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Propaganda Machine posted:Dustin McGowan You would not be meeting the team if you didn't know that Dustin McGowan is nicknamed "Chops" for the following reason:  e: Also that he's going to get hurt by May and is basically just getting checks off of his former promise at this point.
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Mar 31, 2015 07:27
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Which is why he's at the bottom of the uhhhhhh mayyyyybe I guess? list 
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Mar 31, 2015 09:18
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What I learned from the Dodgers' post is that all I need to do to get a good front office job is either to be an investment banker for a while so I can gain the trust of really really rich people or go back to school to get my BS from MIT and then a PhD from a school nearly as prestigious as MIT. OK, got it.
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Mar 31, 2015 13:40
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I'm not doing a full preview for the Braves but here is their possible lineup vs. RHP for a lot of games this year and the possible opening day lineup with a slash line for each hitter in their best season (greater than 300 PAs) according to OPS+ with the year in (). CF: Eric Young, Jr, (switch), .249/.310/.336, 79 OPS+, 2 HR, 46 SB, -1.3 dWAR (2013, 598 PA, Rocks/Mets) 2B: Jace Peterson (L), Rookie, 4 seasons in minors: .287/.381/.411 RF: Nick Markakis (L), .306/.406/.491, 136 OPS+, 20 HR, 10 SB, 1.7 dWAR (2008, 697 PA) 1B: Freddie Freeman (L), .319/.396/.501, 147 OPS+, 23 HR, 1 SB, -.3 dWAR (2013, 629 PA) 3B: Chris Johnson (R), .321/.358/.457, 124 OPS+, 12 HR, -.7 dWAR (2013, 547 PA) LF: Kelly Johnson (L), .284/.370 /.496, 127 OPS+, 26 HR, 13 SB, .3 dWAR (2010, 671 PA, DBacks) C/DH: A.J. Pierzynski (L), .278/.326/.501, 120 OPS+, 27 HR, .2 dWAR (2012, 520 PA, CWS) SS: Andrelton Simmons (R), .248/.296/.396, 90 OPS+, 17 HR, 6 SB, 5.4 dWAR (2013, 658 PA) Bench: OF: Todd Cunningham (S) - They're kind of forced to roster him over Terdoslavich, imo, since Terdo is LF/RF only. Terdoslavich is actually a 1B only in an MLB context. LF: Jonny Gomes (R)- will play LF vs. LHP C: Christian Bethancourt (R)- will get plenty of playing time. I'm not sure who they'll start on opening day at this point but A.J. is having the better spring. INF: Phil Gosselin (R) - Not a bad utility infielder, not much of a bat INF: Alberto Callaspo (S) - Barely avoided being cut after showing up for ST overweight and then sucking a lot. Will probably play 2nd or 3rd with he or Peterson taking over for Chris Johnson as defensive replacements later in games. I'd still only give him an 80% shot at avoiding getting cut considering how bad he's been in ST and that's probably a thing for Gonzalez. DL: CF: SP1: Julio Teheran (R)- was buoyed by BABIP last season. Fastball velocity dropped some which is concerning SP2: Alex Wood (L)- he might be good? SP3: Shelby Miller (R) - I feel like I hear a lot of revisionist prospecting on him since my understanding was at one point that he had #2 upside but I feel like I've heard lately that he was really just a solid #3 all along. SP4: Wandy Rodriguez (L)- Is 36. Pitched to a 7.41 ERA last season before being released by the Pirates. SP5: Eric Stults (L)- Is 35. Has only pitched >175 IP twice in his career. Both of those were in San Diego over the last 2 seasons where he had ERA+ of 78, 87. DL: Mike Minor (L) - extreme flyball guy who won't get any help from this outfield. He'll be back in the rotation once his shoulder feels better. Closer: Craig Kimbrel Setup guy: Jason Grilli - Rebounded in Anaheim after a terrible start in 2014 in Pittsburgh Setup guy: Jim Johnson - He sucks Other relievers: Luis Avilan, Josh "can I get an" Outman?, Cody Martin?, Brady Feigl?, Juan Jaime? - Jaime throws hard as poo poo but can't find the zone Factors on the farm: SP Mike Foltynewicz - part of the haul for Gattis. Touches 100 mph as a reliever. Needs to learn where the strike zone is SP Manny Banuelos - acquired for David Carpenter. He's a loving rad prospect if the year is still 2012? 2B Jose Perazza - great speed. Swings at everything. TL/DR: They have a terrible lineup unless some guys get really lucky like they did a couple seasons ago and other guys play like they did in much younger years. 2/5 of their opening day rotation is old and scary bad. Their bullpen is scary in a very bad way for them. I wouldn't panic about the future of the team, yet, but if this team is still together after the trade deadline and not lined up for a wild card spot, then it's time to panic. tadashi fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Mar 31, 2015 |
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Mar 31, 2015 18:33
