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Re: The MLB Thread
Wood's problem was that he threw across his entire body when he threw. That will always cause long term arm/shoulder issues. I think his initial elbow issues which resulted in his Tommy John surgery in 1999, was a result of him overusing his curveball, which was wrecking his elbow. Once that was fixed, I don't think he had major elbow issues ever again, unless i'm forgetting something.
The biggest issue that plagued him long-term was that damn shoulder. I think that's what benched him in 2004, and pretty much derailed him from that point forward.
It truely was such an incredible shame. When Kerry was ON and was 100%, he was without a doubt, the best out there. His stuff even by 2003, or 2008 relief-level, was damn near unhittable. It was always a question of whether he was healthy. By 2007 alot of people thought he was done, along with Prior and most Cub fans believe it or not wanting the Cubs to cut ties with WOOD, and keep "hoping" for Prior. Pretty much when he came back strong in late 2007, everything after that was just a blessing and 'extra' for Wood.
As for Prior's mechancis, honestly I don't blame alot of that on Baker in hindsight either. Baker might've overworked him (Baker has NEVER known how to manage a pitching staff; he's HORRIBLE at it).
The biggest issue that always perplexed me with Prior was all I remember being told during those years of Prior coming up fast, was how he had "perfect mechanics". That phrase was thrown around everywhere, including Mr. Peter "It's Not A Question of If Mike Lowell Will Be A Cub, But When" Gammons. Mark Prior was touted all those years as basically the perfect pitcher. Completely injury-proof, because his mechanics were flawless. The power of Roger Clemens, with the finesse of Greg Maddux. This kid was gonna be the second coming of Cy Young.
Literally. It was an exciting time for Cub fans during that 2002 dark period.
Honestly if anyone is to blame for Prior mechanics going out of wack, it's Larry Rothschild. THAT is who I blame. Think about it. Wood and Prior were absolutely FINE until they worked with Rothschild. Then again Zambrano had alot of success under Rothschild, and Ryan Dempster came back as a top-line starter under Larry also. So there was some success.
But I would look at him, before I would Dusty. I just feel lucky that I got to see Prior pitch a 1-run, 5-hit, 8-inning game in person literally just before the fall. I saw what the kid was made of, and he was absolutely brilliant. Such a shame for him too.
Re: The MLB Thread
The biggest issue that always perplexed me with Prior was all I remember being told during those years of Prior coming up fast, was how he had "perfect mechanics". That phrase was thrown around everywhere, including Mr. Peter "It's Not A Question of If Mike Lowell Will Be A Cub, But When" Gammons. Mark Prior was touted all those years as basically the perfect pitcher. Completely injury-proof, because his mechanics were flawless. The power of Roger Clemens, with the finesse of Greg Maddux. This kid was gonna be the second coming of Cy Young.
Literally. It was an exciting time for Cub fans during that 2002 dark period.
Honestly if anyone is to blame for Prior mechanics going out of wack, it's Larry Rothschild. THAT is who I blame. Think about it. Wood and Prior were absolutely FINE until they worked with Rothschild. Then again Zambrano had alot of success under Rothschild, and Ryan Dempster came back as a top-line starter under Larry also. So there was some success.
But I would look at him, before I would Dusty. I just feel lucky that I got to see Prior pitch a 1-run, 5-hit, 8-inning game in person literally just before the fall. I saw what the kid was made of, and he was absolutely brilliant. Such a shame for him too.
Actually, some guy did a dissection of Prior's mechanics and found that it wasn't as good as advertised and that his mechanics would lead to further arm injury. FWIW, the analysis was on mainly Prior's delivery from his USC days. I think Prior was already an injury case waiting to happen, add on the pitches thrown and Rothschild's "help" and that's why his career flamed out.
Adam Lind got stuck on waivers by the Blue Jays. With so many teams needing offense, he'll be moved somewhere.
I'm still perplexed as to why the Tigers are treading water and struggling. Note to Tigers: avoid pitching to Andrew McCutchen. Pitch to the other 8 batters in the Pirates lineup.
On to a happier note, anybody watch the vid of the Mets catcher pitching the eighth inning on Friday? That thing is hilarious on several fronts.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?conte … 558485&v=3
There's the Terry Collins nod at 0:20, the pbp guy calling Johnson a popup machine. My personal favorite is Ron Darling providing the scouting report. Dude was throwing in the mid-high 80s, not bad for a position player. You know that guy who struck out to end the inning is going to catch hell from his Blue Jay team mates.
That still doesn't beat Chris Davis of the O's though. That guy was throwing fastballs in the low 90s and struck out a Red Sox batter with a nasty changeup. He also picked up the win too.
Re: The MLB Thread
Well it's almost June and I have to admit there are some surprises since were close to the midway point of the season.
AL Central--Detroit is the real disappointment in this division. I still think they make a run here in the second half but they really need another bat. And their infield defense is really poor. I've read that they've only gotten to like 75% of infield balls put in play. They probably should have never gotten rid of Brandon Inge.
