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Official 2008-2009 MLB Offseason Thread of Billy Beane mocking Qwerty for 6 months

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Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
CHB is funny. I still like debating how to pronounce his name. Usually it involves hacking a loogie.
 
C

captmcblack

Member
Are there any non-shitty baseball journalists on a national level? Like, they almost all seem to be Gammons-quality once you leave the local beat.

...and the local beat's not much better, either (see: Abraham, Peter).
 
E

eznark

Banned
captmcblack said:
Are there any non-shitty baseball journalists on a national level? Like, they almost all seem to be Gammons-quality once you leave the local beat.

...and the local beat's not much better, either (see: Abraham, Peter).
Click to expand...

Rob Neyer and Tim Kurkjian are the only guys at espn I can stand.
 
D

Dr. Strangelove

I'M COOCOO FOR COCO CRISP!
eznark said:
Rob Neyer and Tim Kurkjian are the only guys at espn I can stand.
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All Tim Kurkjian does is spout worthless shit like how much rain fell in Olympia on a day that Ichiro went 5-5 and how when he got his fifth hit somewhere in Arkansas a man ejaculated in a woman's face.
 
F

firex

Member
that's what makes Tim Kurkjian awesome. ESPN normally hires garden-variety retards, but for baseball, they went and found some aspie Rain Man motherfucker.
 
T

The Frankman

Banned
I like Mike Lupica because he's one of the few NY journalists without a bias for the Yanks and actually will cover the Mets. He's very fair to other teams, too.
 
E

eznark

Banned
The Frankman said:
I like Mike Lupica because he's one of the few NY journalists without a bias for the Yanks and actually will cover the Mets. He's very fair to other teams, too.
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He's also a smarmy and annoying dbag, which negates whatever other shit you like abut him. You may as well say you like Mitch Albom.
 
T

The Frankman

Banned
eznark said:
He's also a smarmy and annoying dbag, which negates whatever other shit you like abut him. You may as well say you like Mitch Albom.
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As long as said "smarminess/dbag factor" doesn't interfere with covering baseball who cares? At least he doesn't have a bias and gets most of his articles right.
 
R

RBH

Member
Sources: Rays, Burrell agree to contract
Updated: January 5, 2009, 2:16 PM ET

Pat Burrell is leaving the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies for the runner-up Tampa Bay Rays.

Burrell has agreed in principle to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Rays, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Monday. The deal is pending a physical.

In Tampa Bay, the left fielder would DH. Burrell batted .250 with 33 homers with the Phillies last season.

Burrell's signing with the Rays increases the likelihood that the Oakland Athletics will be the front-runners to sign Jason Giambi.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3811501
Click to expand...
.
 
C

captmcblack

Member
Fuck Mike Lupica.

He certainly isn't biased towards the Yankees - he's biased against them.

Surprisingly, that is the one thing I like about Peter Abraham. Even though he isn't a fan of the Yankees and doesn't hide it, he doesn't tint his writing about them with his disdain for them. Sometimes he veers off into tangents about the Patriots, Springsteen and hams, but he covers the Yankees very fairly.

Mike Lupica beats off to the word of the Wilpons.

[EDIT: His disdain for the Yankees is logical, too; research where he was born.]
 
T

The Frankman

Banned
captmcblack said:
Fuck Mike Lupica.

He certainly isn't biased towards the Yankees - he's biased against them...

...Mike Lupica beats off to the word of the Wilpons.
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Here we go again. Everytime we have to do this discussion. THE WHOLE NEW YORK POST BEATS OFF TO THE YANKS!!! FATSCESA BEATS OFF TO THE YANKS!!! Can't New York have one guy "against the Yanks" (don't see it but whatever)?
 
C

captmcblack

Member
The Post?

Where George King writes?
The guy who spends time alternating between slamming the Yanks or making up incorrect trades?

You must be kidding.