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 SAS... ARE YOU READY FOR THE 2015 MIAMI MARLINS!!!!!!????THE 2015 MIAMI MARLINS ARE POISED FOR A WILD CARD SLOT THIS YEAR! DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE MARLINS GET A WILD CARD? THEY WIN THE WHOLE drat THING! AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WIN THE WHOLE drat THING??  THAT'S RIGHT.  2014 RETROSPECTIVE: THE MARLINS WERE COMPETITIVE EARLY ON BUT LOST JOSE FERNANDEZ IN MAY TO TJS. THEN THEY HUNG AROUND .500 THROUGH SEPTEMBER. THEN SOME loving rear end in a top hat ACCIDENTALLY BROKE THE NL MVP'S FACE. THEN I STARTED TAKING LOTS AND LOTS OF PAINKILLERS AND I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH AFTER THEN.  FRONT OFFICE AND OTHER BORING poo poo  OWNER JEFFERY LORIA WHATEVER. HE SIGNED STANTON. HE'S BRINGING THE ALL STAR GAME TO MIAMI.  GM DAN JENNINGS AND PRESIDENT MICHAEL HILL WHATEVER. THEY OVERPAID IN PROSPECTS FOR DEE GORDON AND DAN HAREN. THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO OVERPAY A LOT IN TRADES.  MANAGER MIKE REDMOND WHATEVER. HE'S COOL. DEFENDS HIS GUYS. ALSO HE TOOK NUDE BATTING PRACTICE WHEN HE WAS ON THE 03 MARLINS. HE ALSO USED HIS REPLAY CHALLENGES WISELY. STARTING PITCHERS  HENDERSON "THE ALIEN" ALVAREZ EXTREME GROUND BALL PITCHER. INFAMOUS FOR THE 2013 CLOSING DAY NO HITTER IN WHICH HE WON FROM THE ON DECK CIRCLE. AT AGE 24 HE ALREADY HAS 4 MADDUXES UNDER HIS BELT. HE DOESN'T STRIKE MANY PEOPLE OUT, BUT HE GETS PEOPLE OUT.  JARRED "PETE ROSE" COSART A SHITTIER HENDERSON ALVAREZ. HE MAY ALSO BE A  CLUBHOUSE CANCER??? RUMOR HAS IT THAT HE GOT TRADED FROM THE ASTROS BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIKE MARK APPEL THROWING A BIG LEAGUE BULLPEN SESSION SO SOON AFTER THE DRAFT. MAT "rear end in a top hat" LATOS HE HAS A CAT NAMED CAT LATOS AND IS A BIG rear end in a top hat TO THE GIANTS. HE WAS ALSO BROKEN A LOT LAST YEAR AND IS NOW ENTERING HIS CONTRACT YEAR.  DAN "WHATEVER" HAREN WAS TRADED TO THE MARLINS FOR PROSPECTS. THOUGHT ABOUT RETIRING. REALIZED HE COULD GET A RING IF HE PITCHES THE TEAM TO A WILD CARD.  TOM "BIG SALAD" KOEHLER LITERALLY A LEAGUE AVERAGE 5TH STARTER. PEOPLE CALL HIM THE BIG SALAD BECAUSE HIS HAIR LOOKS LIKE A BIG, YUMMY SALAD. SALAD AND COCAINE FOR DAYS, NIGHTS! STARTING LINEUP  2B DEE GORDON THE MARLINS OVERPAID FOR SOMEONE WITH A COMPLETELY lovely 2ND HALF. HE'S WORKING WITH THE GREATEST BUNTER OF ALL TIME BRETT BUTLER TO UP HIS GAME LEADING OFF. VERY FAST. SUSPECT DEFENSE. LF CHRISTIAN YELICH  2014 GOLD GLOVER. POSSIBLE WIZARDRY BEHIND HIS ETERNAL BABY FACE. SHOULD FILL OUT A BIT TO BECOME A DOUBLES MACHINE. THE FO HOPES GORDON/YELICH CAN BECOME THE NEW PIERRE/CASTILLO.RF GIANCARLO MOTHING loving MIKE CRUZ STANTON  DINGERS MASSIVE DINGERS. A BASEBALL KILLED STANTON. HE WAS REBUILT. NOW STANTON WILL KILL ALL THE BASEBALLS.1B MICHAEL MORSE  gently caress THE CARDINALSgently caress THE CARDINALSgently caress THE CARDINALSgently caress THE CARDINALSgently caress THE CARDINALSgently caress THE CARDINALS3B MARTIN PRADO  A GOOD GUY. PLAYS THE GAME THE RIGHT WAY. A TRUE TEAM LEADER. ABLE TO COMMIT TO VARIOUS IF AND OF POSITIONS. GRIT. HUSTLE. JETERESQUE. GONNA TEACH THOSE FIERY LATINOS A THING OR FOUR. CF MARCELL OZUNA  25 DINGERS? NEVER PLAYED A FULL SEASON ABOVE A+ IN THE MINORS. STRIKES OUT A LOT BUT HAS POWER. ALSO HAS A ROCKET ARM MOST OF THE TIME. C JARRED SALTALAMACCHIA  lovely 2014. HOPE HE BOUNCES BACK AND ADJUSTS TO THE NL. SUSPECT DEFENSE. DRAWS A FAIR SHARE OF WALKS. SS ADEINY HECHAVARRIA  WEB GEM OR BUST. WEB GEM OR BUST. NO WHAMMIES NO WHAMMIES NO WHAMMIES *FAIL_HORN.AIFF* SCOUTS LOVE HIM. SABERMETRICS HATE HIM. WHAT DON'T SABERMETRICS WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT HECH? BULLPEN CL STEVE CISHEK  CHIGGEDITY CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CISHEK YOURSELF BECAUSE SIDEARM SLIDERS ARE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH RHP AJ RAMOS  7/8TH INNING GUY. MISSES A LOT OF BATS. CAN GET WILD WITH WALKS. LHP MIKE DUNN  7/8TH INNING GUY. DEATH TO LEFTIES. NOT DEATH TO RIGHTIES. 2014 10 WIN PITCHER.RHP BRYAN MORRIS  2014 3.03 FIP. 0.66 ERA. A WIZARD?? BRAD HAND, AARON CROW, DAVID PHELPS, SAM DYSON  WHATEVER. NOTABLE BENCH OF SOUTH BEACHIRO SUZUKI  4TH OF AND GO-TO PINCH HITTER. TIME TO PUT A RING ON IT. 1B JUSTIN BOUR  A SACK OF POTATOES. WILL LIKELY TAKE OVER FOR MORSE AFTER MORSE MISSES 80 GAMES. C JEFF MATHIS What could go wrong for the Marlins -The Marlins rotation has a lot of risk in it. Cosart and Alvarez posted good ERAs in 2014 with FIPs that were about a run higher. The fact that they are both ground ball pitchers relying on Hech and Gordon for defense could be a disaster. Latos is coming off an injury-riddled season with lower velocity. Haren and Koehler are super, super average. If one of these guys were to get injured, the talent drop to Hand/Phelps/Crow would be huge. -The FO tries to sign some washed up vets in response to injuries as a way to save money. No more Brad Pennys, Randy Wolves, and Rafael Furcals, please. -There is no help from the minors outside of the catching position that could contribute to the 2015 campaign in a meaningful way. -Stanton and Morse are prone to injury and could miss a bunch of games. -Dee Gordon ends up being 2nd half 2014 Dee Gordon. -They have maybe just one (Justin Nicolino) tradable asset for the deadline. -The catcher position could be a black hole. Salty continues to be bad. Jeff Mathis will suck. Top prospect JT Realmuto had some success in 2014 but was sent to the minors. -THIS MOTHER FUCKER RIGHT HERE FADES OR HAS HIS ARM EXPLODE AGAIN.  JOSE HAS SURVIVED PRISON, SAVED HIS MOTHER FROM DROWNING, LEARNED ENGLISH IN LIKE 2 YEARS, ESCAPED GUNFIRE, AND BIKES A poo poo LOAD EACH DAY. HE'S GONNA BE GOOD. IF THE MARLINS CAN STAY COMPETITIVE BY THE TIME JOSE RETURNS, poo poo'S GONNA GET GOOD. WHAT HAPPENS WHAT poo poo GETS GOOD? WELL..   