The White Sox are the real surprise here. Peavy has come back this year and they have really interesting hard throwing arms. Viciedo has provided them with power and Adam Dunn has bounced back. Konerko and Piersynzki have been solid. But their other infielders have been bad on offense. I guess I could maybe see them trying to trade for Youkillis down the line. And they're still playing Alex Rios every day.
I always forget to mention Minnesota. They have the worst AL record and they spent 100 million on payroll. Willingham has been a good player for them and worth his contract. But I'm still wondering how the fuck they spent all that money. And yeah I know Mauer +Morneau account for 40 million but that leaves another 60 million they've wasted.
AL East--Baltimore is falling back down to earth and Tampa is on their heels. I know it's only June but I don't get a good feeling about this Red Sox team. I was watching last week when they lost to Tampa. They are just very inconsistent. I will say this for the entire division--all these teams have decent farm systems and if they have to go get someone they can do it. Although Tampa has been very reluctant to give up any prospects at all for veteran help.
AL West--Rangers and Angels battling it out. Rangers add Oswalt after the Feliz injury. I don't think the Angels can catch the Rangers though. They'll be in it for one of the WC and I think Fieri has stabilized their closer problems. Oakland and Seattle will be battling it out for draft pick position.
NL East--Very competitive divison. The Marlins went 21-8 in May. Stanton is on a tear. Bell has been put back in the closer role. I caught the end of the game today and that was a very shaky save. Philly just is kind of lurking there but Halladay has injury problems (shoulder) and that tempers my optimism. Well that plus their offense is suspect. Braves starting pitching (back end anyway) is questionable. Nats really need to make a move for a CF. Ankiel and Berandina aint gonna cut it. I wouldn't be suprised if Philly comes back to win this but I think the Marlins take this. Oh yeah, I like that Fish sculpture that pops up everytime a Marlin HR is hit.
NL Central--2 team race with the Pirates lurking in pretender mode. The only difference between this year's Pirate club and last year's 1st half surprise is that the pitching has a lot more strikeout potential. Last year's club featured a lot of pitch to contact guys. The offense is the WORST in MLB though. They really gotta move Hanrahan now for any decent bat. I figure Cinci eventually wins this but the Cards probably snag a WC
The rest of the division is in sell mode. The Cubs are waiting for next year. I did read that they only had 35 million committed to payroll next year. They have a bunch or arb eligible guys but even after that they should have a good chunk of money to spend if they want to. Personally I think the Brewers are in worse shape (long term) than the Astros. Their farm system is pretty much shot after all the trades over the past few years. They almost have to resign Grienke.
AL West--This is the Dodgers division. They really gotta upgrade 1B as Loney doesn't provide much offense. Oh yeah Kemp got injured again today. Only way SF stays in this is if they pick up a bat. As much as I bag on Sabean, he actually hasn't traded away many prospects that have panned out for the other club.
Re: The MLB Thread
AL Central: Detroit is literally such a massive disappoint, that i'm stunned Leyland hasn't been fired just to make an example. That offense, even without V-Mart was built to provide HUGE offensive force, possibly the best in the league even over the Rangers & Yankees. Plus you've got Verlander (the Nolan Ryan of his generation), leading that staff... what gives? Not only should Detroit be at the top of the ALC, but they should be walking away with it, and be one of the most dominate teams in the AL and the game overall. Just hasn't happened, and suddenly the newly Robin Ventura-led White Sox have turned into the "new Tigers", a team that isn't gonna get a title, and will probably be the lowest winning, "winning" team in the AL, but suddenly you've got your division winner right there. The Tigers NEED WORK NOW. They can't just let this team spiral into the ground, especially with the talent on it. Come on you have Miggy & Fielder, plus Verlander, and you can't even make .500?!?!?! They need to trade for guys or do something. What a waste. I personally don't see them turning it around in the second half. At this point they stay exactly what they are -- average.
The Twins are a joke and will be for awhile, no offense to Bro-Mero. 100 million and they blow hard. The Twins have never really be "that team". Look for trades to start happening fast and furious imo, including some "safe" names that fans will find out ain't so safe.
AL East: I've gotta hand it to Baltimore, they've stayed in it alot longer than I expected. Still ain't convinced they're in it, but they ain't whistling dixie either. Tampa is obviously the team to beat, and has been since 2008. Nothing new there, but they need some veteran bats, and they need a bonafide infielder. Somebody. I know Edgar Renteria has gotten some offers and maintained "I'm going to retire", but Renteria (if he was ready to go today) would be a great fit for Tampa. So would Youk, but Boston will never trade him within the division. The Cubs could potentially send Jeff Baker there, and the Rays wouldn't have to give up much.
