[rydenfan]

DAMN! 14 runs in an inning with all 9 batters each getting at least one hit and all scoring. Wang's ERA was already high but now it is like 32 or something    That was a serious beat down! It will be interesting to see how the Yanks respond today.

[zybar]

DAMN! 14 runs in an inning with all 9 batters each getting at least one hit and all scoring. Wang's ERA was already high but now it is like 32 or something    That was a serious beat down! It will be interesting to see how the Yanks respond today.

I am less worried about how they respond today or even the clubbing yesterday - rather, I am very concerned about the way Wang has pitched in his three starts.  He looked pretty good during Spring Training (remember, he is coming off being injured last season), but has been beyond abysmal in the regular season so far.  The Yankees need a healthy and properly performing Wang in order to compete in the highly competitive AL East.

George

[rydenfan]

Agreed. He has looked very bad in all 3 starts in both velocity and location. I viewed him as the yankees most consistent pitcher last season so if there is something wrong with him it would be a real blow.

[rydenfan]

NY had simultaneous games yesterday that could not have been more opposite. You had 22-4 in one field and Santana winning a 1-0 in the other. What a sport 

[Danberg]

In baseball, it simply boils down to pitching, pitching, pitching....  That's why I don't care for the sport, it's not a team sport.

I'm sure others will not agree with my opinion on this!

[rydenfan]

George, did you see the stat that there have already been 17 HR's in the first 3 games at the new park? and 12 of them have been to right-center. Looks like there may be a jet stream blowing, should be interesting to see how that unfolds.

[Bill]

Don't look now but the Blue Jays are this year's sleeper. A.J. Burnett, although off to a great start, will have a mysterious injury mid season that will shut him down. C.C. Sabathia will be smitten with New York's thrills and become distracted and be very ordinary. A lot of Yankees are getting old and motivation will be a problem. Giardi is in over his head with this collection of egos. He's better suited to a young impressionable team. The Red Sox? They'll be there in the end but will ultimately be eclipsed by the Jays.

[rydenfan]

Don't look now but the Blue Jays are this year's sleeper. A.J. Burnett, although off to a great start, will have a mysterious injury mid season that will shut him down. C.C. Sabathia will be smitten with New York's thrills and become distracted and be very ordinary. A lot of Yankees are getting old and motivation will be a problem. Giardi is in over his head with this collection of egos. He's better suited to a young impressionable team. The Red Sox? They'll be there in the end but will ultimately be eclipsed by the Jays.

Are you talking sleeper of the division or of the whole league? I think currently that title would go to the Florida Marlins 

BTW, you also forgot about the Rays; solid rotation, excellent young players, and a few good veterans. They lack some depth in the bullpen, but I would say they are clearly stronger than the Blue Jays.

[Bill]

I was thinking that this year's Rays are the Jays. The Rays came out of nowhere last year and I think surprised everyone. They weren't good for many years prior to last year. I don't think they will duplicate last year's success.

The Jays on the other hand had the best pitching in all of baseball last year but have been bitten by injury this year. However, Ricky Romero looks promising and they will get hard throwing Dustin McGowan back next month. And of course Halliday is one of the best in all of baseball,  maybe the best over the past 8 years or so. Their bullpen is still very good although B.J. Ryan seems shakey.

Cito Gaston, I think, will guide this team to the top of the AL east. He seems to have turned the hitters around and they are now attacking the ball in the best sense. Just a hunch, but I think they'll win the east. The ultimate winner? My money's on the Dodgers.

[ted_b]

I sent a note to Zybar (George) last week when my Tribe was 1-6.      Little did I know that we'd score 40 runs over this past weekend, and still only come away with a split.     That new stadium is a hitters park and then some!!  When the Cubbies were there for the exhibition game Pinella mentioned the wind tunnel blowing to right center.  That questionable one today off Posada's bat was barely hit!  So were a couple of the Tribe's yesterday.  Wild!!

This season has been a whacky one so far, with 3-4 cycles already hit!!  Pitching has been hideous, especially by the mega-millionaires, and some teams like Toronto and LA have shown enough already that says maybe they are the ones to chase, already!  I still can't believe the Marlins, though; that HAS to be an anomaly.  OK, ok, I know, it's a marathon.   

[Bill]

Don't look now but the Blue Jays are this year's sleeper. A.J. Burnett, although off to a great start, will have a mysterious injury mid season that will shut him down. C.C. Sabathia will be smitten with New York's thrills and become distracted and be very ordinary. A lot of Yankees are getting old and motivation will be a problem. Giardi is in over his head with this collection of egos. He's better suited to a young impressionable team. The Red Sox? They'll be there in the end but will ultimately be eclipsed by the Jays.

   I'm still holding with these predictions. Giardi will be gone before you know it. The Blue Jays have six pitchers on the DL. Wait until some of them come back. I feel sorry for the Yankees playing in the same division as the Jays and Sox. Sorry, no post season for the Yanks this year. The Rays were a one year wonder. I don't see them doing anything this year.

[Bill]

Everything I had previously said about the Jays, Yanks and so on is wrong! Shows you how much I know about baseball. Jays suck and the Sox and Yankees are great.

[TheChairGuy]

Everything I had previously said about the Jays, Yanks and so on is wrong! Shows you how much I know about baseball. Jays suck and the Sox and Yankees are great.

Ha - glad you have no ego to feed, Bill 

John

[zybar]

Speaking of those Indians...I caught a game with ted_b and his friend Rob last week.  We had a great time and I really liked "Jacob's Field".  We sat maybe a dozen or so rows from the field between the screen and Indian's dugout.  I believe these seats had a face value around $60...the same seats at the new Yankee Stadium would be around $1200!!   

Here are a few pics I took:













George

[TheChairGuy]

Nice looking stadium there in Cleveland (I've not been)

John