants. He mentions Clemens but Houston wouldn't take any of their prospects it is that so bad they couldn't get the worst starter in the American league with their prospects. Also the Yankees will face big problems in the future if they keep speeding with the luxury tax. If the boss is paying 200 million to MLB and upwards then he is in trouble, he isn't Bill Gates there is limits to his wealth.

[Jedi Master Carr]

And just like that New York is tied for last place. Boston took the series against Detroit and now go back home. I think they are finally starting to play better and Arroyo has the makings of an ace.

[CMJ]

He needs to because I don't think Schilling has more than 3 years tops. We're slowly reeling the Birds in.

[Jedieb]

We suck, and not in a good Paris Hilton home movie kind of way, we suck in a Paris Hilton TV or major motion picture kind of way. The pitching is so attrocious that it's putting pressure on the offense. When you're down early, game after game, you start to press. Some people keep saying it's too early to hit the Panic Button. Right now I'm pounding it with a sledgehammer. I really don't think there are any deals to be made that could turn things around. Is a playoff spot still possible? Yes, but the fact is I haven't seen ANYTHING to suggest that this Yankees team can turn it around. The Sox have something to look forward to, their pitching will get healthier. But even they have to wonder how badly they'll miss Pedro and Lowe during the stretch run and then possibly the playoffs. The sad fact is the 2 biggest payrolls in baseball could miss the playoffs. That's around $350M of salary that will be playing golf in October.

[JMK]

I don't think Schilling has more than 2 years left, including this year.

Yanks in last place. I never thought I'd see the day! As each day passes the Boss' ego gets more and more bruised, and that can only mean one thing: He's going to melt down big time sooner rather than later. The best thing now would be for the D-Rays to go a couple games up on the Yankees instead of just being tied with them.

With the rest of the AL east winning their fair share of games so far, the Yankees will have to hope that everyone else goes into the tank if they want to catch them, and they will have to completely turn things around. Wouldn't it be terrific if the Yankees missed the playoffs altogether?

At what point will it be safe to write off the Yankees for this year?

[CMJ]

I'd say 15 games back at the All-Star break. Until then I'm not writing them off.

[Jedieb]

At one point I think a certain number of games under .500 should announce the funeral. The second indicator will be the date of course. If they're still playing like dogs in late June/early July then you can stick a fork in them.

[JMK]

A major front office shakeup would also kill them. If Mount Steinbrenner decides to blow and takes out Torre and / or Cashman, the circus that would ensue would all but assure the Yankees of finishing out of contention this year.

Besides, who's better than Torre and Cashman that are currently available?

It looks more and more like the Yankees are stuck with the hand they've been dealt and will have to sink or swim with it. Of course they're the Yankees and they will always have the option to add more salary as guys get released or put on the trading block in June, but their problem is that they have no one to offer. It would have to be one star for another.

[Jedi Master Carr]

And there stars are overpriced. That is the thing for the Red Sox they have the prospects they can make a trade for a star pitcher. And I bet they will I have a funny feeling they might make a move to get Clemens if Houston continues to suck, I am sure he isn't happy there with no run support. Of course would he want to return to Boston is a different matter.
As for when to count the Yankees out, I am with CMJ around all star break like 10 games out.

[CMJ]

Ninety years ago today Ruth hit his first homerun.

[JMK]

No one ever hit a home run until 1915?? Weird.


How much of a fraud is Jason Giambi turning out to be? Barely above .200, 3 homers, 8 RBI...wow. What a bust this guy's career is turning in to. He's going to go down as one of the all time greatest known examples of how roids really do enhance performance.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think he means Ruth's first Home Run. I know Ty Cobb hit some before that, it was rare though I think the HR leader most of the time had like 10-15. Home Run Baker for example led the league usually with that.

[CMJ]

Yep I mean BABE's first HR. Obviously people hit them before him.

[JMK]

I can't read apparently. :headbash

[Jedieb]

WTF, a Yankees starter pitched a complete game?! AND A SHUTOUT?!!! DOGS AND CATS, LIVING TOGETHER... MASS HYSTERIA!!!!!!!!

[JMK]

They've pounded the crap out of Oakland twice now, are the Yankees back?

