The Major League Baseball Post

[jpzx]

Originally Posted by Stringer Bell 32

Huge blow for the Twins in regards to Nathan. 

I could easily see this being what decides the Central

Maybe I'm just trying to spin this positively somehow, but I don't see this being THAT crucial of a blow as some are predicting.

The Twins have a deep bullpen coming into this season: Neshek, Guerrier, Mijares, Rauch, Condrey, Duensing, etc. I'm sure through trial and error ONE of those guys will step up and be able to be effective in the closer's role. I mean, out of those six guys I just listed (and there are more) I'd be really shocked if one wouldn't be able to step up and pitch a 1-2-3 inning without letting a run in at a consistent basis. When you step back and look at it, the role of a closer really should be a lot simpler than it is. The pressure gets to them I guess? Losing Nathan will no doubt cost the Twins a few games, but this is anything but catastrophic. I know the AL Central has come down to a play-in game the last two seasons so when I say losing Nathan will "cost the Twins a few a wins" it probably sounds worse than it should due to thse few points:

-During the whole first month of April last season the Twins were without Joe Mauer.
-During the whole last month of September last season the Twins were without Justin Morneau.
-Added Orlando Hudson.
-Added J.J. Hardy.
-Francisco Liriano is poised for a bounce back year after tearing up the Dominican League.
-Pat Neshek who was absolutely filthy before he got hurt is finally back (not positive how he'll react yet though).

I don't know. Those few wins that we will inevitably lose without Nathan do not seem like a big deal considering all of the above factors.

That's my positive spin. I'm nervous, but I'm still confident. I don't know the last time a closer by committee worked....

 

[kiddin like jason]

Neshek is coming off his own injury, the jury is still out on Mijares, Guerrier has never really shown consistency, Rauch seems to be on the down slope and Condrey and Duensing just aren't good.

Assuming he is healthy, Neshek is about the only one I would have confidence in right now (and a lot of it). Even so, it takes more than one or two to sustain a productive bullpen.

Where's R.A. Dickey when you need him?

And adding J.J. Hardy is probably going to result in more losses than wins.

 

[stringer bell 32]

I think your positive spin is borderline delusional

The Twins have a deep bullpen coming into this season: Neshek, Guerrier, Mijares, Rauch, Condrey, Duensing

You're telling me one of these knuckleheads is going to be as automatic as Joe Nathan. Not likely

Trust me, he is that valuable to your team.

Rivalry aside, I hope Joe bounces back from the surgery because I wouldn't want to see his career end like this.

 

[N41D]

Losing Joe Nathan is a massive blow. Perceived deep bullpen or not.

 

[jrp44]

AL- yanks, tigers, mariners, rays
NL- phils, cards, dodgers, giants

 

[stringer bell 32]

So does Carl Crawford end the season in Tampa?

 

[jaysfordays]

Strasburg's ST debut was a success.

retired the side in the 1st inning on weak grounders. then in the 2nd inning he made Miguel Cabrera look silly, gave up back to back singles, but then froze a batter on a nasty breaking ball to end the inning. 

Strasburg is not just going to live up to the hype, he's going to exceed it.

 

FRANCHISE 55 wrote:

---

I can't wait to watch this man develop into a superstar.

best 3b in baseball

Zimmerman already put up superstar numbers last year. there's only one thing that needs to occur for Zimm to become a certified superstar: the Nats to win (which will happen this year).

i can't wait for this man to activate BEAST MODE this year:

 

[TheGodFresco]

giants 6-1 so far

 

[o fenomeno]

Originally Posted by GSDOUBLEU

giants 6-1 so far

its spring ball, don't get too excited. 

 

[TheGodFresco]

Originally Posted by o fenomeno

Originally Posted by GSDOUBLEU

giants 6-1 so far

its spring ball, don't get too excited. 

im not

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

yanks vs phil world series part 2

2 surprise teams....reds and orioles

al mvp: mark teixera
nl mvp: hanley ramirez

al roy: carlos santana
nl roy: jason heyward

al cy young: felix hernandez
nl cy young: roy halladay

al comeback player: vlad guerrero
nl comeback player: edinson volquez

most disappointing year in al: tigers
most disappointing year in nl: dodgers

players most likely getting dealt: manny(indians, twins, mariners, rangers, angels, tigers), migue cabrera(orioles, mariners, dodgers or brewers), fielder(tigers, orioles), crawford(astros, reds), adrian(red sox, tigers, indians)
adrian( red sox, tigers, indian

 

[theassassin23]

Yanks went cheap this year so Crawford could be in LF next year...

