2011 MLB Season Thread

[Cousin Jed]

Season's 1st pitch is only a couple of days away.

Feel free to discuss anything and everything 2011 MLB Season in here

Go Sox

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

Well it doesn't exactly look like it's going to be the best start to the season for the Giants. Cody Ross is out for a month, Brian Wilson is out, and Matt Cain is still really only getting back into pitching after having to sit out a bit during spring training. He had some good stuff today, but it's obvious he's still a bit rusty. Depending on how things are going, Brandon Belt will probably be called up around mid-season like Buster was last year. Hopefully in a situation where it won't jumpstart his arbitration clock early.

The Giants have been pretty impressive this spring training, especially guys like Belt, Kroon and Edlefsen. They've won the most amount of games in the spring leagues, last time that happened they won the World Series. Spring Training really doesn't mean much so I don't care much for the standings, but it's great to see that there's still quality players who are coming up.

It's going to be an interesting season for the Yankees, who are currently realising that giving a lot of players stupidly long contracts when they're old isn't a great idea. Their pitching looks terrible and the majority of the offense is mad up of old bats. They're really going to be under the pump this year. The Red Sox should easily take out their division.

The Brewers are probably going to be the most interesting team to watch this year. If they can avoid their signature mid-season collapse they might go pretty decent. They're in the easiest division in baseball so they're in a good position. Hopefully they have the 2009 Greinke who actually cares and not the 2010 Greinke who gives up on his team.

 

[Starlin Castro]

Just another season for the Cubs...hard to see us doing well. Looking forward to it though!

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

Getting rid of Carlos Silva might be the high point of the season... But yeah.

 

[Cruiser23]

Looking forward to my first full season following MLB and the Reds.

 

[scottyjc]

How about some predictions lads? Always good for this time of year.

AL EAST
Red Sox
AL CENTRAL
White Sox
AL WEST
Rangers
NL EAST
Phillies
NL CENTRAL
Brewers
NL WEST
Rockies

AL WILDCARD
Yankees --- maybe
NL WILDCARD
Cardinals

Wildcards very hard to pick


AL MVP
Adrian Gonzalez
NL MVP
Cant go past Albert
AL CY YOUNG
Jon Lester
NL CY YOUNG
Marcum

Last 4 will be Red Sox/White Sox and Phillies/Brewers

Players to watch:
Rasmus
Gio Gonzalez
Adrian Gonzalez
Marcum
Jaime Garcia
Billy Butler
Dan Uggla

I expect HUGE seasons from all of the above

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

AL West Champions: Rangers
AL Central Champions: Twins
AL East Champions: Red Sox
AL Wild Card: Rays

NL West: Giants
NL Central: Reds
NL East: Braves
NL Wild Card: Phillies

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera
NL MVP: Buster Posey
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez.
NL Cy Young: Matt Cain.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

AL West Champions: A's
AL Central Champions: White Sox
AL East Champions: Red Sox
AL Wild Card: Yankees

NL West: Rockies
NL Central: Reds
NL East: Braves
NL Wild Card: Phillies

AL MVP: A-Rod
NL MVP: A Pujols
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay

Random predictions

1. Astros will win less than 70 games
2. Bautista will hit 30+ HRs , whilst not as good as last season will prove last season no fluke
3. Adam Dunn 50+ HRs
4. Giants suffer hangover, Red Sox to dominate.

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

#SFGiants Heard management wants to keep Brandon Belt, leaning toward making him their starting first baseman. Announcement Wednesday.

Well. I'm mixed on this. If they wait until the end of May then bring him up, he won't be arb eligible until '14, if they bring him up now they'll be paying a year earlier. Belt is obviously ready to play in the Bigs, so part of me is extremely excited, the other part is a little scared about the financial side down the line.

 

[Oscarman]

No predictions. Just hoping for a .500 or better season from the Tribe.

Looking forward to the doubleheader on ONE this Saturday. There is also a game on tomorrow at 5am.

 

[FRUMPY]

Hopefully my Braves can pull off the upset of the year and win their division ahead of the phillies. Phillies clearly have thebest rotation but their offense with an injured utley and no werth isnt as strong as years past.

Braves with Lowe, Hudson, Hanson, Jurjens can almost match it with the phillies but will need to be at their best all year.

