Dumbest team in baseball.

[njcurveball]

Is there any real discussion necessary to decide that a team who had arguably the best closer in baseball last year is the dumbest?

Papelbon, who pitches for the Red Sox, is battling it out for the 4th starter spot. Joel Pinero is going to start off with a few blown saves and then the media will kick in.

Being a Yankees fan, I am glad to see Boston give up these wins in April and May. And what happens if Papelbon can't get through the 5th inning?

Many teams in baseball cannot compete because they simply won't spend money. Boston has to be the dumbest team in 2007!

Anyone know a book which is giving odds on how long Pinero lasts? I am giving him till Mothers Day, because that is probably the longest the Red Sox will give him.

Mike Timlin? Julian Tavares? Brendon Donnelly? These guys cannot hold Papelbon's jock as a closer, but the good thing is Boston is going to paint themself into a corner and use them first, before they decide they made a mistake.

Looks like a good year to be a Yankees fan! :jump:

Jim

[skate]

ya, been a few to go from the bull pen to starter, and very few fronm stater to the pen. just does not work.

maybe pitching is tighter than figured, overal.

[DanG]

Boston has to be the dumbest team in 2007!
Jim
Jim, With all due respect you forget where I live. We still have a Ted Nugent Stranglehold on first prize. :eek:


My favorite sports quote since living here…Chuck Lamar, former GM of the Devil-Dogs…

“We are one of the top-5 organizations in baseball, unless you count wins and losses.” That was NOT said tongue and cheek by the way…That is world class stupidity!!! :bang:


The Devil Dogs currently often play the infield in as early as the 2nd inning in the AL east!!! Things haven’t gotten much smarter around here. :bang::bang:

[billrock]

The Red Sox are not the dumbest team in baseball. Papelbon hurt his shoulder at the end of last year because he was being forced to pitch almost every day putting a lot a stress on his shoulder. Being a starter this year and pitching only every 5 or 6 days will make it easier on his shoulder. True they don't have a closer right now, but I'm not concerned about it, Theo will fix that problem before the season starts.

[OTM Al]

I don't think he can fix it. Not through want of doing it but rather the fact that there isn't much available. Tavares in closer or late relief role is asking for it and Timlin even when back will not scare people. The one guy I think they still got that could serve any purpose and pitch lierally every day out of the bullpen is Wakefield. Knucklers have no stress on their arms and really could pitch pretty much every day. Of course for some reason closers have to throw 95 mph+ fastballs......They have no bullpen. As great as Matzuzaka appeared to pitch today it was also 92 pitches in 5 2/3 innings. I would hope there was heavy experimentation going on their because otherwise that is horrible and such outings will lead to bullpen implosion.

[billrock]

The problem with Wakefield is if you bring him on late in the game you also have to change the catcher. You ever see Varitek try to catch Wakefield? He just can't do it. I'd rather have Varitek's bat over Mirabelli's late in the game, but one passed ball with a guy on third late in the game and the game's over. You're right though, Theo would have a tough time finding a closer if no one in camp works out because there just aren't enough good bullpen arms out there.

[OTM Al]

I can see what you are saying about the batting, but I guess we'd have to defer to one of those SABR guys to tell us if the loss of production in one at bat would be bigger than a gain made by saving pitching arms. Not sure hwo to answer that myself, though I would lean toward saving the pitching

[njcurveball]

Being a starter this year and pitching only every 5 or 6 days will make it easier on his shoulder.

Yes, that is the thinking behind the move. However, a starter throws between starts as well. Many of them throw an inning or two hard on the 2nd day after the start.

Remember Randy Johnson in the World Series in 2001? If you are saying the Red Sox are doing this 100% for Papelbon, then I am with you.

However, there is 200 million or so riding on the season and they don't have a closer at this point. If Theo can make a deal for a good one at this point, then he will certainly get my vote for GM of the year!

What team will trade their closer in April or May? And the point you are missing is that Papelbon was one of the best, maybe even the best last year.

If his shoulder is hurting THEN use Tavares, or Pinero. Using him to close 75% of the time, is better than using the "anti closers" 100% of the time.

But hey, I want the Yankees to win, so I do embrace Boston giving them a few extra games early in the season.

I would find it hard to believe anyone actually thinks Papelbon will still be a starter after the All Star Break. I figure he will be closing by Mothers Day!

Jim

[cj]

There is only one team that can possibly be considered the dumbest team in baseball. That team, unfortunately for me, is the Orioles. No other team even comes close.

[billrock]

ESPN is reporting that the Red Sox have put Papelbon back in the bullpen.

[OTM Al]

Over or under for August 1 for the arm injury?

[DanG]

There is only one team that can possibly be considered the dumbest team in baseball. That team, unfortunately for me, is the Orioles. No other team even comes close.
I’ll see that and raise you not protecting Josh Hamilton on the 40 man roster…etc…etc…etc…

Please CJ…This is a race for second, as my local team has a monopoly on incompetence. :bang:

[njcurveball]

His feeling "deep in his heart" is much more important than the Doctor's telling him to start.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17739924/

Well, this gets the Sox off the hook!