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Mar 31, 2015 22:40
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yes
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Mar 31, 2015 22:44
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good
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Mar 31, 2015 22:57
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Preview for the 2015 Atlanta Braves -They're going to loving suck
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Mar 31, 2015 23:07
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I am officially rooting for the Miami Marlins to win the World Series this year. Your post has convinced me, and you should consider yourself a Marlins Missionary.
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Mar 31, 2015 23:10
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I really wasn't certain until now, but Pitbull wringing his hands convinced me. I finished a rough draft of a Giants one, but I feel like I should let a poster who is less disliked/ignored than me take the first crack. If they don't, I'll clean it up and my horrendous work will inspire them to do better.
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Mar 31, 2015 23:48
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I'll do a Tigers preview now that the roster is mostly set.
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Apr 1, 2015 00:27
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Mornacale posted:You would not be meeting the team if you didn't know that Dustin McGowan is nicknamed "Chops" for the following reason: btw this guy already got released 
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Apr 1, 2015 02:13
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Mods please make all posts on the Marlins require Pitbull pictures/gifs, tia.
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Apr 1, 2015 05:15
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Craptacular! posted:I really wasn't certain until now, but Pitbull wringing his hands convinced me.  , as a Giants fan I want to see others' take on the Giants.
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Apr 1, 2015 05:26
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The 2015 San Francisco Giants Last season, the Giants started with a run of wins that demolished some modern franchise records for April and May. Then June hit, and three blown saves in a row started a huge slump. They gave away a lead that looked insurmountable if they could only just play median-level baseball the remainder of the season, which they could not. Injuries in both the rotation and the starting positions didn't help. They ended with a wildcard spot against the Pirates, who held an identical record. A tiebreaker was avoided only because the Brewers (who also had an amazing run early on) fell down the standings in an even more dramatic fashion. This seemed like some unlikely but fortunate bullshit, which then became something of a theme through October. Offseason Departures Michael Morse (OF): A one-year deal with a player who was looking to restore his contract value. Take care, Mikey Mo. You were a defensive liability, but you hit lots of doubles. Marco Scutaro (2B): As everyone expected, Scutaro's "gold watch" contract for 2012 lasted longer than he did. Pablo Sandoval (3B): I hear that red is a slimming color. Management:  GM Brian Sabean gets accused of valuing intangibles over statistical evidence, but since the Zito contract it's clear that he'll prioritize "getting the band back together", introducing new players through short contracts and mid-season trades then extending them at almost any cost if they impress well upon coaches and ownership. The upshot of this is that the clubhouse is a cozy, drama-free place where everybody is generally pleasant. The downside is that the offseason is loving BORING. You can expect no interest in expensive free agent superstars, and failed token attempts to woo debuting Cuban sensations.  Manager Bruce Bochy (pictured left) has a lot of dumb quirks in the regular season. He seems to have an obsession with the second baseman hitting second in the batting order, regardless of that player's skill or experience. He seems to quietly favor certain players over others in ways that aren't beneficial to either, and puts too much focus on splits and switch hitting. But if the team makes postseason, he changes completely for the better, for which he deserves credit. He'll be here as long as he wants, with many analysts expecting him to make it into the Hall of Fame as a manager, so haters shouldn't hold their breath. Starting Rotation:  Turning 26 this season, most starters the age of Madison Bumgarner are considered to have not yet reached their ceiling and might still have room to improve. Except Bumgarner has thrown about a million innings more than them. It's fun to watch Bum pitch like a machine and blow snot around, but his workload might portend bad things. Bochy dismisses such criticisms with a very  Jim Ross quote: "He's country strong." He's a hoss, y'all. A pitcher who takes pride in his bat, he also might match the teamwide average on being likely to homer on this year's power-starved roster, which is both awesome and a sad statement. Matt Cain was known as a good to great pitcher who was robbed of wins because his team didn't score runs, until his stuff disappeared. A long history of bone chips were blamed, so he was shut down for elbow surgery, but not of the James Andrews chophouse variety. Whether the team's rotation is iffy or atrocious might depend on whether Cain is the pitcher he used to be 75% of the time, or if "third starter at best" is the new norm.  The re-signing of Jake Peavy is one of those things that summarizes the Sabean/Bochy era of the Giants. There were better pitchers out there than Peavy. There were attractive gambles for mid rotation guys, but Peavy is tight with Bochy. In a prior life as a Padres manager Bochy shared a dugout with a rookie Peavy, and the powers that be liked what they saw. The hope here is to have a league-average pitcher who can eat innings.  Starters four and five is likely to be a circus of players who all have obvious flaws. Tim Lincecum terrorizes men in Padres uniforms, but pitches batting practice so frequently that he was the only unused reliever in an 18 inning game. Tim Hudson is in his retirement year and can't be counted on to last a full season. Ryan Vogelsong is yet another year older, but his Spring Training results have so far been the most consistent of anyone. Yusmeiro Petit is the long reliever who keeps finding himself scheduled into the rotation. Both of the Tims will begin as starters, while the other two will be long men dedicated to handling all these question marks. They'll probably play musical chairs if one of them really goes down in flames. Remember when this was the team with pitching depth? The position players:  Buster Posey (C) is one of the few right-batting dinger threats on the roster, in addition to being a great defensive asset. In the past couple years he has had problems enduring the entire season, though last year he squatted through one of the longest postseason trips in recent memory. His personal biography reads like the prototypical All-American Boy from a cold war film. In a world where your heroes frequently betray you, he will represent the American Dream.  