There's a reason the Dodgers let go of a player as good has him. No need for him either as Okajima and Delcarmen have been doing great all season. Also Gabbard was needed in the rotation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu
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There's a reason the Dodgers let go of a player as good has him. No need for him either as Okajima and Delcarmen have been doing great all season. Also Gabbard was needed in the rotation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu
Orioles won it 6-3, the Red Sox only lead the Yankees by four now.
God damn the ****ing Cubs, take first place for a day just to blow the rest of the month and crush our dreams, we're going on 99 years now
It ended with a homer?Quote:
Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu
Your damn right Stu, Gagne has been far from impressive, after todays game he up'ed his ERA (not a good thing) to 15.45, shocking for one of your big time go to guys.
Hopefully he can turn it around cause it would be tough to listen to if the Yankees came back, from the 12.5 game lead at the all star break. Last year was tough but this would be a major kick in the balls. I live with 2 yankee *******s too :eek:
Kason Gabbard being traded for gagne could turn out to be a major mistake, the guy was pitching shut out baseball, think he went lsomething like 5-0 in Schillings absence. John Lester has pitched decently since his return from cancer. Wakefield continues to hold his own, but doesn't get the run support. Dice-K, bar a rough inning every now and then has been **** hot, again run support is a problem for him. Josh Beckect has been sensational. Curt Schilling has just returned and has looked promising in his first start.
The problem at the minute (apart from Gagne) is getting the men on base back to homeplate! Leaving alot of runners on base!
I'm confident we can hold off the resurgent Yankee's but the 6 games left against them will be very interesting.
When we get to the playoffs, i'd be pretty confident with a starting rotation of Beckett, Schilling, Dice-K and maybe John Lester. Wakefield could take this 4th spot if Lester begins to fade or show signs of experience. Wakefield is a gem to put back in the bullpen if you need some long relief innings, or throw him in just to keep batters guessin, his knuckleball is unreal. Fastball of something like 75mph.
If we can get to the playoffs and get a good solid 6/7 innings from the starters then a bullpen of Delcarmen, Timlin, Okajima and Papelbon is just what the doctor ordered. If we can get Gagne back on game then its even more impressive. Then we got Wakefield, Taverez and Snyder if any long relief is needed.
Soko, you'd wanna take another look at the majestic Pedroia again, he's been amazing this year!
Gagne, a big problem, hasn't done any impressive work yet, on friday night he gave up 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th with the Sox leading 5-1, a game they lost 6-5, and then this shambolic performance today
ended with a home run by former Sox Kevin Millar
Yeah, a walk-off three run homer in the 10th.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
Looks like the Yanks won the trade battle for Gagne by losing it. Things are looking up for the Yanks at this moment with Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain emerging from the minors and pitching well. Chamberlain will be our main setup man from here out, I'm certain. Got to love a guy whose first name is pronounced Jabba :) Reminds me a lot of Papelbon on the mound.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu
Burny I don't think Lester has been good since he came back- 6.43 ERA says it all. I'd much prefer to see Wakefield start, mainly due to his post season experience. Also I wouldn't want to see Tavarez anywhere near the mound.
Yeah, i guess, his first start was good, but then seattle beat him up a bit last week, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings, but for a kid with such a long layoff behind him i'll give him a few more games! Over two games and having a bad start can exagerate the average
Tavarez did well kept us battling in games earlier in the season while waiting on the return of Lester. He faded badly tho, so i think he'd be a good shout for middle relief
Hmm. I note none of us noted that Hank Aaron's record (which to my mind is still intact) was considered broken last week.
how can it still be intact if BB has more homeruns :rolleyes:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Burny89
His supposed steroid enhanced homeruns prior to the introduction of drugtesting hasn't gone unnoticed this side of the atlantic either.
Steroid enhanced, no doubt! But the whole game was at that time. In my eyes Barry Bonds is being made a scapegoat for this whole fiasco.
has any stories been told that side of the world about how the milwaukee brewers shortened their outfield for Hank Aaron's last 2 years, so he could play in the smallest park in baseball and therefore add to his homerun totals and pass the Babe
Although it is clear that Bonds took steroids I still think that he would have broken Hank Aaron's record without steroids. He should be remembered for what he has achieved.
Presuming you meant he would've broken the record without steroids, you're wrong. Look at the increase in Bonds figures after 1998, when he start taking them.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
Just finished readiong "Game of Shadows". Depressing stuff. Bonds won't get into the Hall of Fame (just like Mark McGwire didn't first time out). That should tell you everythign you need to know
John Lester pitched a great game tonight, his first game back at Fenway. Gagne even got in a pitched a clean inning :eek: and got the win
Lester went 7 innings only giving up 2 hits and a walk, Didn't get the win tho as kazmir as usual shut the Sox down. Great finish tho in the ninth, a Mike Lowell home run, a double by Varitek who then scored of a single from Coco Crisp for the walk off 2-1 win.