If anything, the Post is a Mets newspaper; anytime the Mets win more than three games, the next story is about how they've taken over the city's hearts and minds, and then there's a series of articles guest-written by various Mets (like Wright or Wagner the last 2 years).

There shouldn't be any writers in this city "against" the teams they write/report on. What they need to do is report on the teams, and let me decide whether I am "for" or "against" them.
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
LJ11 said:
He's in full "sauces" mode today.
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I know, I wanted to listen to the MattyIce breakdown but he hasn't mentioned him at ALL today. But he's doing the "reports are saying brian schottenheimer....no, not true. i know dis" and i can't wait for them to name schottenheimer coach
 
L

LJ11

Member
Y2Kev said:
I know, I wanted to listen to the MattyIce breakdown but he hasn't mentioned him at ALL today. But he's doing the "reports are saying brian schottenheimer....no, not true. i know dis" and i can't wait for them to name schottenheimer coach
Click to expand...

Plenty of laughs to go around if they do.

Edit: He speaks like an authority figure, "No, not a chaance, neva!"
 
W

Weaselred

Member
Tam Tango is now a paid consultant for the M's. We have gone from a bottom 5 front office to a top 5 front office in a 2 months. Jesus Christ.
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
LJ11 said:
Plenty of laughs to go around if they do.

Edit: He speaks like an authority figure, "No, not a chaance, neva!"
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He simply cannot understand the concept of "each team gets 1 touch" for overtime. He's saying now that if you do this, the game will go on in perpetuity because each team must have the exact same number of touches. :lol
 
L

LJ11

Member
Y2Kev said:
He simply cannot understand the concept of "each team gets 1 touch" for overtime. He's saying now that if you do this, the game will go on in perpetuity because each team must have the exact same number of touches. :lol
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Someone just threw out sample size when he brought up statistics, and he just flipped back to injuries because of extra time. :lol
 
T

The Frankman

Banned
captmcblack said:
The Post?

Where George King writes?
The guy who spends time alternating between slamming the Yanks or making up incorrect trades?

You must be kidding.
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You're on dope.

The only time the Mets make the back cover on the Post is if they're on full meltdown mode or LoDuca is having sex w/ teenagers. Post is a Yankee paper 100%.

EDIT: Fatscesa: "AGGHH, you're an idiot yah don't noe nathin!!"

and I was going to try and co-host with this jackass??
 
C

captmcblack

Member
Good move for the Cubs...though what they need is a better pen. They had like, the galaxy's best offense last year and did it mostly with a gimpy Soriano. Cubs should shore up the pen, and perhaps add another starter.

Sheets?
 
C

CajoleJuice

Member
captmcblack said:
Good move for the Cubs...though what they need is a better pen. They had like, the galaxy's best offense last year and did it mostly with a gimpy Soriano. Cubs should shore up the pen, and perhaps add another starter.

Sheets?
Click to expand...
galaxy's best offense that did total shit in the playoffs
 
M

Mrbob

Member
Hey Cajole shut yo mouth the playoff push is beginning now.

We will have Peavy before the season starts as well. Cubs will win the division between 10 and 12 games...bank it.

Then we can get swept in the playoffs again. :(

Even Matrix's and Mig's and Captive's shitty disastros got to the world series to get destroyed, I want the Cubs in the world series and then win it so I can gloat over them. :D

Right now I can only laugh at the regular season, and then it is for naught after the Cubs choke once the postseason starts.
 
L

Lambtron

Unconfirmed Member
captmcblack said:
:(

Who will hoard the Yankee luxury tax payments now?
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The owner of the Marlins?

I won't badmouth Pohlad on the day he dies. RIP, Carl. I just hope whoever has the club now is a little looser with the purse strings, especially with Mauer hitting FA after the 2010 season.
 