Brandon Belt (1B) always seems to have a lot of trouble getting at bats. It used to be something about knuckles, holes, and left/right handed splits. Last year, it was because he suffered a concussion and broken thumb. Now he'll be expected to carry a significant amount of the offense. No pressure!  Joe Panik (2B) is a recent callup that was expected to produce middling results and great name puns, but became a surprise success in 2014. With the possibility of playing a full season, whether he'll adapt to hitting in the majors is anyone's guess. Casey McGehee (3B) There was no backup plan in case Sandoval was only negotiating to leverage more money elsewhere, so they took a one year flyer on a player that nobody wanted. Set last year's MLB record for GIDP. Oh god. Brandon Crawford (SS) has evolved through time from bad but flashy defense, to good and flashy defense. If he learns to take a few more walks, he'll be alright among National League shortstops not named Tulowitzki. Nori Aoki (LF) is a speedy baserunner who is of veteran age, which sounds like a Brian Sabean signing to me. He might seem redundant on a team that already has Gregor Blanco, but he doesn't have handedness splits as to require a platoon.  Angel Pagan (CF) hasn't played a full season without injury since the previous Presidential term, and it's election season again. Presently he alternates between stating that his back is better than ever, and reporting that his back hurts today. Will share the leadoff spot with Aoki before disintegrating on the field. Hunter Pence (RF) is missing opening day with an injury. He is, behind Posey, the other guy who might hit a dinger from the right-side. Usually a reliably healthy player. I can't include a portrait because his unsettling gaze is the gateway to a dimension of madness. Mets fans started a meme where crowds bring The Bullpen: Santiago Casilla - Most likely closer. His yearly plate appearances, where he progressed from frightened to overconfident and eventually hurt himself putting the ball in play against instruction, is one of the team's best/worst comedies. Sergio Romo - More sliders than a White Castle. Might get saves again if he does well or Casilla does poorly. Jeremy Affeldt - Versatile lefty. Can be good or bad. Known for getting injured in bizarre fashion. Javier Lopez - LOOGY who is too frequently tasked to finish out an inning. Petit/Vogelsong - Long man tandem. The Bench Options, a veritable Dream Team in the dreams of people who never aimed very high: Gregor Blanco - Would normally be the Pagan insurance policy, but will play right field until Pence returns. Hector Sanchez - Backup catcher who takes a lot of painful foul tips, and also takes the battering of catching Lincecum. Will catch while Posey takes a breather day at first base. Will receive hot take scorn for Belt not getting ABs on those days. Joaquin Arias - This guy still works here? Literally Travis Ishikawa - Exactly what it says on the tin. Possibly Brandon Hicks - Because you can't have too many guys named Brandon. Andrew Susac - Will be called back up when Sanchez gets injured again. Other People - Selected from a list of uninspiring choices. Questions facing the team this season: Should Susac be groomed into Posey's eventual successor behind the plate, or traded? If Panik performs closer to original expectations, will they continue to give him time? So does Barry Bonds receive a ring for that Spring Training Instructor thing or not? It'll be hectic after this season, when they will have to look for viable replacements for Lincecum, Hudson, and the 3B/LF holes. Prediction: An odd year approaches. Expect third place, pray they don't do anything hasty at the deadline just to sit out the postseason in second. You will think about Barry Zito's miraculous turnaround at least once during a poorly-pitched game. Craptacular! fucked around with this message at 10:22 on Apr 1, 2015 |
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Apr 1, 2015 08:24
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Monicro posted:NL East What happened to the Mets? 
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Apr 1, 2015 17:34
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  YOUR 2014 WORLD CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS  2014 Record: some numbers, who cares, won the World Series Key Departures: Pablo Sandoval, Michael Morse Key Additions: Casey McGehee, Nori Aoki The GM  Brian Sabean The longest tenured GM in the league. He is not an idiot. Possibly the 14th best GM in history? Hard to believe in 2009, but the results are there. The Manager  Bruce Bochy A surefire Hall of Famer thanks to his three World Series Championships. Has more wins than any other active manager. Also more World Series. Is the longest tenured manager currently in baseball (in terms of total service time). The Players  C - Buster Posey 2010 Rookie of the Year, 2012 NL MVP, 2014 Face of MLB. Also won three World Series Championships. Does your team have a catcher? Buster Posey is better than your catcher.  1B - Brandon Belt Had a great 2014, when he wasn’t horribly injured. Spent most of 2014 horribly injured. Recovered in time for the postseason, where he hit an 18th inning homer to propel the Giants to their third World Series Championship in five years.  2B - Joe Panik Some dude who came up from AAA when every other 2B was injured, or sucked. Proceeded to hit .300 and have a double play in game 7 of the World Series the potentially saved the game. Is the next Buster Posey (in terms of handsomeness).  SS - Brandon Crawford Very Photogenic. Also an excellent Shortstop. His bat improved in 2014, to the point he hit the first postseason grand slam by a shortstop in history. Proceeded to help the Giants to a third World Series victory.  3B - Casey McGehee I like his name. It’s fun to say.  LF- Nori Aoki He was in the World Series, but didn’t get a ring? IDGI. Will provide plenty of high quality gifs and hopefully a solid OBP.  CF - Angel Pagan Incredibly handsome. Also incredibly injured. Pagan magically helps the Giants win, in that a good player playing is more likely to contribute to victory. Hopefully he can survive 2015.  RF - Hunter Pence Fan favorite, always dependable foul mouthed preacher. Unfortunately, Hunter Pence’s biomechanical exoskeleton was damaged by the Cubs in Spring Training, meaning…  OF - Gregor Blanco The Giants fourth outfielder, who has a knack for becoming a starting outfielder. In the postseason his bunts are magical. The Rotation  LHP - Madison Bumgarner The second best lefty pitcher in a division that features Clayton Kershaw. Also won a World Series. An entire World Series. By himself. He’s 40 feet tall. He makes a mockery of the DH. He can fix it.  