**The Official 2008 MLB thread**

[RobMoney$]

Opening Day of Baseball season is one of my favorite days of the year.
I called out of work today to go to the Phillies-Nationals game. Even though the Phitin' Phils lost, it was a pretty awesome day.

Teams I'm interested in watching this year include:
Philadelphia Phillies
NY Mets
Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox
NY Yankees
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Oakland A's
California Angels
LA Dodgers




Opening Day schedule, All times EDT.

American League:

Toronto (Halladay) @ New York (Wang) 1:05 ESPN
Kansas City (Meche) @ Detroit (Verlander) 1:05
Tampa Bay (Shields) @ Baltimore (Guthrie) 3:05
White Sox (Buehrle) @ Cleveland (Sabathia) 3:05
Texas (Millwood) @ Seattle (Bedard) 6:40
Los Angeles (Weaver) @ Minnesota (Hernandez) 7:05 ESPN2


National League:

Arizona (Webb) @ Cincinnati (Harang) 1:05
Milwaukee (Sheets) @ Chicago (Zambrano) 2:20 ESPN2
Washington (Chico) @ Philidelphia (Myers) 3:05
San Francisco (Zito) @ Los Angeles (Penny) 4:10 ESPN
New York (Santana) @ Florida (Hendrickson) 4:10
Colorado (Francis) @ St. Louis (Wainwright) 4:15
Pittsburgh (Snell) @ Atlanta (Glavine) 7:10
Houston (Oswalt) @ San Diego (Peavy) 10:05 ESPN2

[Miho]

Still have faith in my Cubs.

[Videodrome]

Hopefully the Indians can pull it off this year.

[ToucanSpam]

I've been a die hard Blue Jays fan for years...and it's really hearbreaking to know we don't have a chance because we're in such a tough division.


I predict an 86-76 season. Still no playoffs.

[RobMoney$]

Did anyone see Fatty Gagne blow that 3-0 lead yesterday for the Brew Crew? He actually got beat out by a man at fist when Gagne had to run over to cover the bag. Then he gave up a homer to Fukudome.

[bigblu89]

Yeah, apparently he's gotten so big that he's having problems keeping his jersy tucked in.

It was so bad, the ump stopped the game to make him tuck it back in.

P.S. Johan like a mofo yesterday.

[Praying Mantis]

Flash should be Flushed for the Phils. That was a pitiful performanace; even after the reigning MVP tied with a 2 run jack.

[Laver1969]

Despite the Cubs losing, it was a great game. The city is now going nuts over Fukudome. Instant crowd favorite after a debut like that.

They need to take Woody out...shoot that old horse.

Go Cubs!

[Loppfessor]

Originally Posted by Videodrome

Hopefully the Indians can pull it off this year.

Hell yeah baby....The Tribe is going to the World Series this year

[QueenAdrock]

Fuck the Nationals, I'll always be an Orioles fan. People who have made the switch are TRAITORS!

Actually, I don't really care. I'll watch both. It was pretty sweet to see the Nationals crushed by the Orioles last year, though.

I miss baseball.

[RobMoney$]

WOW, I knew Pedro wouldn't make it through a whole season, but 57 pitches in?

HAHAhaHahahaaa....stick a fork in him.

[Videodrome]

Originally Posted by QueenAdrock

Fuck the Nationals, I'll always be an Orioles fan. People who have made the switch are TRAITORS!

Actually, I don't really care. I'll watch both. It was pretty sweet to see the Nationals crushed by the Orioles last year, though.

I miss baseball.

the Nationals have that new stadium though.

[AceFace]

i'm a NATS fan!

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by AceFace

i'm a NADS fan!

ORLY?

[AceFace]

RLY!

[bigblu89]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

WOW, I knew Pedro wouldn't make it through a whole season, but 57 pitches in?

HAHAhaHahahaaa....stick a fork in him.

Pedro in a wheelchair is still better than a healthy Tom Gordon.