[jjwr]

We'll see! The run scoring wasn't super impressive but getting a pair of shutouts was a nice start.

[Jedieb]

It's the first time we've managed to win back to back games since 4/26. Watching Brown, of all starters, actually throw 7 shutout innings gives me some glimmer of hope. He's been simply horrid and maybe this will get him going. Still 6 games under .500, but wins like this give me some hope.

[jjwr]

One of those games was brown? Holy cow! :)

I knew Mussina was one but I figured it was Pavano or something that threw the other.

[JMK]

Brown threw a good game! Finally! Now was that an aberration or what Yankees fans can expect from now on?

[Jedieb]

Before Brown broke his hand last season he'd been pitching well. He wasn't getting a lot of run support and lost a few close games. That contributed to his meltdown and the rest is history. He needs to keep this up and contribute at least 10 wins if the Yankees are to have any chance of contending.

[jjwr]

Agreed, he doesn't need to be lights out at this stage of his career but he needs to be consistent.

A scary stat on Sportscenter, before last nights game his ERA in the first two inning this year was 18.50-ish.

[CMJ]

We're now approximately 1/5th thru the season. Our current division and WC winners would be....

AL East
Baltimore Orioles

AL Central
Chicago White Sox

AL West
LA/Anaheim Angels

AL Wild Card
Minnesota Twins


NL East
Atlanta Braves

NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals

NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers

NL Wild Card
Florida Marlins


So, are these gonna be our 8 playoff teams? Twenty percent of the season is a fairly significant portion.

[JMK]

I think the 4 NL teams are pretty much a lock, and 2 or 3 of the AL teams. I'm not sold on the Orioles yet. I don't think they'll win the division, which they will have to do to get in the playoffs. The White Sox and Twins are both too good right now to miss out. The West is already won. The Mariners stink, the A's are struggling that the Rangers are once again going to underachieve. The East is going to come down to the usual suspects again I think and the Central could yield 2 playoff teams. The East could have 2 playoff teams again but both the Red Sox and Yankees have to clean up their acts.

[Jedieb]

Right now I think the AL WC will belong to the Twins or or the White Sox. I think they're really that good. Which is actually a GREAT thing. It means the Yankees and Red Sox are going to find themselves in a good old fashioned Pennant chase. Lose the division and it's time to go fishing. I love the WC, but there's nothing wrong with a playoff spot coming down to winning your division. Imagine what those last Yanks/Sox series are going to be like if they're battling for the same playoff spot!

[Jedieb]

Wow, I just heard the Rolling Stones are going to be playing at Fenway in August! Jesus, I know our starters are bad, but aren't the Stones a little too young to join the Yankees rotation?
(I mock them because I love them so.)

[Jedieb]

Came home to find some afternoon baseball on ESPN waiting for me. It's a classic Bronx pitchers duel, Mariners and Yanks tied at 9-9 in the bottom of the 4th. Tino tied the game with a 3 run HR. His 5th straight game with a HR. We loves our Tino!!!

[Jedi Master Carr]

I know the guy is down to playing in the minors but I can't believe the idiot comments John Rocker is now saying.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/minorleague/ny-sprocker114253995may11,0,4930325.story?coll=ny-homepage-mezz

I can't believe he has the audacity to compare himself to Jackie Robinson, I guess he feels that way because he is a racist himself.

[JMK]

No doubt I'm sure Rocker has taken it on the chin for a long time. He's heard it all. But to compare himself to Robinson and Aaron? I can't even put into words how silly that is.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Plus he can't get the ball over the plate, he is struggling down in double A he needs to just quit and shut his dumb mouth.

[Jedieb]

At this point, I just feel sorry for the fool. Yeah, he's probably been through a lot these last few years. But it's his own damn fault. To compare himself to Robinson and Aaron just shows how clueless he is about the struggles of those men. It's not that I think Rocker's evil, I just think he's a bigot who doesn't get it.

[JMK]

That pretty much sums up a bigot doesn't it? A person who "Just doesn't get it". Rocker seems to fit that mold quite well.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah he does. Also what about Javier Vaquez? He sure has turned it around in Arizona. I am guessing the New York media was just too much for him.