RHP - Matt Cain One time ace of the SF Giants, who spent most of 2014  RHP - Jake Peavy Had a horrible half-year in Boston, was traded to the Giants to have a great half-year in San Francisco. Ended up with a 100 ERA+ in 200 innings to become the platonic ideal of a starter. Pretends to cuss in an adorable manner.  RHP - Tim Hudson He’s 162 days away from retirement. He was great in the first half of 2014, and terrible in the second half. Hopefully he can perform well enough on his broken hip to eat enough innings. Won his first ever World Series Championship with the Giants.  RHP - Tim Lincecum Once a two-time Cy Young Winner, Big Time Timmy Jim has tragically lost his luster. Hopefully the man who led the Giants to the first World Series victory in San Francisco can regain enough control to function as a fifth starter. Will more likely set a major league record for having as many strikeouts as runs allowed. The Bullpen The Bullpen has been exceptionally consistent during The Giants’ three World Series Championship runs. RHP - Ryan Vogelsong - Has literally never lost a postseason game. As such, is more valuable than Clayton Kershaw. RHP - Yusmeiro Petit - Holds the MLB record for most consecutive batters retired, has been within one hit of a perfect game, and effectively pitched a scoreless quality start in relief. LHP - Jeremy Affeldt - Even winning game 7 of the World Series won’t overcome the shame of his many bizarre injuries. LHP - Javier Lopez - LOOGY. Now that Derek Jeter is retired, Former Red Sox pitcher Javvy Lopez has more World Series rings than any other current player (four). RHP - Sergio Romo - Once one of the most dominant relievers in MLB, Romo struggled in 2014 and lost his role as closer. He seemed to somewhat improve at the tail end of 2014, and The Giants brought him back on a two-year deal. RHP - Santiago Casilla - Current Giants closer. 2014 was the best year of his career, not counting a hamstring injury that sidelined him for a month. Magic happens when he picks up a bat. Top-tier staredowns. Either RHP - George Kontos or RHP - Jean Machi - They both are out of options, both have similar spring stats, and both had similar numbers in 2014. Flip a coin. The Bench C - Hector Sanchez - Backup catcher/Tim Lincecum’s personal backstop. His body is a baseball magnet and tends to get dinged up a lot. Although Giants top prospect Andrew Susac is the better player, he is blocked from playing every day by the best catcher in baseball (Buster Posey). As such Susac will start 2015 in AAA, honing his abilities and boosting his trade value, while still being available OF - Justin Maxwell - A spring training NRI who got the nod as fifth outfielder over Juan Perez and Gary Brown. INF - Joaquin Arias - Was terrible in 2014, but he’s owed about a million bucks next year so they’re not gonna cut him. Either INF - Ehire Adrianza or INF - Matt Duffy - Duffy was called up out of AA last year and made the postseason roster. However, Adrianza is out of options and Duffy has never played in AAA, so my guess is Duffy gets optioned but will become a mid-season call-up. UTL - Travis Ishikawa - HITS ONE INTO RIGHT! Predictions for the reigning WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS: Eh, probably third, maybe second, in the NL West. It’s an odd year.
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Apr 1, 2015 21:17
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Hopefully multiple previews for the same team are okay. I had that write-up almost done and was sitting on it before Craptacular posted his. Decided to it anyway.YeahTubaMike posted:What happened to the Mets? They don't exist.
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Apr 1, 2015 21:17
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Eh, the OP suggested someone else write one on his team because multiple points of view are good, and I concur. You seem more optimistic than I am, though it's funny that we both used some of the same jokes. I think it's partially because my favorite write-ups in these threads are the cynical/pessimistic ones, like when Yankees fans admit their team is very old or the inevitable Phillies write-up. I'm almost surprised your Bum description didn't include this.
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Apr 1, 2015 21:38
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Yeah. I kind of wish I could be more cynical and jaded, but I'm all fresh-faced and dewey-eyed, so I need Puig to die or something so I can cry myself to sleep in the thread next year.
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Apr 2, 2015 01:16
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Or maybe we could trade Kershaw to the Mets. That would work.
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Apr 2, 2015 01:17
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Propaganda Machine posted:Or maybe we could trade Kershaw to the Mets. Please trade him to any American League team.
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Apr 2, 2015 01:41
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Propaganda Machine posted:Or maybe we could trade Kershaw to the Mets. Trade him to the White Sox. Kershaw and Sale in the same rotation. Make all the lefty hitters curl into fetal positions.
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Apr 2, 2015 01:42
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Ammat The Ankh posted:Hopefully multiple previews for the same team are okay. I had that write-up almost done and was sitting on it before Craptacular posted his. Decided to Craptacular! posted:Eh, the OP suggested someone else write one on his team because multiple points of view are good Late to this but yeah definitely don't worry about having more than 1 post for a team, having lots of opinions is good!! e: YeahTubaMike posted:What happened to the Mets? oops fixed! Monicro fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Apr 2, 2015 |
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Apr 2, 2015 03:57
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Craptacular! posted:
Yeah, I've seen some fans pencil in Joe Panik as the 2B of the future and that might be premature. He can play second, we all saw that last year. The problem is he only hits singles. I think his contact skills are for real, the guy hit one solid line drive after another, but he's not Ichiro and probably can't maintain a .340 BABIP. It would be sweet if Panik is really a .300 hitter though, and Susac turns into a starting catcher (on another team of course). Like maybe the system wasn't so barren lately after all. I'm more optimistic about Tim Hudson than you guys. Think he just got gassed at the end of the year. No idea what to expect from Cain. I don't think his stuff is any worse than a couple years ago, so I want to believe he can be that guy again. I still can't believe Aoki is any good with that NPB slap hitting approach but somehow he is. We'll probably fall in love with his wonky swing by the end of April, and assign him an animal nickname by the All-Star break.