Offense lineup of Prado, Mcclouth, chipper, mccann, uggla, heyward, gonzalez and freeman looks pretty good and lots of power and gap hitters.

Think the phillies still might be too strong but should make it a good division with Mets, a stronger Nats and Marlins all being able to be competitive. Probably the toughest division

 

[damochandler]

AL West Champions: Angels
AL Central Champions: White Sox
AL East Champions: Red Sox
AL Wild Card: Yankees

NL West: Giants
NL Central: Reds
NL East: Phillies
NL Wild Card: Braves

AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez
NL MVP: Albet Pujols
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay

 

[mattys123]

Opening day is only hours away, WOO HOO.

And to start us off, we have a triple header on ESPN, Yankees vs Tigers to start with, which should be a great pitchers duel, San Diego vs St Louis, which should see a few more runs, then to top it all off we get;

THE 2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPS, your San Fransisco Giants against our biggest enemy, the LA Dodgers, with Lincecum going against Kershaw.

Can't wait, should be a great season, so many unknowns in just about every division.

Edit: Oh, for those Brewers or Reds fans here, they are on ONE HD from 5am, probably replayed that night though also.

 

[Starlin Castro]

Has anyone got the MLB app for the iPhone? I'd love some advice as to whether to get it or not...

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

It's the best $20 you'll ever spend. Trust me...

 

[USACats]

Has anyone got the MLB app for the iPhone? I'd love some advice as to whether to get it or not...

You doing MLB.TV? If so, yes, the iPhone app is great. If not, you're listening to most via radio with one free game via video per day. .TV is a good investment. It's what I do since I'm not a Reds fan, and that's my "local team" as far as TV rights go. I get all games except Reds games on .TV.

 

[Cruiser23]

Reds steal a victory thanks to a 3 run shot at the bottom of the 9th by Ramon Hernandez.

 

[USACats]

Reds steal a victory thanks to a 3 run shot at the bottom of the 9th by Ramon Hernandez.

A beer about ended up through my new TV on that one. I hate the Reds. Had already chalked that one up to the Brewers. Neither team deserved to win in that one.

 

[mattys123]

Wow, the Cards have just thrown this game away.

Up 3-2 in the top of the ninth, they give up a home run, that ties it, then Pujols has a runner on first and hits into a double for the 3rd time today (personal career record), then they stuff up a simple 2nd out in the top of the 11th, giving up the go ahead run.

Then the Padres add another for insurance, 5-3 up, 3 outs away from an improbable win.

Edit: And they get those 3 outs, win to San Diego.

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

Let's go Giants!

Pumped to see Belt's debut.

 

[balmainforever]

Typical way to start the season. have a 2-run lead going into the ninth and start the season with a BS.

Was Posey's throw really necessary????? You've got one of the best pitchers in baseball and you give away the lead with such a low percentage play.

 

[standingroomonly]

Tomorrow afternoon cannot come quick enough, got to Philly tonight.

Sitting in my seat watching Halladay do his thing will be the start of a great sporting holiday! Astro's series, Masters Golf then back for the Marlins series!

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

Was Posey's throw really necessary????? You've got one of the best pitchers in baseball and you give away the lead with such a low percentage play.

Kemp had his back turned and was carelessly walking back to the bag. It is possible to pick runners off when this happens, but it's a low percentage play. Considering the situation it was a pretty big brain fart from Posey.

Focus shouldn't be on Posey, it should be on that worthless pile of shit known as Tejada. Also doesn't help that Casilla is pretty useless. It's a sham that Kroon didn't make the team.

At least Belt looked absolutely fantastic.

 

[mattys123]

Scratchy start to the season for the Giants, their defense was just terrible, really cost them the game, they were lucky to be only 2-0 down late in that game.

I feel sorry for Lincecum, did nothing wrong, yet he gets the loss.

Oh well, hopefully we can at least win tomorrow to get some respect back, at least we fought it out with Pat's late homer.

 

[BigTimeTimmyJim]

Can't really be that upset with the loss. Kershaw outpitched Timmy and the Giants defense just looks terrible. The outfield is slow, and Tejada is...

Oh well, at least it wasn't a shutout.