So, I wonder if Oswalty-Pettite-Clemens can shut down that ridiculous lineup? Watching baseball involves 2 things right now: 1. Cheering for the home team. 2. Rooting against the Yankees.
so how is the lineup looking lofton jeter a-rod sheffield giambi posada bernie matsui lamb is that right?
Yes, I think it is very likely that Brown will get hurt this year. I figure he'll be good for about fifteen games this season. Vazquez has talent, but it remains to be seen how he will handle the pressure of pitching for the Yankees. Mussina is aging. He may match last year's numbers, but he isn't very likely to improve upon them. Rivera is not the best closer in the game. I just feel that the Yankee staff this year is highly overrated. Their offense will more than make up for this, though.
He might not be, but when everything is on the line, I'd rather have him out there than any pitcher on the planet.
Yes, I think it is very likely that Brown will get hurt this year. I figure he'll be good for about fifteen games this season. Both Shilling and Pedro Martinez missed more time last season than Kevin Brown. And in terms of performance, 6 of Brown's last 8 seasons were better than Shilling's absolute best. I would take Brown over Shilling any day. All of NYY's pitchers had better ERA's last year than Lowe, Boston's #3. The only place I think Boston wins is in Pedro, and he's a bigger health risk than anyone else on either of the two staffs outside of Lieber (NYY's #4 or #5). In comparing Boston and New York's rotations, I think NYY will absolutely run circles around Boston in the end.
Lowe is in a contract year, though. He should have a nice season. I would take Boston's rotation over the Yankees' any day.
Let's look at the matchups: 1)Pedro vs Mussina - if Pedro is healthy, he gets the edge, but that hasn't happened much the last couple of seasons, so it is even here. 2) Schilling vs Vasquez - Schilling, although 37, is a workhorse who hardly ever gets hurt. Vasquez pitched way too many innings last season and he is going from one league to another - he definitely has potential. Edge - Schilling 3) Lowe vs Brown - Depends on what Derek Lowe shows up, the one from 2002 or the one from 2003, either way I don't think it will matter as Brown, not only being 39 and one of the surliest individuals in the game, will probably not make more than 15 starts with his injury history. Edge - Lowe 4) Wakefield vs Contreras - Wake is an X-Factor as you never know what you will get, but you will always get a lot of innings. Contreras has a world of talent but is unproven as a starter, nonetheless I think he is the better pitcher. Edge - Contreras 5) Kim vs Lieber - BK Kim was very good last year AS A STARTER; if he has his head on straight, he may be the best #5 starter in the game. Jon Lieber, meanwhile, hasn't pitched since the end of 2002. Edge - Kim The bullpens are about even although I will take Williamson and Foulke over whoever and Rivera anyday. Now, offensively, I think the Yankees are better than Boston, but no way is their rotation better.
So Arod gets his money and now plays for a winner. The Yankees continue their quest to buy another world series. I hate this deal.
Didn't Schilling get hurt last year? Did Brown get hurt last year? Kevin Brown had made 15 or less starts ONCE in his entire career. He might get hurt, but I don't think he'll be missing half the season. Did Lowe look good last year? Rivera>Foulke, Quantrill>Williamson Quantrill has had one year above a 3.33 ERA the past 7 years. He's a VERY underrated pick up. When it's all said and done, both of the rotations improved over last year's, while the Yankees drastically improved their lineup and the Red Sox's lineup will fall off because of the collective career years, and the fact that they replaced the bat of Walker with Reese. I fully expect the Yankees to win the division and the Sox to win the wild card.
Schilling did get hurt last season but that was an anomaly and yea, Brownie did NOT get hurt but once again that was an anomaly. Add to the fact that Brown is 2 years older plus a known headcase in the clubhouse (compared to Schilling), I am happy that y'all have him and we have Schill. There was an interesting article in the globe a couple of weeks ago in which Lowe talks about the skin cancer that he had right before the season and how that affected him last season. I think with that behind him plus that he is in a contract season, he does better than a 4.47 ERA this upcoming season. Won't disagree with you that Quantrill was an underrated pickup but MFYs did overpay for him. Rivera is probably still ahead of Foulke, but the margin has closed considerably. Williamson is a former ROY who has electric stuff. Once again, I like my chances with Williamson and Foulke. I think the MFYs are going to regret letting Pettitte go. You can't really do anything about Clemens because he was *supposedly* going to retire, but losing him along with Pettitte and Wells hurts them in the clutchness factor. Can Lieber bounce back from the Tommy John surgery? Will he be able to handle pitching in the Bronx Zoo or turn into a Jeff Weaver? What about Contreras? Will he come through with his enormous potential or will teams figure him out pretty quickly? I just think the MFYs have more question marks with their staff compared to last season as well to the Sox. However, I agree with you about their lineup. Their lineup is better than Boston's on paper but Sheffield will find pitching in the AL different than what he feasted on in the NL, Matsui may go through a sophomore slump, Lofton is like 80 years old, and I doubt that big-eared Posada has another year like he did last season. But on the flip side, I don't see Mueller winning the batting title again and Ortiz should still put up some nice numbers but probably nothing like last season. Also, will Nomar finally perform like he did before his wrist injury or be like he has since he hurt it? I feel that he is going to have a monster season as he will feel that he has a lot to prove. Should be an interesting season as I can't wait for it to start. I think both teams make the playoffs and I will give the MFYs the division, simply because until Boston can beat them in the postseason, you have to give the MFYs their due.