Z

Zep

Banned
While Major League Baseball never said J.C. Romero tried to cheat, the 33-year-old reliever who won the third and clinching games of the 2008 World Series has been ruled guilty of "negligence" and will be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season.
Romero
Romero

Romero said on Monday that he bought a supplement from a GNC store in Cherry Hill, N.J., last July. The Players Association had told players the supplement was acceptable, but now the Philadelphia Phillies left-hander will receive a suspension and lose $1.25 million.

"I still cannot see where I did something wrong," Romero said. "There is nothing that should take away from the rings of my teammates. I didn't cheat. I tried to follow the rules."

Romero said he does not want to name the supplement in case young athletes go out and purchase it.

Three months after Romero was tested before a Phillies-Mets game on Aug. 26, the Players Association sent a Nov. 21 letter to players that stated, "We have previously told you there is no reason to believe a supplement bought at a U.S. based retail store could cause you to test positive under our Drug Program. That is no longer true. We have recently learned of three substances which can be bought over the counter at stores in the United States that will cause you to test positive. These three supplements were purchased at a GNC and Vitamin Shoppe in the U.S."

In Romero's arbitration hearing that was held in Tampa during the first two days of the World Series, it was claimed that in early July the Center for Drug Free Support had notified MLB of questions about the supplement Romero had purchased. Somehow, MLB and the Players Association never got that straight, according to Romero.

Rob Manfred, MLB's vice president of labor relations and human resources, who carries the reputation of being extraordinarily fair, did not return a call regarding the case.

So caught in the middle of MLB and the Players Association is Romero. He has his World Series ring. He has the distinction of being the winning pitcher in Games 3 and 5. "But," he said, "what's most important is that I get back my honor. This just isn't fair."

Last season was Romero's 10th in the major leagues. In 2006, he tested positive for a precursor of testosterone, which was a fertility supplement his wife Erin and he were taking. The case was dropped. On Nov. 27, 2006, their daughter Jazlyn was born.

Then came this summer's fiasco. "The season is a grind," Romero said. "When you're a middle reliever, you have to be ready to get up and down and pitch every day. Everyone takes something. Some guys drink coffee, others supplements. We try to make sure they're all legal. I certainly did."

On July 22, Romero bought a supplement at the GNC store in Cherry Hill. He had it checked by his personal nutritionist, who said there was nothing in the supplement that was illegal. There was no warning on the label. Romero mentioned it to Phillies strength and conditioning coach Dong Lien.

There seems to be some confusion in testimony during the October arbitration hearing. According to Romero, Lien told him to get a second opinion; Romero took the supplement to a second nutritionist, who cleared it. In the hearing, Lien testified to that fact, but at another time he said he suggested Romero not take it. Romero in no way blames Lien.

"What they now say I should have done was call the drug hotline," Romero said. "But I had it checked out by nutritionists, and I was following the guidelines laid down by the Players Association in spring training."

On Aug. 26 and Sept. 19, Romero was tested, as all players are, randomly. On Sept. 23, Players Association counsel Bob Lenaghan informed Romero he had tested positive.

"I immediately stopped taking all supplements, although I had no idea it was the cause of the positive test," Romero said.

He spoke to Michael Weiner at the PA and told him he did not know the cause of the positive test. On Oct. 1, Weiner told Romero that the specific supplemnent was indeed the cause of the failed test and that because it was purchased over the counter in the U.S. he believed the case would be dropped.

That same day, Oct. 1, Romero was again tested. The results were negative. So for the NLDS, NLCS and World Series, the supplement was no longer in his system.

Two days later, Romero was informed that MLB would be willing to reduce his suspension to 25 games, starting at the beginning of the 2009 season on the condition that he admitted guilt. Romero said he couldn't, because he did not believe he did anything wrong.

On on Oct. 12, the second test results came back -- from the Sept. 19 test conducted four days before Romero learned he'd tested positive the first time -- and were positive. MLB then changed its offer: The suspension would still be reduced to 25 games, but it had to start immediately and he had to admit guilt. Again, Romero declined, because he did not believe he was in the wrong and because he did not want to miss his first World Series.