 

[CP1708]

JPZ, don't take this the wrong way, but if Mauer was traded for Carlton Fisk, Morneau retired tomorrow, Liriano lost his left arm in a skiing accident and your entire minor league system was bought by the Yankees, I think you would still come in and say everything's fine, no worries, piece of cake. 

 

Losing Nathan is horrible.  Last year you were without guys for a month or so, not the entire 6 month season.  And there are very few closers as good as he is. 

I'm not saying you go from 90 wins to 55 wins or anything like that, but mentally, that's a draining injury on a team, especially on a team where you want the season to start out right and get some solid momentum going. 

 

[proshares]

Either Burrell or Blaylock need to step up and provide some consistency and Price needs to become that borderline #2/solid #3 for TB to be up with the big boys again this year.

Nomar: A dream to retire with Red Sox


FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Longtime Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra retired from baseball on Wednesday morning, signing a one-day contract with the Red Sox in order to retire as a member of the team.

[h4]Nomar Garciaparra[/h4][h5]#5 1B, SS, DH
[/h5]
CAREER STATS

• GM1434
• HR229
• RBI936
• R927
• OBP.361
• AVG.313

"I've always had a recurring dream, to be able to retire in a Red Sox uniform," Garciaparra said at a press conference at City of Palms Park. "Thanks to Mr. [John] Henry, Mr. [Tom] Werner, Mr. [Larry] Lucchino and Theo [Epstein], today I get to fulfill that dream and retire as a Red Sox.

"Earlier today, I did sign a minor league contract to be a part of the organization once again. I was getting choked up then, and I'm getting choked up now. I've got the chills.

"But to be able to have that dream come true, I really just can't put into words because of what this organization has always meant to me, meant to my family, the fans. I always tell people Red Sox Nation is bigger than any nation out there, and to be able to tell people that I came back home to be back to Red Sox Nation is truly a thrill."

Garciaparra will join ESPN as a baseball analyst. He will be seen primarily on Baseball Tonight but will also serve as an occasional game analyst.

The 36-year-old Garciaparra spent the first nine seasons of his 14-year career in Boston, where he developed into a fan favorite, a perennial All-Star and the best shortstop in team history. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1997 and won batting titles in back-to-back seasons in 1999 and 2000.

His career average with the Red Sox stands at .323, with 178 homers and 690 RBIs.

Garciaparra was famously traded to the Chicago Cubs by general manager Theo Epstein at the trade deadline during the 2004 season, a controversial move that resulted in the addition of Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera, who helped to spark the team to its first World Series title in 86 years.

Garciaparra re-signed with the Cubs in 2005, but injuries limited him to just 62 games that season. He played with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006-2008 and was a part-time player with the Oakland Athletics last season.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona's experience with Nomar bookends the beginning and end of Garciaparra's time with the Red Sox. Francona managed Garciaparra in the Arizona Fall League in 1994, after Garciaparra's first season with the Sox organization, and was managing the Sox when Nomar was traded in 2004.

"The time I had him in the Fall League was one of the highlights of my career,'' Francona said Wednesday. "[In 2004,] I think he was kind of Boston'd out. It kind of wore on him for whatever reasons. Sometimes it's just time to move on.''

The biggest thing that caught Francona's eye in the Fall League? "A 20-year-old kid personally passing out Christmas cards three weeks early. I hadn't even bought my family presents yet.

"He wasn't pulling the ball yet, everything was to right-center, but you could see it coming.''

Francona recalled a meeting he had with Kevin Kennedy, who was managing the Red Sox at the time, and Tim Johnson, one of his coaches, and being asked whether he thought Garciaparra could play second base.

"I said I don't know who you have at short, but whoever it is you might want to move him.''

In 1997, when Garciaparra made it to the big leagues, new manager Jimy Williams did just that, prompting a brief walkout from camp by John Valentin, who reluctantly gave up short and played second and third.

Francona, who was in his first season as manager with the Red Sox, said he didn't fully realize how iconic Garciaparra was in Boston until after the trading-deadline deal that sent Nomar to the Cubs.

"When it was over, I remember laughing with Theo [Epstein], 'I was behind you every step of the way, not in front of you.'''

Gordon Edes covers the Red Sox for ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter.

 

 

[bkmac]

Nomar annoys me.

 

[651akathepaul]

My reaction to the Nathan injury is split. I can only say that we obviously have to wait and see what will happen.

Closers usually come and go and typically only have a 3 year window of dominance. Continuously we see no names rise to stardom in the closer position leading to ongoing hype for the coming years only to see them fizzle in the span of a year or two. So the turnover rate for even successful closers is really high.