you can't compare A-Rod to outfielders...he did what he did as a middle infielder. however, i think that's partially why i'm not sold that this trade significantly upgrades the yanks. hear me out...maybe i'm nuts... you're removing a 30-30 guy from 2B in Soriano. who are you gonna get to play that position with that kind of production? you're just not. you're moving a-rod to 3B, a position that you expect some production out of. but you have a definite loss at 2B production, to be sure...of course, you end up with a gain in production at 3B. but, overall, that lineup is pretty stacked. should be a fun season!
come on man...A-Rod is a gold glove short stop...manny is a no defense, no base running skills outfielder how many outfielders do what manny does? how many shortstops do what A-Rod does? how many other players at A-Rod's age have hit for the power that he has shown for his career? who has produced more runs (runs scored + rbis) over the past 4 seasons? who has been healthier the past 4 seasons? who isnt a cancer to their team? manny is an amazingly talented hitter but A-Rod is simply a better run producer.
Although I think Nomar's argument is flawed, a couple of things about your post: There are NOT many outfielders who can consistently put up over .300 batting average, 35+ homers, and over 100+ RBIs - that is a fact. I wouldn't call Manny a "cancer" but I would say that he is a goofball, who lives in his own little world. Once you realize that, you move on. ARod WON'T be playing shortstop which is insanely r****ded on the MFYs part that they insist on having Captain Intangibles there instead. I know that in time that ARod will be probably the best 3B in the league but it will take him some time. The funny thing about ARod is he says one thing and his actions denote other things such as: "I am only about winning." - He said that before he signed that ridiculous deal with the Rangers, a team that had no chance to win after that. Oh yeah, ARod, you're really about winning? Then why did you not re-sign with Seattle or sign with someone like the MFYs, who have a chance of winning? The reason is because he took the money like a greedy b*stard. Then there were all kinds of quotes about how he would not change positions (thus forcing the Red Sox to have Nomar change positions or trade him), about how he dreamed of knocking the MFYs off, blah, blah, etc. Then he not only wants to join the team that he said he wanted to knock off but he now has this revelation that he can *adjust* by changing over to 3B. He should just keep his mouth closed because he continues to look like a gigantic hypocrite. Then there is the whole issue where he dissed Captain Intangibles in the GQ article. Should be interesting to see what he does when CI misses a ball in the hole that he would have gobbled up. But what is even funnier about A-Hole (the new SoSH nickname for ARod) is that Texas was a decent team, one that reached the playoffs a couple of seasons but didn't do **** when he came along. The team he left in Seattle didn't fall apart because of his departure and made the playoffs as well. Proof once again, that baseball is a sport where it really is a team game. I find it amusing that SiaS (Steinbrenner, another SoSH nickname) is this concerned and worried about Boston. I mean the MFYs always beat Boston, don't they? Why make this move unless you are desperate (which they are)? It is too bad that they didn't concentrate on shoring up their rotation as they will discover that A-Hole can't pitch. But how can you beat someone who has an unlimited budget? SiaS will probably buy the whole Marlins rotation by the trading deadline if his team is 2 games out of first place in the AL East. Who cares if the payroll reaches a billion? He runs the MFYs!! They ALWAYS outspend everyone and then they rub everyone's nose in it. Honestly, I don't see how anyone can root for that team - they are the most soulless bunch in sports. But anyway, I can't wait for the season to begin! Bring it on, MFYs!! There is a 162 game season to be played and we will see who remains standing at the end. Yea, odds are that it will probably be the MFYs because that is the way it has always been, but the day that the Red Sox win a world series will be a day that MFYs and their fans will be despondent about because they will finally have to shut up about the f*cking curse and all that other idiotic stuff that the media (ESPN, hello) loves to play up.
thats true not many OF's do what many does...but no SS has ever done what A-Rod does. that was my point. about the cancer part...we can agree to disagree on what makes up someone who is a detrimental part of the team. but not helping out the team and being caught doing things that people feel are bad for the team are not positives. also, that point you brought up about the playoffs is pretty ridiculous. yeah baseball is a team game....you need pitching to win too...not just hitting. last thing...its hard to call a guy who was just starting the prime of his career and getting his chance for his 1st big contract greedy when teams offer him what they did. i forgot how old a-rod was when he signed the deal, but i'm gonna guess 25. how many 25 year olds are looking to give out discounts for their skills? NONE!!
i don't blame him for signing the deal...but he had to know that it would hamstring the rangers' ability to sign anyone worth signing from that point on.
I saw something on ESPN, maybe they'll show it in full where Ben Affleck seems to be complaining about the ARod trade and how there's like half a billion dollars on one side of the infield. Then he names ARod, Jeter, Bernie, Giambi, Posada, Sheff, and was like "that's an allstar team!" The best though is how he told it like it is, that the Boss runs his business with a mercinary style, he's like pac man gobbling up all the best players he can get.