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Apr 2, 2015 04:51
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Dr. Kyle Farnsworth posted:Mods please make all posts on the Marlins require Pitbull pictures/gifs, tia.  DALÉ
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Apr 3, 2015 12:08
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vegeta dentata posted:*Picture of Mat and Cat Latos* Is that an anti-tank rifle in that kitchen?
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Apr 3, 2015 17:52
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Bregor posted:
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Apr 3, 2015 22:46
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Y'all forgot that Madison Bumgarner's going to die a miserable death when none of the other 6 starters show up in the regular season. E: Also now that they have Dee Gordon, the Giants will be incapable of beating the Marlin in the postseason. New Concept Hole fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Apr 4, 2015 |
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Apr 4, 2015 20:06
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Introducing your winners of the 2016 First Overall Draft Pick and your 2015 Worst Overall Team Facial Hair. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS 2014 Record: 64-98 (Worst in MLB) 2014 Runs Scored: 615 (25th in MLB, 11th in NL) 2014 Runs Allowed: 742 (25th in MLB, 14th in NL) The Diamondbacks first season was in 1998. Here a couple highlights from the Diamondbacks history:   In 2001 the Diamondbacks won the World Series in 7 games over the NY Yankees. Arizona plays their games at Chase Field. A pretty beautiful ballpark in Phoenix:    With an oversized outfield and the Phoenix weather, Chase Field is a moderately to greatly hitter friendly stadium. In 2014, the Diamondbacks introduced stadium food to the 18 inch D-Bat Dog:  In 2015, they will once again revolutionize hot dog styled stadium fare with the dessert Churro Dog:  You know you want that. The DBacks will also be featuring local food fare like LoLo's Chicken and Waffles as well as a rotating set of local food truck fare (outside the stadium). New for 2015, the Diamondbacks will have Throwback Thursdays and will wear the old teal uniforms on all Thursday home games:  During the offseason the team finally got rid of the terrible GM and terrible manager:  Kevin Towers, generally regarded as one of the worst GMs in baseball. May have been alright at evaluating young pitching talent, but terrible at everything else including threatening to trade pitchers who wouldn't engage in retaliatory HBP.  Look how grizzled Kirk Gibson was. No wonder he bought into all that grit and scrap bullshit.  Dave Stewart: The new GM of the Diamondbacks. Too early to make any statement about the quality of his decisions, but shortly after his hiring he reitereated the long-running position of the Dbacks that the organization doesn't believe in advanced metrics.  Chip Hale: The new Manager of the team. I know nothing about him. Notable Losses from 2014: Wade Miley: Starting Pitcher (201 IP, 86 ERA+ in 2014). Traded to BOS. Miguel Montero: Catcher (.243/.329/.370, 95 OPS+ in 2014. Traded to CHC. Didi Gregorious: Shortstop (.226/.290/.363 81 OPS+ in 2014. Plus defender). Traded to NYY. J.J. Putz: Relief Pitcher (58 ERA+ in 2014. At least 150 ERA+ each of the previous four.) Released. Brandon McCarthy: Starting Pitcher (200 IP, 94 ERA+ in 2014. 134 ERA+ after being traded) Traded to NYY in July Gerardo Parra: Outfielder (.261/.308/.369 88 OPS+ in 2014. Plus defender) Traded to MIL Martin Prado: Third base (.282/.321/.412 104 OPS+ in 2014.) Traded to NYY. Trevor Cahill: Starting Pitcher (110 IP, 67 ERA+.) Notable for being the DBacks highest paid player ($12.5M). Traded to ATL. 2015 Roster THE INFIELD  1B: Paul "America's First Baseman" Goldschmidt Age: 27 Contract: $3.1M, signed through 2018 with a team option for 2019. 2014 Stats: 109 G, 479 PA, .300/.396/.542 158 OPS+ (19 HR, 39 Doubles) Goldschmidt is a MVP caliber player. He suffered a broken hand on a HBP around Aug. 1st last year. He missed the remainder of the season, but says he feels 100% so far this spring. Early in his career he suffered pretty heavy L/R splits but the past two years were greatly improved in that regard. He is a plus defender at first.  2B: Chris Owings Age: 23 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Stats: 91 G, 332 PA, .261/.300/.406 95 OPS+ Owings takes over the starting second baseman position from Aaron Hill. He showed some speed/power in the minors but it hasn't translated to the majors yet (if it will). Last year he suffered a shoulder strain in June, rehabbed and returned to the team in Sept. He had surgery over the offseason on the shoulder.  SS Nick Ahmed Age: 25 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Minor Stats: 104 G, 452 PA, .312/.373/.425 in the hitter friendly PCL. Ahmed got a taste of the majors at the tail end of last year. Rated very highly for his defense, he had a strong spring at the plate and played his way into the starting lineup.  3B Jake Lamb Age: 24 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Minor Stats: 103 G, 439 PA, .318/.399/.551 at AA Mobile. Rated as the number 3 prospect in the DBacks organization before this spring, Lamb wasn't expected to make the opening day lineup. Tomas' failures on the field have led to his opportunity. From mlb.com: Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55  C Tuffy Gosewisch Age: 31 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 stats: 41 G, 132 PA, .225/.242/.310 53 OPS+ Gosewisch is basically a placeholder catcher. Likely to hold the starting job until either Rule-5 pick Oscar Hernandez recovers from a broken hand or they decide prospect Peter O'Brien can take over. THE OUTFIELD For several years the Diamondbacks have run a rotation of outfielders during the season. In 2014, six players had 250-420AB from outfield spots. DBacks had lots of outfield options coming into spring training, but positions will probably be more settled this year (maybe).  CF A.J. Pollock Age: 27 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Stats: 75 G, 287 PA, .302/.353/.498 134 OPS+ Pollock missed about 2+ months last year with a broken hand. He struggled a little in Sept./Oct. after returning. Pollock is a plus defender, and if he can return to form at the plate will provide one of the few highlights for this team.  