MLB 2011 Season

McLoughlin

Here is the line up of games to be shown on ESPN America for the first 2 weeks of the season subject to change of course 20 teams will be shown in either at home, on the road or both missing from the first 2 weeks of games are Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays

Thursday 31st March
18.00 Detriot Tigers @ New York Yankees
21.00 San Diego Padres @ St Louis Cardinals
01.00 San Franciso Giants @ LA Dodgers

Friday 1st April
18.00 Houston Astros @ Philadelphia Phillies
21.00 Boston Red Sox @ Texas Rangers

Sunday 3rd April
01.00 Sunday Night Baseball - San Franciso Giants @ LA Dodgers

Monday Aprill 4th
19.00 Atlanta Braves @ Milwaukee Brewers

Tuesday April 5th
13.00 Monday Night Baseball

Wednesday 6th April
10.00 New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillies
18.00 LA Angels @ Tampa Bay Rays

Thursday 7th April
11.30 Wednesday Night Baseball
20.00 New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillies

Friday 8th April
19.00 New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

Saturday 9th April
18.00 New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

Sunday 10th April
01.30 Sunday Night Baseball - New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

Monday 11th April
18.00 Texas Rangers @ Detriot Tigers
01.00 Monday Night Baseball - Chicago Cubs @ Houston Astros

Tuesday 12th April
18.00 Texas Rangers @ Detriot Tigers
00.00 Florida Marlins @ Atlanta Braves
03.00 Cincinnati Reds @ San Diego Padres

Wednesday 13th April
19.00 Oakland Athletics @ Chicago White Sox

jack presley

A good mix there. So when are we doing predictions? I'm still tweaking mine

Masked Man

Figure this is the right place to ask.

Anybody know how the A's are looking? I meant to try and follow their off season but that kinda fell by the wayside. Hopefully this will be my first season following Baseball semi-seriously.

jack presley

I don't know much about the A's but one of the presenters on ESPN's Baseball today podcast tipped them to win the AL West. His partner kind of laughed at him a bit but they can't be too bad.

Coeus

Masked Man wrote: »

Anybody know how the A's are looking?

The A's have the best pitching in their division, if they can hit then I think they will win it...

boccy23

Their closer, Andrew Bailey, will start the season on the DL. Will be relying on Brian Fuentes now to close games.

Coeus

boccy23 wrote: »

Their closer, Andrew Bailey, will start the season on the DL. Will be relying on Brian Fuentes now to close games.

Fuentes as closer aint a bad option for them as had been one for a couple of seasons before he got traded last season...

jack presley

and we're off!!!!!

Yankees Tigers on ESPNA, good close game after 6

Coeus

Yes we are, I see 3 teams (Braves, Reds and Yankees) I fancy to get to the playoffs have won the first 3 games played.

A very long way to go though

Sea Devils

Reds with a superb walkoff win to beat the Brewers.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Decided I'd start following MLB this season. Looked at a few of the pre-season games on ESPN over the last few weeks. Red Sox are my team.:D
Anywhere I could read up a bit about the league, see what plyers to look out for etc?

brilliantboy

King Felix. Just amazing. Just. Amazing

Kiva.D

Go Cubs!

jack presley

My Mets start was probably a good indication of how things are going to go this season. No-hit until the 7th and giving up a grand slam HR. A pretty poor start to the Terry Collins era.

They better improve my next week, I'm heading over for the home opener and the following 4 games!

JONJO THE MISER

:mad: Atlaanta, idiots shoyld be winning:mad:

JONJO THE MISER

idiots pure idiots thanks for ****ing me over idiots.

Sea Devils

Bit of a late April Fools but I did find this funny:D

Cubs players, coaches, and management expressed disbelief Thursday, questioning whether they were out of their minds for participating in another Major League Baseball season.

"Why the hell are we still putting ourselves through this?" left fielder Alfonso Soriano said during an Opening Day press conference, adding that no one on the team has ever been happy at the end of the season, during the season, or at the beginning of the season, which, according to Soriano, is when everyone actually feels the most hopeless. "We just have to admit to ourselves that the Chicago Cubs should not be playing in a professional baseball league. Can we all just do that and put an end to this misery?"

While attending his last batting practice before Opening Day, third baseman Aramis Ramirez acknowledged he has struggled to understand why the Cubs would bother playing in yet another pointless baseball season when, he said, it will be abundantly clear a month before the All-Star break that the team has no chance of getting to the World Series.

