Major League Baseball

[KiWiNiNjA]

So freaking weird to tune into the Mariners vs Yankees game and see Ichiro in a Yankees uniform.

I was in Bizarro world for a few seconds before my brain worked out that Ichiro had been traded.

Stunned.

 

[Jono]

I Hope This Gets To You

This one?

Fox Sports Australia*

 

[BackFootPunch]

Rays have got themselves Ryan Roberts from the D-backs. And Hanley Ramirez goes to the Dodgers. Pretty formidable middle of the line up there now with Kemp, Ethier and Ramirez.

 

[Fusion]

With the Hamels signing, the Phillies have about $90 million committed to just 4 players next year (Hamels, Lee, Howard, Halladay). That's a strong commitment to winning.

 

[BackFootPunch]

With the Hamels signing, the Phillies have about $90 million committed to just 4 players next year (Hamels, Lee, Howard, Halladay). That's a strong commitment to winning.

Hamels signing must increase your chances of getting Lee?

If he stays at the Phillies and they have most of their core fit for next year they should be incredible. Not a big follower of them but do they have a few players who are fairly injury prone? I think I read somewhere that Utley has never played more than 135 games in a year.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

If the Phillies don't get offence from somwhere, they won't win anything. If Carlos Ruiz wasn't having an almost MVP season they'd have some of the worst offensive numbers in the NL.

 

[Fusion]

Hamels signing must increase your chances of getting Lee?

The Rangers are supposedly more interested in Josh Johnson as it would cost less to get him (both in terms of prospects and contract). Also, I think the Hamels signing made it more difficult for us to get Lee, as it would make it less likely for the Phillies to pick up part of his salary (which the Rangers want).

 

[Fusion]

The Angels land Greinke. Bring it. #Rangersarestillbetter

 

[BackFootPunch]

Think that lead is big enough? 4 games back isn't a long way. I've got a feeling Pujols is going to crush it for the last couple of months too. This could get interesting.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

The Angels land Greinke. Bring it. #Rangersarestillbetter

lol

 

[Fusion]

The Angels land Greinke. Bring it. #Rangersarestillbetter

 

[Fusion]

Rajai Davis makes the catch of the year

 

[BackFootPunch]

Greinke is about due now though. Tbh as much as I really like the Angels this year I think they're gonna miss the playoffs. The Rays are too hot at the moment and I'd love to see Oakland squeeze in there somewhere.

 

[Fusion]

Greinke is about due now though. Tbh as much as I really like the Angels this year I think they're gonna miss the playoffs. The Rays are too hot at the moment and I'd love to see Oakland squeeze in there somewhere.

Nothing would make me happier than to see our biggest rivals miss the playoffs.

Here's a fun fact: After 115 games last year (the same amount of games they've played as of today), the Angels' record was 63-52 and they were 1.5 games behind the Rangers. That means they had 3 more wins without Trout/Pujols/CJ/Grienke and a revitalized Trumbo last year. Chew on that.

 

[BackFootPunch]

That's quite incredible really. Who did they have last year that has gone now or isn't playing as well?

Looks like the wild card race in the NL will be tight too. I still think the Cardinals will get in there somehow, hopefully the Pirates fall apart.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Greinke is about due now though. Tbh as much as I really like the Angels this year I think they're gonna miss the playoffs. The Rays are too hot at the moment and I'd love to see Oakland squeeze in there somewhere.

We're only "hot" because we're playing absolute rubbish opposition in the Twins. We gave up 2 of 3 to Baltimore over the weekend ffs.

 

[BackFootPunch]

You've won 6 on the trot, admittedly against the Twins and the Blue Jays, and you've finally got Longoria back. Your closest competition for the Wildcard right now is Baltimore. Baltimore! I don't see how things could be much better for the Rays.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Things are looking better for us after the last few weeks, especially with Shields and Moore both pitching much better than they were in the first half of the season. Longo is back but not up to speed yet, and isn't playing every day. In reality, to make the wildcard game we need BJ and DJ to keep hitting like they were against the Jays and the Twins, because we have no runs support for our pitchers. We're the only team to score fewer runs than the Astros since the All star break, and have scored the fewest in the majors by a distance.

 

[BackFootPunch]

I just get the feeling the Rays know how to get it done when it comes to this part of the year (last year for example). Must admit I don't follow them particularly closely though; for whatever reason I've never much enjoyed watching them play on the rare occasions they're on ESPN over here.

Is Ryan Dempster the worst big trade of the year?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I just get the feeling the Rays know how to get it done when it comes to this part of the year (last year for example). Must admit I don't follow them particularly closely though; for whatever reason I've never much enjoyed watching them play on the rare occasions they're on ESPN over here.

Is Ryan Dempster the worst big trade of the year?

I don't disagree with you but our form has really only been on the up because of our weak schedule of late. We've got Seattle now and then we go to Anaheim which is a massive massive series for us. We need 3 out of 4 there to really cement ourselves in the wildcard race. After that we have KC and then the A's, Big week for us, we really need a good one from our lineup otherwise we could be on the outside looking in by next weekend.

Dempter was always going to be horrible, pitching in the worse league in a good pitching park in an average division was always going to help him. Moving to Texas was an awful decision, should've gone to ATL.