[RickinKs]

Originally Posted by Dina

I don't hate the concept but I don't like interleague play the way it is now. The Tigers seem to play the same National League teams every year (Pirates, Cardinals, Cubs, Rockies) and seem to never play some of them (Mets, Padres, Giants, Phillies).
I read they are making some changes to next year's schedule so that the "rivalry" games don't dominate interleague play. That means the Mets won't have to play the Yankees 6 times and the White Sox won't get the advantage of playing the woeful Cubs 6 times.

Same thing in KC, Chipper Jones has never played in KC until tonight ? I thought it was suppose to rotate like interleague play in the nfl does .

[sschweiger]

George, Dina, Rick, et al -- Was it Ira Gershwin who wrote "Inter-League Play Is Here To Stay!" As long as it is, hopefully, the MLB mavens will do some tweaking, and make the schedule somewhat fairer than it has been! Yeah, right!

[Dina]

Originally Posted by sschweiger

As long as it is, hopefully, the MLB mavens will do some tweaking, and make the schedule somewhat fairer than it has been! Yeah, right!

If the reason for interleague play truly is to give fans the opportunity to see players from the "other" league, they have failed. A rotating schedule would be much more fair and, better serve the fans.
Having the networks nationally televise games that include teams other than the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies and Cardinals would be nice too but, that will never happen either.

[RickinKs]

KC plays St. Louis, then usually Pittsburgh,Houston, occasionally Cincinnati and Milwaukee. Considering the Brewers were in the American League for about 40 isn't really that big of a deal.

Atlanta has never played in KC, neither has Florida or Montreal/Washington/

I also say, if we must have Interleague, games in the NL have to have the DH and games in the AL have to have pitchers hit.

[George M]

As of late, I have noticed how the Pirates have been doing, and i am secretly hoping the Buccos will finish with a winning record - whether or not they make the post-season doesn't really matter to me.

Still, it would be good to see the side from Pittsburgh make it to October just once in a while.

[sschweiger]

Shh, George! If we start talking about the Bucs, we may jinx them! Maybe, just maybe, yesterday's 19-inning marathon victory will really serve to inspire them! If you remember, they lost that heartbreaker last year (horrible call at home plate), and were never the same! Let's pray to St. Wilver & St. Roberto!

[sschweiger]

What a difference two years makes...the Red Sox gave Adrian Gonzalez more than a hundred million dollar contract; they gave Carl Crawford about a hundred & twenty million; and Josh Beckett got about sixty mill (probably more)! And Terry Francona had guided the team to two world series titles, after they hadn't won in nearly a hundred years!

The Sox haven't made the playoffs these last two years; there was an embarrassing chicken-and-beer clubhouse scandal last season; as a result, management said Francona "lost" the team, and he quit (though he was probably fired). Today he's broadcasting the Little League World Series! The Sox hired Bobby Valentine to control the players, and now many of the players asked management to get rid of him! In the last two seasons: Gonzalez hit pretty well, but failed in the clutch; Crawford sustained an injury, and hardly played; and Beckett was one of the "ringleaders" in the clubhouse to-do!

Today, those three multi, multi millionaires will become members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Valentine will probably be fired at the end of the season!

Moral? Money doesn't always buy happiness, and life at the top is not always a "romp in the park (as in Fenway)!"

[Ace917]

Originally Posted by sschweiger

Today, those three multi, multi millionaires will become members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Valentine will probably be fired at the end of the season!

Moral? Money doesn't always buy happiness, and life at the top is not always a romp in the park (as in Fenway)!

Putting the wolves in charge of the henhouse, eh? It sounds like the Dodgers have bit into a lot of trouble. And, most regrettably, they are giving up one of the best team players and finest first baseman in the league in James Loney. Bad move, Magic, bad move.

[sschweiger]

I totally agree, Ace! Loney is a wonderful first baseman!

[voice1]

Clubhouse chemistry seems unimportant to these new Dodger owners. Beckett and Crawford seem to play for themselves.

While Loney is a fine first sacker, Gonzalez is very smooth around the bag. He's the real prize.