Growing increasingly frustrated, Ramirez slammed his helmet to the ground and launched into a tirade, saying that agreeing to take part in another 162 games was a waste of everyone's time.

"Another spring, summer, and fall out the f**king window," Ramirez said as several of his teammates, coaches, and team chairman Tom Ricketts nodded their heads in agreement. "I don't even know why we're here. Seriously, Ryan [Dempster], why are you here right now? Kosuke [Fukudome], what do you expect to get out of all this? Kerry [Wood], that you came back to this team after playing for the New York Yankees makes me f**king sick to my stomach for you and your family."

"Year after year we all know this is going to end badly, but here we are," Ramirez added. "It's the very definition of insanity."

Manager Mike Quade, visibly exasperated by a spring training he described as "the same old pathetic s**t," echoed the sentiment of his players, admitting that the Cubs were destined to put all of their fans, family, and friends through hell in a "miserable, futile season." Insisting the Cubs would accomplish nothing special in 2011, Quade predicted the team would temporarily raise expectations after a fairly decent start, lose several key players to injuries, fall into a slump for two crucial months, and then provide a torturous glimmer of hope with a brief comeback that would ultimately be followed by complete and utter collapse.

Quade added that even if the Cubs were to somehow make the World Series, they would inevitably lose in a devastating fashion that would physically and emotionally destroy anyone associated with the team in any way for decades to come.

"There's nothing I can do as a manager that's going to make a difference," said Quade, who in between hitting ground balls to his infielders could be heard mumbling, "I hate my life." "Christ, am I really about to put myself through six excruciating months of tinkering with batting orders and pitching rotations as if we have a serious shot of ending a century of mediocrity? It's f**ked up, but the answer is yes. And hearing myself say that makes me feel like I'm having a massive anxiety attack."

"Every time I walk out to the mound I just assure the guys that at least we will all be dead eventually," Quade continued.

When asked to voice their thoughts on the hopeful promise of Opening Day, several Cubs responded with "Ugh," "Not this crap again," "Thanks for ruining a perfectly nice day, a*****e," "We're going nowhere," and "Please, make this nightmare stop."

Despite the rampant cynicism and despair coming from the Cubs' clubhouse, team president Crane Kenney remained optimistic, saying there was still hope that a wealthy investor would eventually buy the franchise and mercifully shut it down for good.

"Some of the folks around here say that I'm a dreamer, or that I have my head in the clouds because I believe there's somebody out there who will save us from the Cubs," Kenney said. "But if that's the case, then I'm no more deluded than those poor f**ks in the stands who actually believe the Cubs will win a World Series in their lifetimes."

"I guess they're the most pathetic in all of this, because they choose to come back," Kenney added. "And pay good money to do so."

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Mets won a game last night!!! Let's end the season now so we can end it on high

jack presley

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Mets won a game last night!!! Let's end the season now so we can end it on high

Yeah it's going to be a long year. Even the wins are difficult with K-Rod blowing his first chance of a save. At least every time he does that and he doesn't finish the game it's once less game counting towards his big pay off next season.

shoutman

Anybody have a stream for the Cubs game? Haven't found one which you dont have to pay for.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Giants v Dodgers - do ye think there'll be over 7.5 runs?

MoyVilla9

What has happened to Boston?

Sea Devils

MoyVilla9 wrote: »

What has happened to Boston?

And the Orioles are 4-1. Bit of an interesting role reversal to start the season!

Coeus

MoyVilla9 wrote: »

What has happened to Boston?

And they have lost again, worst start since the 40s...next up they have the Yankees in their home opener. That wont be an easy game as the Yankees are hitting and would love nothing more than to extend their misery...

8-10

Solid if not overly impressive outing by Doc Halladay this evening. Love watching games on tv. Easy win for Phillies. ESPN have the Sox V Yankees tomorrow so I'm sacrificing after-work drinks and shenanigans for a date with my couch, a few beers and a bowl of sunflower seeds. Big game for Boston. Looking forward to seeing Gonzalez hit in Fenway.

Today's game against the Indians was worse than last night's. Just poor basebal all round.

boccy23

Loving these early games. Have MLB.TV this season so have been picking the best games and also my beloved DBacks.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I knew that good start by the Mets was too good to last. :rolleyes:

Coeus

Looks like most of the Red Sox have found their bats. An out of form Phil Hughes whose velocity is down was the sort of pitcher they needed for todays game...