[JMK]

I never was impressed with Vasquez's mental toughness. He's always cracked when the going got tough, even in Montreal if things weren't going his way he'd whine a little.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well he might be better of in a small market where people won't be criticizing his every pitch. I wouldn't call him a big game pitcher but the Diamondbacks sure got a great deal out of that Randy trade considering the other pitcher they got is pitching great too.

[JMK]

He's definetly better off in a small market. He's a bit of a diva.

[CMJ]

Yep, Yankees defintely turning it around. Winners of 7 straight. Guh!

[JMK]

Now lets watch the teams ahead of them tremble in fear of the inevitable and head down the gutter.

[jjwr]

Well lets also wait until they play someone :) Their 7 straight wins have all come against the A's and Mariners. And in those same 7 games Sox are 6-1.

[Jedieb]

2 games away from .500. The pitching has been much improved, Brown got his second win yesterday, and the bats have been lights out. It's good to see Tino lighting it up again. Just like ol' times.

[JMK]

How old is that guy again? Oh yeah...THAT old. ;)

[Jedieb]

That 37 year old hit 2 more today baby!!!!!!!! :crack

We're back to .500, the BoSox went down, and Torre got his 1,800th. Today was a good day. :evil

Baltimore and Boston are both playing well. It seems like only a matter of time before Toronto folds, but I think we're going to have a nice 3 team pennant race for the next couple of months. Sweeeet.

[jjwr]

Toronto was never going to be a big threat, the O's with their offense will always be dangerous.

The Sox are playing well, once their rotation gets healthy again they should be fine.

As for Tino, its a nice story but he's old and its early in the season, as a Yankee fan I would feel much better if Sheffield & Matsui were hitting them all over the place.

[JMK]

I was hoping Toronto would be more of a road block to the Yankees, but their hot start seems to be over.

It's up to Baltimore and Boston to keep the Yankees at bay now, and I expect one of those teams to crack as the Yankees make their charge, and I would not be surprised if it were Boston.

[jjwr]

Nah, Boston is doing just fine. Right now they are struggling with Pitching problems but once people start to get healthy they should be doing ok. With Schilling, Wells, Arroyo, Wakefield, Clemente and Miller they have 6 quality starters, plenty to get them through the year.

Offense still isn't quite and with their pitching problems they are still 7 games over .500.

[CMJ]

BTW - Manny hit #400 yesterday. Congrats to the big loaf. :)

[JMK]

9 in a row for the Yankees. I think they're back to stay. ;)

By July 4th I think they'll be right up there in first place.

[Jedieb]

The Evil Empire rises from the April Ashes just as the galaxy experiences the Revenge of the Sith and the birth of the Empire. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!!! :duel

Both the Sox and Yanks have 10PM EST games tonight. The O's fell to the mighty Royals earlier today so both teams can pick up a game. I'm not even paying attention to Toronto.

[Ryan Pode]

O's fell? Please. It's definately 9-8 them.

[jjwr]

Why ignore Toronto? I know its a bit embarassing that the Blue Jays, who have a team Payroll less than Brown, A-Rod and Sheffield combined would still be ahead of the Yankee's at this point in the season :)

[Jedieb]

When I was checking the scoreboard I thought the O's game was in the books, my bad. And was that a Sox fan yet again talking about payroll? This from a fan of the team with the second highest payroll in baseball? A payroll higher than the Yankees teams that won the WS in the 90's and 00? Right, you guys can talk. ;) BTW, I can take 3 of your guys and almost equal the Blue Jays payroll also. 4 of your highest paid guys easily tops Toronto. Neither one of us gets to sing the payroll blues.

And Toronto will fold, it's only a matter of time. And if we're suppose to be embarrased by their half game lead, then you guys must be a bit red in the face that you're only 2 games ahead of them when you have almost 3 times their payroll!

Ten in a row boys and girls. We're coming and the East should be wetting their pants. :evil

[JMK]

Yeah, Toronto will fold, but they will be a pain to ALL the teams in the AL East

There are a lot of teams out there that no longer are allowed to sing the payroll blues. Red Sox, Cubs, Mets and a few others on the bubble.

Yep, 10 in a row for the Spankees. The East will soon wet it's collective undies.