DAMN! Couldn't they give the Yanks 3 or 4 blown saves first! :bang:

[njcurveball]

I’ll see that and raise you not protecting Josh Hamilton on the 40 man roster…etc…etc…etc…


For those that don't follow baseball too closely, this guy was at JD Drew status when he got drafted. A 5 tool, can't miss #1 pick. Unfortunately he chose drugs over baseball, millions, and the hottest wife you have seen since Jorge Posada.

How good are we talking? How about a 4 million dollar signing bonus!

Talent? How bout 3 years out of baseball, A half season in A ball, and he is hitting close to 500 this spring.

If he sticks with the Reds, that alone makes Tampa Bay the ML favorite. Dan makes a good point.

[DanG]

For those that don't follow baseball too closely, this guy was at JD Drew status when he got drafted. A 5 tool, can't miss #1 pick. Unfortunately he chose drugs over baseball, millions, and the hottest wife you have seen since Jorge Posada.

How good are we talking? How about a 4 million dollar signing bonus!

Talent? How bout 3 years out of baseball, A half season in A ball, and he is hitting close to 500 this spring.

If he sticks with the Reds, that alone makes Tampa Bay the ML favorite. Dan makes a good point.
Jim…

You really follow it close!!! :ThmbUp:


It would fit the D-ray profile if he was an All Star someday. As you said, Mickey Mantle tools when he was signed and that’s no exaggeration.

[BIG RED]

DAMN! Couldn't they give the Yanks 3 or 4 blown saves first! :bang:

I feel your pain, :faint:

Beautiful spring day out today, time for some baseball!!

[skate]

ok, when you mention 'his wife', now i remember, not bad either.

[cj]

Tampa has never really been a decent team, ever. The Orioles were the top organization in baseball for a long time. They are a laughing stock now. Players don't want to go there, they have no farm system to speak about, and haven't been competitive in nearly a decade. All this while having a great stadium and drawing big market type money from attendance and television.

[njcurveball]

I think the Orioles "jumped the shark" when they traded Curt Schilling and Pete Harnisch for Glenn Davis. What did he play? 10 games?

Imagine adding Schilling to some of the Ripken teams. I think the Orioles gave up Steve Finley in that deal as well.

Definitely turned out to be one of 10 worst trades of all time.

Worst trade of the current days was

Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano, and Joe Nathan to the Twins for A.J. Pierzynski and cash.

Hooray for Brian Sabean! I wish he was in our Fantasy League! :jump:

[njcurveball]

One more thing.

We have to score the Cubs at the top since they actually took Hamilton out of the Rule 5 draft and gave him to the Reds for cash!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2689855

Rays still have the lead, but the Cubs inch closer!

[Racer98]

Well, the Indians traded Brian Giles for Ricardo Rincon. If that isn't dumb, I don't know what is.

[DanG]

Tampa has never really been a decent team, ever.
And that excludes them from this prestige’s award?

Orioles might very well win the prize in their rent district. The D-Rays however are beneath the basement and proceeding straight to the earth’s core.

Bobby Abreu for Kevin Stocker anybody??? :bang:


PS: New Oriole / former D Ray Aubrey Huff…Couple points…



HATES money situations. The bigger the spot the more he fails. (Just ask Houston down the stretch :eek:


Loves Camden Yards and if healthy will have good stretches there.


Notorious slow starter and could pick up cheap in the second half (fantasy) if he has his usual slow start.

[DanG]

Having said that…

It is a crying shame the good fans of Baltimore have to put up with poor leadership. GREAT stadium with atmosphere and there are true diehards in the city and suburbs.

[Show Me the Wire]

Cub fans may be in denial, but it is the Chicago Cubs hands down. No other team can match the Cubs record of futility over the last 98 years.

[OTM Al]

There you are wrong. The Cubs have been one of the best managed teams out there from ownerships point of view and I would say they only made one critical mistake. Consider that up through the 40s this was one of the best teams in the National League. They lost that edge until the 60s as they were the last NL team to integrate (Boston was the last AL team. See any parallels there?). Little bit of bad luck in the late 60s there. Management became notoriously cheap at this point. The '72 team was very good but underperformed so they were sold en masse in the off season. If you remember the Mets won the division in '73 with barely over a .500 record. Wrigley didn't care. Didn't have to pay the players as much as if he had kept them. This means they were quite happy with the money being made and didn't want to risk it by having too many good players, so they fielded terrible teams. When the Tribune company bought them, it became funny money heaven as they also owned the papers and the TV station they were on. They also reached a point in the mid 80 where Wrigley became the cool place to be, so they basically quit trying. Sandberg quit the team as he realized they weren't going to try. Going to bring in the same money no matter, so why pay for more talent?

[Show Me the Wire]

OTM AL:

So you are saying they are not the most futile franchise, because they actually make mucho money by intentionally fielding an inferior team? I see your point. Your point clarifies it is the Cub fans that are the dumbest, because they support an intentional inferior product.

[OTM Al]

Might as well generalize to all baseball fans because at least 80% of the teams out there are run this way. The Yankees ownership has far less resources available to it than powerhouses like the Cubs, Minnesota and Seattle to name a couple. These teams are perectly happy to make a little than take a risk to make a lot.

[Racer98]

Cubs fans aren't dumb, they're just insanely devoted to their team. They still gripe about the management. Which sucks.