McLoughlin

Manny has announced his retirement.

Coeus

McLoughlin wrote: »

Manny has announced his retirement.

Yea, they said this during the game that Manny wouldn't be returning to Fenway with the Rays and that he had 'just' retired.

Red Sox finally win. Lackey didnt inspire confidence letting the Yankees back in but the bullpen held it together.

McLoughlin

Coeus wrote: »

Yea, they said this during the game that Manny wouldn't be returning to Fenway with the Rays and that he had 'just' retired.

Red Sox finally win. Lackey didnt inspire confidence letting the Yankees back in but the bullpen held it together.

Its seems that Mannys retirement is connected with his drug issues and considering that the Rays got him and Damon in the hopes they would draw a crowd its going to hurt them. Plus I'm glad that i order a Damon Tampa Jersey and not a Manny one, the 04 sox v yankess playoffs were the first Baseball games I watched and that Red Sox team a strong favourite of mine.

I was watching the Sox game on MLB TV and it was a good game finally a victory and they can put the past week behind them but I still think they need more work if the want to make the play offs In Baseball you loose 54 you win 54 and its the other 54 that make the difference.

MoyVilla9

What's MLB.TV like? Is it worth it?

McLoughlin

MoyVilla9 wrote: »

What's MLB.TV like? Is it worth it?

Its good real good I bought a months subscription which was €19 ish but its cheaper if you buy a season subscription and you can watch every game home or road broadcast when ever you want I have it on my Ipad and Laptop though prefer the Ipad with the at bat app. If someone is watching something on TV that I don't like I put my headphones on and watch a game or if i in bed and can't sleep out comes the Ipad and some baseball and its not really eating up my broadband though I'm on Eircom 250 GB so I can afford to watch allot of streaming.

brilliantboy

McLoughlin wrote: »

Its seems that Mannys retirement is connected with his drug issues and considering that the Rays got him and Damon in the hopes they would draw a crowd its going to hurt them. Plus I'm glad that i order a Damon Tampa Jersey and not a Manny one, the 04 sox v yankess playoffs were the first Baseball games I watched and that Red Sox team a strong favourite of mine.

I was watching the Sox game on MLB TV and it was a good game finally a victory and they can put the past week behind them but I still think they need more work if the want to make the play offs In Baseball you loose 54 you win 54 and its the other 54 that make the difference.

Another question. Where did you buy the jersey from? MLB.com? What was shipping like? Did you have to pay customs?
(OK, that was more than 1 question)

McLoughlin

brilliantboy wrote: »

Another question. Where did you buy the jersey from? MLB.com? What was shipping like? Did you have to pay customs?
(OK, that was more than 1 question)

If you are going to buy a jersey from mlb.com your looking at paying 100 - 250 euro depending on the jersey you want plus shipping/postage and custom charges you can buy some jerseys from ESPN America Shop from around 60 euro upwards but the selection isn't great and the back of the jerseys are blank so because of the expensive cost I buy fakes and they cost me around 20 - 40 euro including postage and no custom charges.

I know some people are going to shout fakes are evil and all that jazz but I would never pay over $100 for a jersey. I would wear one fake jersey that costed me 20 - 40 euro over a real one that costs up to 200 euro. The jersey will be all worn out in a few years from wear and tear just like every other shirt and throwing out a 20 to 40 quid shirt is better than dumping a 200 quid shirt.

I get my Jerseys from tara jersey/yuki jersey, ioffer and Ebay and here is my Damon Jersey missing a mlb neck tag but I can buy one of them for a few euro online and sew/iron it on myself. Its fantasic cost me 32 quid

Coeus

Red Sox have annonced a megadeal ($154M for 7 years) for Gonzalez. Looking at their start this year they may have needed to invest in pitching more...

Iang87

I was at fenway last night and the vibe around there isn't very optimistic after the ridiculous overhype of a month ago.

Gonzalez signing will be a great thing but the next big investment has got to be a pitcher. Listening to sports radio here its simple Matsuzaka simply has to sit in the pen and not even be allowed to loosen his arm, he is hated so much right now but I still think the sox will be fine.