[Jedieb]

Brown is pitching well and Giambi had a 3 hit game with a HR. It's the end of the world!!!!!!! Subway Series is coming up. It'll be interesting to see what Torre does with Tino and Giambi. I'd play Tino just try to pinch hit Giambi at least twice in the series. What'll be even better will watching how much Pedro pitches inside since he'll have to come up to the plate. That'll be the game of the series.

[jjwr]

Oh the Sox have nothing to say about Payroll, but when the Yankee's are 75 Million higher than the next team then they are still a huge target for the payroll bashing line. You really can't argue that kind of a difference.

10 in a row regardless of who you are playing is a good accomplishment, I wouldn't say their season is saved though, very early in the Season and the Yankee's have a lot of old bodies they need to keep healthy.

The Pedro game should be classic, I hope they show that one on ESPN.

Who is slated to go up against him? I would imagine Johnson or Mussina.

[JMK]

10 in a row is a nice run, no matter who you are, and I tend to think the Yankees have fixed what's wrong, but let's see them do it against real teams. Feasting on the Mariners and A's is one thing, but let's see them beat up on the Red & White Sox.

[Doc Milo]

If they don't change the rotation, then Mussina goes tonight against Seattle, and Brown goes up against Pedro. Then Johnson and Chien Ming Wang for the following two games against the Mets...

[Jedieb]

Oh the Sox have nothing to say about Payroll, but when the Yankee's are 75 Million higher than the next team then they are still a huge target for the payroll bashing line. You really can't argue that kind of a difference.
I never do argue it. I just always bring up the Sox's bloated payroll because they're not much different than the Yankees. They're just a couple of years behind them, that's all. Yankees AND Sox fans have no right to complain about payrolls. They BOTH lost that years ago. ;)

I haven't seen Wang pitch yet. There's a guy that could be crucial down the stretch. If he can become a reliable starter then that would ease up the stress on the senior citizen starters.

[JMK]

Funny, the Yankee fans haven't copped to the fact that they've feasted on weak teams during this 10 game run...;)

[CMJ]

I'm not worried about the Yankees yet. Why not? Because we aren't in first! The Sox still need to catch the O's. :)

[Jedieb]

Originally posted by JMK
Funny, the Yankee fans haven't copped to the fact that they've feasted on weak teams during this 10 game run...;)

Considering we got our butts handed to us by weak teams like the Devil Rays, wins are wins. No, we haven't won against the elite, but we've won, period. And so have the Sox and the O's. But after such a wretched start, any winning streak is welcome news. :)

[Jedieb]

Bonds is BACK on an IV. He's got another infection. EPNS's Jayson Stark wonders if bonds will EVER be back in uniform again. Damn, that's pretty extreme to avoid a simple 'roids test. ;)
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2063397

[JMK]

And so just like that the tables have turned. The Yankees are back to being the Yankees. They've passed the Red Sox and are tied with Toronto for second in the division. That's temporary because the Jays will fade sooner rather than later.

The good news? I got my Red Sox tickets for June 27th! :crack

[CMJ]

My woman bought me Red Sox /Angels tickets for August, but she can't go. So I'm currently trying to dig up an avalable Sox fan to go with.

One of my bosses is from Boston and was my 1st choice, but he's gonna be back home visiting his family...:lol

[Jedieb]

Big 3 game series in the Bronx this weekend. Yanks up 6-3, top of the 8th, thanks to a monster HR by Shef. The O's are trailing in the bottom of the 9th. C'mon baby.........

[JMK]

Yanks gain another game, Boston, Toronto and Baltimore slip another. Whoever predicted this is a genius!

[Jedieb]

They've won 15 out of 17. Amazing considering how poorly they were playing. I thought they could turn it around, but not this fast. They're back in the thick of the race. The Sox are struggling and are now in 4th place behind the much cheaper Blue Jays. ;) Boston will no doubt rebound but I think these AL East struggles are proof that only one team is getting to the post season from this division.

[JMK]

That sounds pretty much accurate to me. That division is going to cannibalize itself worse than any other in the AL.

[JMK]

14-1 Red Sox in the top of the 8th. This one's been a laugher from the get-go. Giambi still looks lost at the plate. Boy is he the laughing stock of the league.