[jabumbo]

fuck all of y'all and your real baseball teams!!

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by bigblu89

Pedro in a wheelchair is still better than a healthy Tom Gordon.

I wish Pedro nothing but a quick and speedy recovery.
I want him back blowing games for the Mets as fast as possible.

[bigblu89]

Originally Posted by RobMoney$

I wish Pedro nothing but a quick and speedy recovery.
I want him back blowing games for the Mets as fast as possible.

He ain't Glavine.

I mean, not every team can win on 3 straight intentional walks like Philly did yesterday.

And I mean this in a good way Rob, between what I've read so far here, and in the NFL Thread, you really seem to have the demeanor that embodies all the reasons the nation can't stand fans from the Philly area.

You know, the ones that won't give a rival team props, even after they win the whole thing. make every excuse imaginable for why their team crumbles every season. Usually has more fun booing his team as opposed to cheering them.

And I love every minute of it.

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by bigblu89

He ain't Glavine.

I mean, not every team can win on 3 straight intentional walks like Philly did yesterday.

And I mean this in a good way Rob, between what I've read so far here, and in the NFL Thread, you really seem to have the demeanor that embodies all the reasons the nation can't stand fans from the Philly area.

You know, the ones that won't give a rival team props, even after they win the whole thing. make every excuse imaginable for why their team crumbles every season. Usually has more fun booing his team as opposed to cheering them.

And I love every minute of it.

If I have to hear another NY fan tell me how to be a fan...

Want to see the epitome of obnoxious fans? Come to Philly for a Mets game. The Mets fans come down and act like they own the stadium. Bunch of loud, fat Italians in wife-beaters and "Piazza" Jerseys screaming "F... the Phillies" while I'm trying to watch a game with my 12yo. They've been like that since I was going to games when I was 12. That made last years' Mets collapse all the sweeter.

You know it's real easy to be a New York sports fan. You've got 2 teams in every major sport, if one fails to make the playoffs, you all just jump on the other team's bandwagon. Your city has a parade like every couple of years.
We have 1 team in all 4 major sports and the last team to win a title was the '83 Sixers. That's 25 years, or 100 sports seasons since a team from Philly was won anything.
Does that explain why we have an inferiority complex as sports fans in Philly? It's easy to be a fan of teams that win all the time, try going 100 seasons without a title and still remain a loyal fan. Then you can talk to me about being a bad fan.

There's only one reason we "Boo" any player, and that's for not trying. We've become experts in Philly of being able to tell when a player is half-assing it and not trying to win. 100 seasons man, we don't have time for slackers, we need our players to try to win on every play. Anything less will get you a one-way ticket out of town, just ask Billy Wagner and Bobby Abreu.
A lot of times when we boo, it's not necessarily the player we're booing, but more the ownership. Like when we boo Gordon, it's not because he blew another game for us, but more the fact that our cheap-ass ownership still employs Gordon and even gives him the opportunity to blow a game for us.


I read yesterday that the Yankees payroll is $209 million dollars. The next highest payroll is Detroit at $138.6 million, and the Mets came in 3rd at $138.2 million. Phillies came in at 13th with $98 million.
I'm gonna laugh my ass off when the 1st and 3rd highest paid teams both fail to even make the playoffs.

[bigblu89]

I'm not telling you how to do anything, it's just that most of your comments feed right into the stereotype of the "Philly Fan".

Now, every team has their fare share of obnoxious fans, NY probably has more than their fare share, as they have a larger fan base. BUT, the whole "Just jump to the other team if you team isn't doing well" is a load of crap. Now real, self respecting, Mets, Giants, Rangers, Knicks fan, or vice-versa wouldn't be caught dead rooting for the local rival.

Are there a few "I root for ALL NY teams" fans out there? Yes. Do real fans hate those people with a passion? Yes we do.

[jabumbo]

philly fans boo'd santa claus



/end of discussion

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by jabumbo

philly fans boo'd santa claus



/end of discussion

I'm glad you brought this up as it's a perfect example of what I'm talking about.