On the other hand, Nathan has proven to be one of the the exceptions to that limited window. Jayson Stark is always riding high on Nathan mentioning him in the same boat as a Mariano Rivera, with the only separation being the N.Y. market in comparison to Minnesota. I can see why Nathan has such high regards because the guy his very very great year in and year out at closing games so that makes me feel like it's a huge blow.

If the Twins can strike gold with one pitcher who has a great one year run, which is very possible, then yeah, it's whatever.

 

[jpzx]

Originally Posted by CP1708

JPZ, don't take this the wrong way, but if Mauer was traded for Carlton Fisk, Morneau retired tomorrow, Liriano lost his left arm in a skiing accident and your entire minor league system was bought by the Yankees, I think you would still come in and say everything's fine, no worries, piece of cake. 

Where did I say anywhere in my post that "everything's fine" and "no worries" though?

What I said was that "I don't think this is as catastrophic as some people are saying", "losing Nathan will probably give the Twins 5-10 more losses than they would've had." and "closer by committees don't normally work". How is that being a homer? (which is obviously what you were insinuating...)

Think about this: a closer only enters a game for one inning in games when teams are up by 3 or less runs. How much impact does that have in a game really? I'll be damned if there's not one guy on this roster that can go out there and pitch one, single scoreless inning every once in a while. Yeah, Nathan is one of the best closers in the game. But if someone like Mauer, Morneau or even a couple of the starting pitchers on the roster were in Nathan's place right now and lost for the season I would be more worried (and that's because of how small of a job closers have to do when they're in a game). The division is up for grabs now....but anyone writing off the Twins needs a check-up.

On a separate note, the White Sox are considerably better than the Tigers. I'd be shocked if we're talking about Motown in October.

 

[N41D]

Originally Posted by JPZx

What I said was that "I don't think this is as catastrophic as some people are saying", "losing Nathan will probably give the Twins 5-10 more losses than they would've had."

You lost me here... Anything that costs you 5-10 games in the wrong direction IS catastrophic...

 

[proshares]

I don't really see the White Sox or Tigers that much better than each other. Pretty much even to me. I just think Detroit's offense will push them to the division crown.

CWS bullpen is pretty solid but the rotation needs a lot to go right w/Peavy, Buehrle putting up another solid year and Garcia. Danks and Floyd are great young kids. But their offense just looks weak to me. Still gotta see if Quentin was a one year wonder. Rios is awful. Jones isn't an everyday man. Pierre isn't anything special. Konerko is getting up there. I dunno. I wouldn't say they're considerably better than the Tigers at all.

Once again, that division is up in the air.

 

[kiddin like jason]

Indians pitching coach Tim Belcher just said during an interview that a pitcher who threw a first-pitch strike only gave up a hit in that at-bat 7% of the time in all of baseball last season.

 

[scuse7]

With them being in the AL central, and how that division race goes every year....

Losing 5-10 games more could easily take you out of the playoff race if it goes down like always.

...

Crawford will get traded if Tampa doesn't think they have a chance for the playoffs, they'll need to get something back if their run isn't going to happen this year, because you know he won't be back next year.

 

[CP1708]

If it's no big deal and not all that hard to throw 1 scoreless inning a couple times a week, then why are there so few elite closers? 

Because it is a damn important pressure filled job and all it takes is one or two blown saves early in a year to set the tone and demoralize a team.  You're only fooling yourself if you don't think that's the case. 

If you aren't sure, simply look at how many games my own team gave away last year with our closer by committee idea.  It was a disaster from day one.  And we never ever recovered. 
Losing Nathan is a terrible terrible thing for the Twins.  Especially because its the Twins.  If the Yanks lost Rivera, as bad as that would be, they could buy another one by tomorrow.  twins don't have that luxury. 

 

[al3xis]

Think about this: a closer only enters a game for one inning in games when teams are up by 3 or less runs. How much impact does that have in a game really?
honestly, you've just probably been spoiled by Nathan.

Not having a good closer is a nightmare.

 

[ooiron manoo]

I don't see Tampa making a run. They will dismantle that team at the deadline. Build around longoria and upton on offense and build around the young pitching that is under team control for years to come.

 

[mr jordan04]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Think about this: a closer only enters a game for one inning in games when teams are up by 3 or less runs. How much impact does that have in a game really?

honestly, you've just probably been spoiled by Nathan.

Not having a good closer is a nightmare.

 rememeber how philly used to feel EVERY TIME lidge would enter a game?