Yep. I don't know if they'll have the legs to hang there all the season. Could they be a 90+ win team? Everyone has them finishing fourth in what is, by a laughable margin, the most competetive division in baseball. I know the standings don't say that yet, but do you really think the Yankees are going to hover around .500 all year? This division knocks itself down.

Manny Ramirez will be suspended for positive drug test (LA Times)

This is why I am no longer a baseball fan. Baseball has been complete bullshit for the past 20 years. The entire steroids era should be wiped from the record books. What a bunch of losers.

Bye bye, Manny

Best,

Geoff

Exactly.

As a Boston Red Sox fan, all I can say is it's nice to see this classless guy get his due. Glad we got rid of him when we did.

He's not been without his troubles, has he?

Does anyone buy this explanation?
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-dodgers-ramirez-drugs&prov=ap&type=lgns

Whether it was ignorance or cheating, Manny's right that it was his responsibility. He's also probably telling the truth that he passed the other tests. If not, then he probably would have been suspended before now or some journalist would have uncovered it. Probably, that is -- it is certainly possible that he didn't pass and it was covered up and undiscovered.

Best,

Geoff

Same here. I played ball growing up, and played softball well into my 30's and would still be playing were it not for the demands of marriage, kids, buildings, grounds, vehicles etc.. Love the game.

I used to watch baseball all the time. Would have been an active participant in this thread over the years. But it's a joke now. A bunch of overpaid whining cheaters. I haven't been a fan for years precisely because of this crap.

Regards,
Joe

Granted, baseball has gone through an embarrassing period; but I look at this as light at the end of the tunnel. Players are being held accountable for their actions, and the system is starting to work.

Best,

Geoff

Yep

Unlike the Yankess, the Sox discard of classless players. I am so glad Manny is now sporting the Dodger Blue.

True, Geoff, hopefully you are right about the light at the end of the tunnel. And I am glad the suspension is 50 games. That's a whopper and rightfully so.

Regards,
Joe

I certainly hate the Dodgers with a PASSION but I hate to see this happen to anybody. It's bad for the game, as a whole, it makes people start questioning a bunch of other players. Now the flood gates will open for people like Selena Roberts so that they can throw out hundreds of unsubstantiated claims and get rich writing a book or doing the media thing. She gets one thing right about 50 were refuted and sometimes proven untrue yet she still gets the coin. This really stinks!! I can't wait until we can get past this mess.

He's obviously a perfect fit for the Bums, err Dodgers.

A-Rod homers on the first pitch of his return

Best,

Geoff

Twins 20, White Sox 1


Best,

Geoff

That game couldn't have been pretty.

A preview of the postseason?

MLB's best teams, Phils and Dodgers, earn split

Best,

Geoff

Is anyone following the Stephen Strasburg saga?

Best,

Geoff

I have and I hope it works out for him. There's alot of pressure on him. It reminds me of Todd Van Poppel. Luckily Strasburg at least went to college. Poor kid though as he got drafted by the Nationals.

Yeah, although it remains to be seen whether or not they'll come to terms. But hey, you never know, maybe Strasburg will be the beginning of something great for the struggling team.

Best,

Geoff

So what's the deal with the Red Sox and the Yankees this year? They're neck and neck for first place; and yet, every time they play each other, Boston wins. And usually by a lot -- they've currently outscored the Yankees 51-28 in their matchups so far this season.

Any thoughts?

Best,

Geoff

Considering how few of us are posting here, I don't think a NCAA College World Series thread is worth starting. So, as an Arizona State alumnus, I'll just take a moment here to wish the #5 ranked Sun Devils the best of luck.

Best,

Geoff

Okay there are a few posts here that aren't mine, but sometimes I'm not sure whether I'm the only one here.

If anyone's reading this, WATCH THIS VIDEO:

Brett Garnder's miracle home run

Best,

Geoff

I went to Regional and Super Regional games at ASU this year. All were sellouts and great games. One thing different about this ASU team is balance. I saw them win close games, score runs when they had to and play solid defense. The only thing I question is the level of competition. ASU thus far hasn't played any really stellar teams. North Carolina is going to the be their biggest test.

Sometimes you see things that send a chill up your spine. What a great story!!

The only thought I have is the following. When and if they meet in the playoffs, the reverse of any trend will likely occur. Most of the games have been close, its not like the Sox are dominating them on the field. Still a pretty interesting stat.

Wow, how cool, Silver Dragon Sound! It's things like this that make me miss Arizona. But then, I remember that the high in Phoenix is probably 100 degrees about now. I don't mind it so much, but my wife would never go.


Yeah, it should be a great matchup.


I actually considered starting a thread just for that story, I liked it so much!


It does so often go that way, doesn't it? Playoff ball seems to be a whole different mindset from the regular season.

Best,

Geoff

Here's one way to deal with a problem at a baseball game.

Click Here

Yes. There's a simple answer and a complicated one.

Simple answer: as anyone who watched the '96 - '01 Yankees closely knows, there was only one substantive difference between that team and all the other best teams in the league. Say it with me now: Bullpen.

Not just the great Mariano, but the Stanton, Nelson, Mendoza. and abevvy of specialists like Graham Lloyd and David Weathers. If you were down to the Yanks after 6, the game was over. This was especially true in the playoffs, where it was ALMOST strictly true that they never lost agame in which they led after six. The exceptions are so few that everyone remembers them: Alomar in '97, D'Backs in '01 and ahndful of others, none of which, obviously, had any material impact on the Yanks.

The Red Sox have--far and away--the best bullpen in baseball. No one even comes close. In a contest between closely matched teams, that's the diff.

2. There has been a karmic reversal. The Red Sox are now the team that takes the field expecting something to go their way. And it usually does. This guarantees nothing in a playoff series, though. But you can see it. The Red Sox are the beast right now. That's the way the cookie crumbles. And you don't think THEY are motivated by a seven game loss in the ALCS last?

3. Dude, the Red Sox lineup is studded with tough outs. They remind me in som many ways of, say, the '98 Yankees--no superstarts (well, Youkilis is officially a superstar now) but tough outs up and down the linup. So many super productive players pad their stats against the ubiquity of bad pitching . These sox, like the Yanks of Jeter Bernie, and O'Neil, are great situation hitters and get tough hits off of good pitchers.

4. Beckett, Lester, Dice-K--these guys are just starting to get it together right now. The Red Sox will not be getting any worse this year. And yet it is hard to imagine this Yankee team not finding their way to the playoffs also.

Damn, we might be in for an epic ALCS

sorry to be so long winded--I didn't have the time to write a shorter reply