Also the Yankees got their asses handed to them with a 12-0 thrasing :D Wheres those big bats gone ;)
The over reaction to Gagne here ia embarrassing. Who do you want pitching in the playoffs, Kason Gabbard or Eric Gagne? Thats not even a question
Gabbard got by while he was promoted and was traded at his peak. He's not over powering and doesn't have enough pitches to trust in October. Gagne is far more important than Kason Gabbard will ever be
wouldn't really say its an over reaction to say that Gagne has been shocking since he signed. He obviously has been (16.45 era) so its not really an over reaction. However your right I'd still have him over Gabbard heading into the playoffs, and it should turn out to be a good deal for the sox in the long run.
Alot of faith was placed in the succesful return of Schilling to the rotation tho, who has been solid so far. Again there's not many more pitchers you would pick ahead of Schilling in October
Didn't think it was as early as '98 looking at his figures. 2000 and 2001 it seems clear that he was on steroids but is it not at all possible that his other exceptionally good seasons were just down to being a great hitter?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Also at the age of 42 and obviously clean he's still slamming them home, 24 this season is a great output. there's no doubt about it that he's a great hitter! All this would he/wouldn't he have broken the record is just conjecture
Read Game of Shadows and also look at his early stats with the Pirates.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
In fact, just look at his picture when he was with the Pirates!
Its fine to assume that most of the modern hitters have been on something (and Sammy corked his bat!), McGuire being the obvious example, but when you are getting into comparing stats with Ruth, Aaron and the legends of the game then he doesn't get a mention, whatever his final number is.
Also Burny, Milwaukee wouldn't be the first ballpark to be built around one player! Yankee stadiums the same, and if we took that to its logical conclusion we'd disallow all homers in Denver!
1998 was the McGwire/Sosa season and the attention they got forced Bonds to try steroids (and the rest)
Those records are obscene.
In the 12 years before 98 he averaged 32 Home Runs. In the 5 years after (when most experts believe power starts to wain) he averaged 49. He was 36 when he broke the season record. He was 39 when he had his second best season. He was a great player but BALCO meant he was ridiculous
LOL :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Burny89
Quote:
Originally Posted by Burny89
Gagne is gone come October. There is no long run. The trade was still a good one however as the Sox have far better propsects than Gabbard for the coming years
Dodge, i mean clean this season, why is that lol
Sok, Gagne gone come the end of the season? I think they'll try and keep him because Timlin won't be there next year. They could keep Gagne and try him in the closer position and possibly put Papelbon back in the rotation
What makes you think he's clean this season? he hasn't been for years
I think he's arguing Bonds is clean because he's tested after every appearance now. The problem is that it's easy to do that if you know you won't test positive as the drug makers are always a few steps ahead of the testers.
you really think he's still pumping **** into him, thats ridiculous
Quote:
Originally Posted by Burny89
The Red Sox will make a run at the top pitcher on the market with Schilling's money coming off the books or hold on for Santana the year after with Manny gone. Papelbon stays as closer, he's too good and important in that role. There are a couple of guys in the minors who are top prospects to come next year or after
Gagne will cost too much and wants to be a fulltime closer. No way the Red Sox resign him
The major benefit of steroids is in building you up to a point beyond what you can naturally attain - once you get there, as with any fitness level, you can keep there, you can stay there without the drug, to a greater or lesser degree depending on how high up "there" is.
He's still slamming zingers at a higher level than he was in his early twenties, I don't think that's too ridiculous. Also it's not like he's got the rep of a man we can trust.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burny89
The MLB testing policy is a joke, remember the four major sports in the US (if hockey still counts) are light years behind most international sports as the US ones haven't signed up to the WADA code.
Even with WADA standard testing though Bonds could still slide by. That's how the guys on THG that weren't in US sports lasted so long before being found out, the testers hadn't caught up yet.
Stu said all I was going to say. Honeestly lads, I can't believe the naivety of some of you here.
Bottom line is that although an undoubted talent, Bonds would be nowhere near the records he's smashed if it wasn't for BALCO. The drugs he initally took could not make me fail a drugs test, and thats if he was even tested (and he wasn't until 2004). THG was designed specifically for athletes who wanted to pass drug tests and with the money involved in US sports, there's an almost 100% certainty that another steroid has been produced that will produce a negative drugs test
Gagne threw it away again tonight after Sox pulled a 3 run lead in the 8th
Here are some gifts for all of you Cardinals and Brewers fans (if there are any)
http://www.attachmax.com/Jacque_Jones.html
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Cubs are in first place :D
Baltimore 3 Texas 30:eek: Biggest score by a team in MLB in 110 years!
I see you can now link some highlights from the MLB website but you need SilverLight to view it.
Red Sox go into their series against the Yankees with an eight game lead. Some very interesting pitching matchups:
Matsuzaka vs Pettite (live on NASN, midnight)
Beckett vs Clemens
Schilling vs Wang (live on NASN, 6pm)
Both teams have similar fixtures remaining, the only differences being that Red Sox have 2 against Oakland and 4 against the Twins, while Yankees have 3 against Seattle and 3 against the Royals. I think Yankees need to sweep at least one of series against Red Sox to have a chance of winning the division.
The Evil Empire won 5-3 last night.
hahaha Yankees have zero chance of winning the division