[Dina]

Adrian Gonzales will be more than adequate as Loney's replacement and Nick Punto is a fine, hard-nosed backup infielder. The other two have had some very good years but, I fear their best is behind them.
I heard some better Dodger news this afternoon; Vin Scully has agreed to return for his 64th year in the broadcast booth. Love ya Mr. Scully!

[Ace917]

Originally Posted by voice1

Clubhouse chemistry seems unimportant to these new Dodger owners. Beckett and Crawford seem to play for themselves.

We seem to have already forgotten the debacle that was Manny Rodriguez.

[Amicus]

I remember well my first visit to Fenway, 54 years ago with my dad, some other dads and some of my friends, for a 2-header against the KC Athletics which the Sox swept (August 24, 1958). Ted Williams patrolled the Green Monster and got several hits, but not a HR, as I recall. (I'm not that old, really - just a sprout at the time.)

My point - the Bosox have meant way more to me than they should for over half a century, and this trade (if that is even the right word for such a seismic shift) is huge. After Theo took what seemed to many of us like a hugely wrong tack with the megabucks mercenaries, Cherington has swung the helm hard about, approximating a 180.

Does this mean I'm happy and confident the Sox will now do better than they would have status quo? Hardly. That is not a Sox fan's nature, and besides that, Adrian is a premier hitter, even though his home run stroke mysteriously vanished after he and the Sox foolishly allowed him to be drafted by Ortiz onto the the AL HR Derby Team for All-Star Game '11. Beckett seems to have declined precipitously, but he is an ornery character and the NL West might suit him. As to Crawford, who knows, but he gave no signs of even coming close to earning his remarkable salary in Beantown. He seems like a nice guy, of the low-profile variety. Maybe LA will suit him better. Loney got a big hit today and the Sox won, so fingers crossed.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by Ace917

We seem to have already forgotten the debacle that was Manny Rodriguez.

Which only became a debacle after he stopped hitting .400. Clubhouse chemistry ain't all that it's cracked up to be. Check out how Dick Williams' A's or Billy Martin's Yankees or Davey Johnson's Mets teams finished.

[Dina]

Originally Posted by Dean

Clubhouse chemistry ain't all that it's cracked up to be.

I don't think one player can disrupt an otherwise cohesive clubhouse anyway. When teams become divided into factions and many players are malcontents that clash with the manager, then you have a problem. A clubhouse always needs a strong, vocal leader to quash uprisings before they take root. Some are blaming the Tigers' moderate struggles this year on the absence of last year's leader Victor Martinez from the clubhouse due to preseason knee surgery.

[Ace917]

Although we certainly can't blame all of the Dodgers' woes a few years ago on the decline of Manny Rodriguez, the fact that he was thumbing his nose at the rules and getting away with it was nothing but poison in the clubhouse. The Dodgers tried to shop him but got no offers, and for good reason: he wasn't worth his outrageous contract. He wasn't producing, he was suspended at least once, he was on and off the DL, or sitting out games with "injuries." He was resented and fostered an acceptance of mediocrity by many of his teammates... I use the term loosely.

[Nancy]

Although we certainly can't blame all of the Dodgers' woes a few years ago on the decline of Manny Rodriguez,...

Mustn't forget the McCourt factor. When I think of them my blood boils. I still blame them for the loss of Joe Torre too.

[Ace917]

Originally Posted by Nancy

Mustn't forget the McCourt factor. When I think of them my blood boils.

That's exactly what I was referring to.

[Ace917]

From Big League Stew on Yahoo sports:

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who trail the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card race by a game, are bracing for news that Clayton Kershaw might be out until at least May because of right hip surgery. Kershaw, who was scratched Sunday from a start and has been dealing with pain for about a week, will find out for sure when he gets a second opinion Tuesday.

It's been pretty obvious, throughout his career, that Kershaw has a forced motion. It puts stress on joints that should be loose, and it was only a matter of time before something like this surfaced. He should study Warren Spahn.

This is probably the knockout blow for the Dodgers pennant hopes.

[George M]

Tonight, the Post Season gets underway.

When the season started, I was noticing the standings, and hoping for an all-Beltway World Series (Orioles-Nationals). However, when now considering what Melky Cabrera has done this season, I would be willing to settle for the Tigers in it as well, mostly because I am originally from the Detroit area.