[Jedieb]

Another close game in Da Bronx! The rubber game is on ESPM tomorrow night. I'll watch it in HD goodness. Sweeeeet.

[jjwr]

Boomer! What a game he pitched, outside of the 1st inning he was dominant. Sox offense came alive with Big Papi spanking the Yanks!

Huge series with the O's starting tonight, the O's gave the Sox all sorts of trouble last year lets hope they can take this series.

[JMK]

Renteria, Ortiz and Manny were all practically unconscious in this series. They were flat out awesome at the dish.

With each passing day it becomes more and more obvious that the WC winner is coming from the Central, or maybe the West, and not the East.

[CMJ]

We're about 30% thru the season now. Time to look at the current playoff picture.

AL East
Baltimore Orioles

AL Central
Chi White Sox

AL West
Texas Rangers

AL Wild Card
Minnesota Twins

NL East
Florida Marlins

NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals

NL West
San Diego Padres

NL Wild Card
Arizona Diamondbacks

I doubt Texas holds onto the AL West, and I expect either the Marlins or Braves to win the NL WC, but I'm starting to think the other playoff positions might be set.

[JMK]

Yeah I think 6 of the 8 teams are basically set. The Orioles look serious, White Sox and Twins should both get in, and I still think the Angels will get their act together before the end. Imagine of the Yankees AND Red Sox don't get in? Can Baltimore hold them both off???

As for the NL, I think everything other than the NL East is a lock. I expect both the Braves and Marlins to get in, as well as the Padres and Cards.

Note: Could the Cubs be any more snake bitten? Prior, Wood, Nomar...these guys just can't stay in one piece for any length of time. I think it's about time that they start looking at dumping a couple of those guys, if not all 3 of them as soon as they can. Sure there's tons of potential there for greatness, but at some point you've got to cut your losses and start over. Waiting for Wood and Prior to take you to the mecca is like waiting for the second coming of christ.

[Jedieb]

O's beat the Sox yesterday but the Sox have bounced back and are leading 4-1 in the 6th. The Yankees have the rejuvinated Brown taking on the mighty mighty Royals! Lord, after this weekend's beating we need to make sure to take this series. Especially with the O's and Sox battling each other.

[JMK]

5-3 KC in the top of the 8th! :lol

[jjwr]

And the Royals won! The mighty Yanks are back down to 4th place...sweet! :)

[JMK]

I guess they won it for their new manager, Buddy Bell. If the Yankees don't crush the Royals by default in the next 2 games of the series then there's got to be a real, deep problem there.

Then again, there are those who say it doesn't matter what they do against the bottom feeders because they won't be in contention anyway.

[jjwr]

I'm reading a lot saying that theres a chance that neither the Sox or Yankee's will make the playoffs this year. Its possible, if the O's stay hot and the Yanks & Sox keep playing mediocre ball and beating up on each other then the wild card will be out the window and they will have to take the division just to make it in.

Course its also possible that both teams could go on a tear and take over the WC and Division lead again.

[JMK]

Yeah, history says that the Sox and Yanks will eventually leg it out over other teams in the division, but the O's and Jays typically don't hang around this long, nor do they have the respect that they both seem to have these days. There could be a temporary changing of the guard in the AL East. I can't say that I would mind that so much quite frankly. First of all, could you imagine if the Yankees didn't make the post season? What would Steinbrenner do as a result of that crime against humanity? He probably wouldn't just fire 3/4 of his staff, he'd have them killed in public.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I watched the O's-Sox game last night. The O's have the offensive players but I don't think they have their pitching, two of their starters look very bad including that guy last night and their bullpen is not great either. I think Boston can get past them especially with the fact Schilling might be back in about 3 weeks (according to him) and some of their other starters are pitching very well, Clement, Miller and Arroyo. If Wells continues to pitch like he did against NY they will have a great rotation for the rest of the season. The bullpen is the only thing that worries me they have had two guys in Timlin and Mantei who have been brilliant. Myers has been solid but Foulke and Embre haven't pitched as well as last year. I hope they add another arm to that bullpen by the trading deadline.

[CMJ]

Time to start a June baseball thread?

[JMK]

Sure thing!