The arbitration hearing was held Oct. 22 in Tampa, the first day of the World Series. Curiously, the bottle of the supplement MLB had purchased contained the label warning: "Use of this product may be banned by some athletic or government associations." However, the bottle Romero had purchased and brought to the hearing contained no warning.

In December, the Players Association informed Romero that the arbitrator had had a change of heart and was ruling against him. Sunday, that was confirmed, and Tuesday afternoon, MLB will announce the suspension.

There seems to be little question that the Players Association unwittingly misled Romero -- and other players -- about over-the-counter supplements purchased in the United States. Somehow, after MLB was warned in early July, their concerns did not reach the Players Association about three supplements available at every GNC store.

J.C. Romero now pays the price. Fifty games, $1.25M.

"I told them that if I ever tested positive again I would accept a 100 day suspension," Romero said. "They know I didn't cheat. And yet the rest of my career people are going to say, 'he cheated,' even though I tested negative at the start of the playoffs. I did what I was told to do, what I thought was legal and right."
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Story just reeks of bullshit. So the arbiter tells him he does nothing wrong, then turns around and says he did:lol

I like how he didn't back down from Major League Baseball and take a guilty plea. I don't know union policy when dealing with an arbiter but how can they let this stand?!
 
S

Sanjuro

Member
Zep said:
Story just reeks of bullshit. So the arbiter tells him he does nothing wrong, then turns around and says he did:lol

I like how he didn't back down from Major League Baseball and take a guilty plea. I don't know union policy when dealing with an arbiter but how can they let this stand?!
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Phillies - 2008 World Series Champions*

Not really. More hypocritical MLB nonsense making the game look even more foolish. Selig needs to be gone already.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
didn't the Phils offer 2/22 for Pat? and he declined? (not really sure if that is true though). If so, I guess he thought he could get a better deal elsewhere.
 
Z

Zep

Banned
Ninja Scooter said:
damn, great pickup by the Rays by signing Burrell. Makes you wonder why the Phills didn't just resign him for that kind of years/money.
Click to expand...

Because he wouldn't have accepted. At least in my opinion. Lets be honest here, if we offered him arbitration(which would have been 16-17mil) do you really think he would have declined? Phillies had that in mind along with all the arbitration cases. Howard and Hamels alone are costing 20mil+ there..And add Werth, Victorino, Blanton and about 5 others to that mix.

Also add to the fact that Monty has cheapass syndrome and you got this situation. Rumblings were we offered Pat 2/22 and he declined...Pat on the other hand said we never offered anything and the Phils wanted to move in another direction.
 
Z

Zep

Banned
Let me add that while I loved
and hated
Pat, we needed a more consistent bat in the lineup. Just think of him and Howard going through long ass slumps..It's frustrating. I'll take Ibanez and see what dude can bring hitting behind Howard.

Who Pat used to fuck in his earlier years of being the "man" in Philly..

img0213xb3.jpg
 
S

somedevil

Member
Here Lies Andy Pettitte credibility

Well I guess he wanted to pitch in the new yankee stadium if it was for the right price. After the yankees covered his ass for the HGH thing he can't take 10 million. Oh well the yankees should either find an innings eater for a 1 year deal, give it to hughes/kennedy/aceves or trade xavier nady for a pitcher.
 
C

CygnusXS

will gain confidence one day
So the Braves are interested in Pettitte? Ugh. He's not a bad pitcher, but he's not what the team needs at all and certainly not for the contract he's asking for. If they were willing to give friggin Burnett $80 million, I just really don't understand their hesitancy on Lowe.
 
C

clemenx

Banned
I hope the Mets don't go after him :lol ... I predict we're gonna end with Garland :/

Damn i hate offseason so much, and Winter Baseball sucks ass i swear the defense in here is Little League level, makes it painful to watch on TV... at least it's fun to go to the park.
 
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