Boston (even though I picked them) just aren't in this. They aren't serious and they are wildly inconsistent as you already stated. Look for the Yankees and Blue Jays to rebound however, they are good ball teams and are just going through a rough patch. But the Blue Jays are gonna have to start getting serious. You might can drop SOME games to the Yankees & Red Sox, but you are gonna have to BEAT BEAT BEAT the Rays. Like sweep them every time if you expect to win.
AL West: Rangers all the way. Angels won't catch them, and even if the Angels get good they still won't catch them. Angels also aren't in on the Wild Card either. The Wild Card without any doubt will come out of the AL East, and could result in ANY team of the AL East potentially having a shot at, or flat out making the playoffs. As of today the AL West & Central are the Rangers & White Sox to lose. Sox could choke, but the Rangers are pretty much already penciled in as the 2012 AL Pennant winners.
Oakland was suprisingly "in it" for a moment, but Cespedes started settling down, then got injured. They aren't rushing Manny, and pretty much will only bring him up when he starts hitting better than .250, and actually hits a HR in the AAA. Oakland is just watching what they have and taking notes. I don't see them doing ANYTHING to help that team until Oakland, the city, is willing to give them a new stadium or allows them to move to San Jose. They don't give a fuck right now. Seattle hasn't been worthy of anybody's time in a decade.
NL East: Marlins have been the best team in baseball in the last month, that no one is talking about. Suddenly it's coming together, but regardless of Stanton's production, and even a Hanley Ramirez that still produces HR's and RBI's (despite an ever-growing strikeout and poor contact problem), Miami is eventually gonna need some more offense to shore up that team to be truely a playoff-worthy team. Miami can't put all of their offense hopes on the backs of Stanton & Ramirez, and expect to be 'the real deal'. Heath Bell reminds me of Rod Beck. Can be one of the most dominate closers in the game, but he's gonna give fans ULCERS at times in loading bases and giving up game losing hits. I could see former 2003 World Champion Derrek Lee returning to the Marlins as a nice option to shore up that offense, although he sucks in the post-season.
Braves are still in this, but the NL East will be won on 'streakiness' and "teams of the week" type winning where a hot streak can make heroes and a cold streak can be legend killers. Braves do need outfield help, but like the Nationals they're gonna have to trade for it. Nats could do this, but I don't trust that offense.
Mets are the Red Sox of the NL East. An erratic team with tons of problems that like bad stock will be up one week and down the next. They're eventually gonna finish 4th or 5th. I feel it in my gut.
Phillies will get better, but not THAT much better. The lack of Howard & Utley is obvious. The lost of Doc is another HUGE blow. Potential Oswalt gets traded. They might make above .500, but not much more.
NL Central: Nothing new here, all about Cinnicinnati & St. Louis. I still think the Wild Card, both of them, come out of the NL East though. Bucs are a non-threat. They'll try to build around McCutchen, but he's FAR better trade bait at this point to get huge return, especially considering there's not one, but several contenders looking for bonafide top-line OF. The Cubs are in fantastic shape, regardless of how they look now. They're stockpiling money, cutting bad paper, and rebuilding that farm system, PLUS they have Epstein/Hoyer at the top pulling the strings. It might look bad now, but these guys are probably in the best shape of any team in the NLC other than the Cardinals. Astros are doing better than expected, but who cares. They're still gonna lose big, just give it time. With new ownership and a move to the AL West, they're not gonna be doing anything for awhile.
Brewers are in horrendous shape. They remind me of the 2005 Cubs, post-Sosa/Alou, with falling dreams of that World Series shot that was "almost their's". The fans in Milwaukee knew that as soon as Prince walked out the door, so did their chance of a Pennant, at least. They are falling and are falling like a rock, and that's not good at all. Ryan Braun has already lost his face status in Milwaukee and looks like a man who wants out, and I don't see them bothering to resign Grienke. I just don't. They look like a team that's destined for a MASSIVE rebuilding phase that goes on for years and years.
Only way for the Brewers to stay alive and keep momentum with the last few years as a force in the NLC is if just start throwing money around next couple years and sign anything and everything breathing, and hope they can buy their way in. Otherwise they are more screwed than Houston.
NL West: agree on all fronts. The NLW is one one of those interesting divisions that every single year someone entirely different is "in it". Kinda keeps you on your feet. D'Backs are proving they were a fluke last year. Padres suck beyond all belief. Only team in baseball the friggin' Cubs can get on a winning streak with. Rockies are the Rockies, they'll call you when they've got something. Giants are a better team then they play. They've got all the right pieces, but just can't seem to get back their 2010 momentum. They might need another bat, but what they really need is a hot streak and some consistency and suddenly you'd see that Giants/Dodgers rivalry revived.
Re: The MLB Thread
Cubs 1st time at Target Field I heard. Personally I've been to Target Field 5 times since it opened and I've gotta say, it looks WAY better in person than on TV. If your looking for a mini road trip from Chicago to MN. Going to Target Field isn't a bad idea