We weren't "Boo-ing" Santa Claus, we were "Boo-ing" a sorry excuse for a Santa Clause.
The Eagles, in their typically cheap way, marched out a drunken, skinny Santa whose beard was falling off and whose Santa costume was pathetic.
They were boo-ing Eagles management for being soo cheap that they couldn't even afford to hire a proper Santa.

[p-branez]

the tigers have gotten off to a slow start. really slow.
but they have plenty of time to turn it around.
world series in the d this year.

[jabumbo]

you still showed bad spirit and boo'd fucking santa



or what about the time that batteries were thrown at the baseball player. or the time that they jeered at michael irvin when he suffered a career ending injury.


i mean, you had a fucking jail cell in the old vet man....

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by jabumbo

you still showed bad spirit and boo'd fucking santa



or what about the time that batteries were thrown at the baseball player. or the time that they jeered at michael irvin when he suffered a career ending injury.


i mean, you had a fucking jail cell in the old vet man....

Stop acting like Philly is the only place to throw batteries.
It's happened in other cities.
As for Michael Irvin, I spent years watching him taunt the fans every time he caught a pass. Turnabout is fair play in my book.
Aikman also had his career ended on the Vet turf the following year and nobody boo'd him.

That courtroom was put there because of the 700 level. You didn't come into the Vet wearing another teams' Jersey back then.
I watched them beat a 14yo. up for wearing a Marshall Faulk Jersey and security threw the 14yo. out and let the Eagles fans stay.
Those idiots have been "priced out" of the new stadium.

Some towns burn cars when their teams win a championship, which is just as bad. We haven't had that opportunity and I hope it doesn't come to that when we finally do win something.

[bigblu89]

One thing you gotta give NY fans credit for, is that the fans are rather civil about winning championships. They'll brag and boast, and even poke fun at the losers, but at least we aren't violent about it.

Thousands of fans spilled into Times Square from all the surrounding bars following the Giants Superbowl win, and oddly enough, all of the "pompous, dirtbag, douchebag" Giants fans didn't turnover or set ablaze a single automobile.

Bulls win the title 6 times in 8 years, and all 6 times, the ChiTown fans felt the need to riot like abunch of Euro Soccer Hooligans.

As for Michael Irvin, I spent years watching him taunt the fans every time he caught a pass. Turnabout is fair play in my book.
Aikman also had his career ended on the Vet turf the following year and nobody boo'd him.

So, if in tomorrow's Mets-Phils game, Pat Burrell pops a hammy legging out a double, you'd have no problems with Mets fan cheering the fact that he got hurt? I mean, Burrell has shit on the Mets for close to a decade, so Turnabout's fair play, right?

[RobMoney$]

Originally Posted by bigblu89

So, if in tomorrow's Mets-Phils game, Pat Burrell pops a hammy legging out a double, you'd have no problems with Mets fan cheering the fact that he got hurt? I mean, Burrell has shit on the Mets for close to a decade, so Turnabout's fair play, right?

I hate being put in a position of having to defend "The Bat" because I think he sucks, but Burrell has killed you guys on the field, fair and square.
It's not like everytime he gets a hit against you he taunts the fans while rounding the bases. He plays with good sportsmanship. He's just a Met killer.
Just like Schnieder and Church were Phillies killers with the Nats.
Tell any of your Mets buddies who didn't like that trade that Schnieder & Church will do more to beat the Phillies and win you a division than Santana will. That was a great trade on the Mets behalf IMO and if either one of them happened to get hurt I'm sure no one would boo.

Irvin taunted the fans during the game, he mocked us in our own house on more than one occassion. He was a coke-addicted, gun-weilding, classless player.
I just look at it like we got the last laugh.

[ToucanSpam]

What do people think of the Jays this year? I'm hopeful thus far.

[RobMoney$]

So do you think Willie Randolph is asking Santana if he'd consider pitching on 2 days rest right about now?