OF Mark Trumbo Age: 29 Contract: $6.9M, final year 2014 Stats: 88 G, 362 PA, .235/.293/.415 95 OPS+ (14 HR, 15 2B) In his first season with the Dbacks, Trumbo missed all May/June with a foot injury. He was acquired to provide power from the outfield, and it was hoped that the move to Arizona's park would benefit him greatly. His power numbers were down last year, and his acquisition is one of the bigger boneheaded moves from the FO the past few years IMO. (Trumbo was acquired in the trade that sent Adam Eaton to CHI and Tyler Skaggs to LAA).  OF Ender Inciarte Age: 24 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Stats: 118 G, 447 PA, .278/.318/.359 89 OPS+ (5th in ROY voting) Inciarte is an interesting player. He certainly has speed (19SB v. 3 CS), and he is apparently a plus defender. Still a young player, he seemed to improve as the year progressed. He doesn't appear to be a power threat, and honestly his minor league numbers were never outstanding although he was young for each level.  OF David Peralta Age: 27 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Stats: 88 G, 348 PA, .286/.320/.450 112 OPS+ Unfortunately, I don't know much about Peralta. His 9 triples in 88 G at least implies good speed. He hit alright in the minors, but that's certainly no guarantee of translation to MLB. Of note, in his short time in the majors he has horrendous splits: v. RHP .312/.342/.506 V. LHP .197/.247/.263  OF Cody Ross Age: 34 Contract: $9.5M, final year. (team option for 2016, $9.5M, $1M buyout) 2014 Stats: 83 G, 219 PA, .252/.306/.322 75 OPS+ Suffered a hip injury in late 2013 that required surgery. Most places blamed his very slow start in 2014 on the aftereffects of that injury. There is some evidence to this as he hit under .230 through May, but over .333 after the All-Star break albeit in a more limited role, and obviously it's best to take small samples with a big grain of salt (he babip'd .441 in the second half). Unclear what his 2015 holds as his OBP and SLG were down quite a bit from career norms. He might have a small bounceback, but he is also 34 yrs old now. The Outfield in 2015 The diamondbacks haven't announced what their full plans for this crowded outfield are, but I'm gonna take a crack at guessing. Pollock is going to be the everyday CF, that's pretty much the only given. Trumbo was a 'big name' acquisition and one of the few roster members with longball power. I expect Trumbo to get a significant amount of playing time. Ross is the 2nd-highest paid position player on the Dbacks. I don't know how much that will effect playing decisions, but Chip Hale might be pressured into giving him playing time for that reason. Inciarte, being young, will probably benefit the most from everyday duties. If they can't give that to him in ARI, I would like to see him sent down although I, personally, would prefer he just get the starting job in ARI since the season is a loss anyway. Peralta is likely the odd-man out. I expect he still makes the 25 man roster, but will see the least playing time of the five OF. The only other wrinkle is that since Tomas cannot stick at 3B he will also see time in the OF creating even more of a jam. Somebody probably should have been moved in the offseason, although all the best candidates are coming off down/injury years. Best case scenario someone has a big first half (Ross/Trumbo/Peralta) and the DBacks can make a trade (probably eating a fair bit of salary). 2015 BENCH 2 of the above five OF at any given time  IF Aaron Hill Age: 33 Contract: $12M, signed through 2016 2014 Stats: 133 G, 541 PA, .244/.287/.367 81 OPS+ Over 2012/2013 Hill posted OPS+ of 133 and 124. His season last year could be attributed to his shoulder injury, but the 2012/2013 seasons could just as easily be outliers (career OPS+ 100). Coming off the shoulder surgery on the wrong side of 30, anything above average offense is probably optimistic. Hill lost his starting position when Owings/Ahmed outplayed him during the spring. The DBacks are apparently now shopping him around, but coming off a down year they will likely need to eat salary.  3B/OF Yasmany Tomas Age: 24 Contract: $5.5M, signed a 6yr/$68.5M this offseason. Tomas was an outfielder in Cuba, but the Diamondbacks already have too many of those. They have been trying to convert him to 3B, but all reports are he is disastrous on defense. The team hinted they might send him down to the minors to work on his fielding, but he is going to be given a bench spot. However, with the glut of outfielders and Hill already on the bench I'm not sure how he will get sufficient at bats.  C Jordan Pacheco Age: 29 Contract: Signed minor league contract. 2014 Stats: 69 G, 165 PA, .255/.299/.333 72 OPS+ Pacheco will be the backup catcher until rule-V pick Oscar Hernandez returns in late April/May. THE STARTING ROTATION  Josh Collmenter Age: 29 Contract: $1.45M, final year. Team option 2016. Mutual Option 2017. 2014 Stats: 33 GS, 179.1 INN., 3.46 ERA, 108 ERA+, 5.8 K/9, 2.95 K/BB Collmenter had a pretty blazing start when he first came to the bigs in 2011. Since then he has bounced between Starter and Long-relief. Best known for his over-the-top delivery which is an artifact of how he threw axes growing up. He's around league average, but our number 1... yeah.  Rubby De La Rosa Age: 26 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Stats in BOS: 18 GS, 101.2 INN, 4.43 ERA, 87 ERA+, 6.6 K/9, 2.11 K/BB I don't know anything about De La Rosa. He was acquired in a trade for Wade Miley. In 32 GS in AAA, he had 140 IP and a 3.91 ERA.  Jeremy Hellickson Age: 28 (on April 8) Contract: $4.275M, final year. 2014 Stats with TB: 13 GS, 63.2 INN., 4.52 ERA, 82 ERA+, 7.6 K/9, 2.57 K/BB Hellickson had elbow surgery at the start of 2014 (bone fragments). I don't know much about him, but his K/9 has steadily increased the last few years. His cFIP (http://www.hardballtimes.com/fip-in-context/) for the last 4 years: 101,103,112,110. So, if he is league average he'll be one of the "bright" spots for our staff.  Chase Anderson Age: 27 Contract: Pre-Arbitration 2014 Stats: 21 GS, 114.1 INN, 4.01 ERA, 93 ERA+, 8.3 K/9, 2.62 K/BB Last year was his first with the big club. In the minors he threw well in AA, and pretty poorly in the PCL (even relative to its hitter friendliness). Most likely he will be demoted to the bullpen/minors when some of the other pitchers come back from the DL unless he has a pretty strong start to the season.  Archie Bradley Age: 22 Contract: Pre-Arbitration Bradley is the number 1 prospect in the DBacks organization. He had been rated a top-10 prospect in MLB before a disappointing 2014. Earlier in the spring the GM said Bradley wasn't ready for a spot in the rotation, but he finished with several strong outings. As a result, the team traded Trevor Cahill and he gets the fifth spot. THE BULLPEN Daniel Hudson: Hasn't thrown in the majors since 2012 (excl. 2 IP last year). Hasn't had a complete season since 2011. Coming off back-to-back TJS. Was previously a starter, so he can fill in if the rotation struggles early. Addison Reed: Acquired from CHI to be the team's closer. Poasted a 4.25 ERA in ~60 IP. Still young, I guess. Oliver Perez: One of the few highlights last year, posted a 129 ERA+ last year vs. 93 career. Randall Delgado: Posted a 4.87 ERA last year, he saw time in bothe the pen and the rotation. Delgado is out of option years, so he must be kept on the 25-man or he gets put on waivers. Brad Ziegler: SUBMARINE! Has been a solid bullpen arm for several years. (career 159 ERA+). Last year he only posted a 108. At age 35, he's probably in the twilight of his career. Evan Marshall: Posted a 138 ERA+ in 49IP last year. Only 24. Could be a bright spot. Vidal Nuno: Operated mainly as a starter last year, to the tune of 84 ERA+. Competing with Chafin for the last bullpen spot. Had a rough spring. Andrew Chafin:Has been a starter throughout the minors. Competing with Nuno for the final bullpen spot. Had a rough spring, although a better one than Nuno. ON THE DL Bronson Arroyo: Had been a 200IP, league average starter (career 103 ERA+) for 9 years before heading to Arizona for 2014. Had to get TJS in July of last year, and is due back in late July this year. Patrick Corbin: Was one of the DBacks best starters in 2013 at age 23. He looked like a bright spot for the team's future. He got TJS in Spring Training last year, and might make it back by mid-season. David Hernandez: Was an alright arm out of the bullpen in 2011/2012. Struggled in 2013. Had TJS in April 2014. Due back in the latter part of the first half. Oscar Hernandez: 21 yr old catching prospect. Acquired in the rule-5 draft. Broke a bone in his hand during ST, expected back April or May. As a rule-5, he will have to be kept on the 25 man or offered back to TB. OVERALL OUTLOOK FOR 2015 The Diamondbacks are gonna be bad. Really bad. They'll be competing with the Rockies/Twins for worst overall record. They have precisely 2 above average hitters, both coming off injury. Several young players who will be making their first adjustments to MLB pitching. The pitching allowed the 14th most runs in the NL last year, and got worse. Most Vegas lines I've seen list them around 71 wins for the O/U. I, personally, think they will flirt with 100 losses. The only positives: Hopefully a full year of Goldschmidt, who is awesome. Seeing some of the young players getting a chance in the majors. The Churro Dog. Verdict: 60-65 WINS
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Apr 4, 2015 23:18
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Capt. Sticl posted:In 2015, they will once again revolutionize hot dog styled stadium fare with the dessert Churro Dog: Is...Is that a stick of butter 
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Apr 4, 2015 23:20
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IcePhoenix posted:Is...Is that a stick of butter Chocolate glazed donut, cinnamon churro, frozen yogurt, whip cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce. (1,170 calories)
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Apr 4, 2015 23:22
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Capt. Sticl posted:Chocolate glazed donut, cinnamon churro, frozen yogurt, whip cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce. (1,170 calories) Putting frozen yogurt on that is like getting a jumbo tub of popcorn with extra butter and a small diet coke at the movies.
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Apr 4, 2015 23:37
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Capt. Sticl posted:
Helly's had a really weird career so far. In 2011/12 he way overperformed his ~peripherals~, in 2013 he actually UNDERperformed them, and then 2014 was basically what he "should" be. The biggest issue that he'll probably have is the fact that he's really dinger-prone, to which chase field is, uh, less friendly than the trop in that regard on a related note for anyone whos for some reason curious, i haven't had much incentive to write the Rays post due to ~*~Other Things~*~, but it'll be up at some point???? Monicro fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Apr 5, 2015 |
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Apr 5, 2015 02:41
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Good Lord. I must have missed when the Dbacks completed their transition into 20 guys I've never heard of and Ssory Doc.
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Apr 5, 2015 03:25
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theacox posted:and Ssory Doc. BAD NEWS
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Apr 5, 2015 03:49
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Yeah I have heard of maybe 3 of these Diamondbacks. Not that I paid a lot of attention to them but I generally try and keep up with baseball to some degree.
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Apr 5, 2015 05:51
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 This is all you need to know about the Diamondbacks. This man was in charge for way too long and killed a pretty promising team that could have had peak Justin Upton and Paul Goldschmidt along with some nice young pitchers and bats.
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Apr 5, 2015 06:16
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tadashi posted:SP5: Eric Stults (L)- Is 35. Has only pitched >175 IP twice in his career. Both of those were in San Diego over the last 2 seasons where he had ERA+ of 78, 87.
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Apr 5, 2015 06:21
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 07:20 |
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Rand alPaul posted:
I bet he took paintball way too seriously and tried to set up ambushes and flanking maneuvers
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Apr 5, 2015 06:45
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