The pitching staff are pretty poor right now with beckett being the shining star. I think the sox will be fine but they need to start scoring some runs, they are saying the offense needs more help from the pitching staff but i think the opposite. If they can get guys scoring early in games and give the pitching staff a couple of runs of a lead then i'm sure they will turn it around and come good. Strangely enough that happened for the sox last night and they still lost

I was also stunned to hear the booing for Carl crawford last night after he went 0-4.

Sorry for the just red sox based post but when you're in boston its the only baseball news you can get in any depth.

Coeus

Iang87 wrote: »

Gonzalez signing will be a great thing but the next big investment has got to be a pitcher.

Completely agree with this! Matsuzaka is a bust but Lackey must also be a concern, he is going to be beat up alot this season but they have to play him considering how much they are paying him...

Good to see Beckett back, he pitched really well again today. Lester and Buchholz will be fine, they have good young arms...

Lucky you living in Boston. I was at Fenway last summer, great place to watch a game...

brilliantboy

McLoughlin wrote: »

If you are going to buy a jersey from mlb.com your looking at paying 100 - 250 euro depending on the jersey you want plus shipping/postage and custom charges you can buy some jerseys from ESPN America Shop from around 60 euro upwards but the selection isn't great and the back of the jerseys are blank so because of the expensive cost I buy fakes and they cost me around 20 - 40 euro including postage and no custom charges.

I know some people are going to shout fakes are evil and all that jazz but I would never pay over $100 for a jersey. I would wear one fake jersey that costed me 20 - 40 euro over a real one that costs up to 200 euro. The jersey will be all worn out in a few years from wear and tear just like every other shirt and throwing out a 20 to 40 quid shirt is better than dumping a 200 quid shirt.

I get my Jerseys from tara jersey/yuki jersey, ioffer and Ebay and here is my Damon Jersey missing a mlb neck tag but I can buy one of them for a few euro online and sew/iron it on myself. Its fantasic cost me 32 quid

I have no problem wearing a fake either. Problem is the selection is never great anywhere when you're a Mariners fan (all I find is Griffey jersey's )
And as I'm a small guy, finding something that even remotely fits adds to the problem.
I may just buy a kids XL to keep the price down :cool:

McLoughlin

Mariners yeah haven't seen many of them I would like there teal alternative with Ichiro but can't find a fake one anywhere only some youth sizes on Ebay.

Iang87

Coeus wrote: »

Completely agree with this! Matsuzaka is a bust but Lackey must also be a concern, he is going to be beat up alot this season but they have to play him considering how much they are paying him...

Good to see Beckett back, he pitched really well again today. Lester and Buchholz will be fine, they have good young arms...

Lucky you living in Boston. I was at Fenway last summer, great place to watch a game...

Lackey has got to be a concern both with performances and his carry on in the media. The guy hates talking to the media when they ask the tough questions about his performance and if you play baseball in boston and dont talk to the media they will crush you at every opportunity and thats proving to be the case this season with lackeys performances.

gotapaininmy

Iang87 wrote: »

Lackey has got to be a concern both with performances and his carry on in the media. The guy hates talking to the media when they ask the tough questions about his performance and if you play baseball in boston and dont talk to the media they will crush you at every opportunity and thats proving to be the case this season with lackeys performances.

I agree that it's a big problem for any player in a big-market if they can't deal with the media, particularly New York and Boston (Hence Zack Greinke and his "social disorder" going to Milwaukee instead of one of the bigger franchises, the word on Greinke outside of the media seems to be that he's just a bit of arrogant knob and that's why he doesn't like to speak aboout his game when he doesn't feel like it).

Getting back to Lackey, I could never understand the Red Sox giving this guy the contract they gave him, I know most players in MLB are overpaid, but Lackey is getting ace money and he was never an ace pitcher, he's mediocre at best and his best years are behind him. The Red Sox can rely on Lester and Bucholz, but Beckett is only good for the occasional performance (his ERA against the yankees last year was 10+) and Dice_k is a bust. I think the Red Sox are going to regret the Lackey and Beckett contracts over the next few years, they'd better have some good arms in the farm system becuse they have serious payroll now tied up for the next 3-4+ years in four players (Beckett, Lackey, Crawford and Gonzalez).

smackbunnybaby

Big win here for Boston. It's the Jed Lowrie show! And DiceK is firing... for now...

Iang87

MLB have taken over the dodgers. Story goes the dodgers owner borrowed like 25 million dollars last month to meet payroll. Dodgers owner now is kinda kickin up a stink as to why his team were taken over and not the mets a month ago who were supposedly in the same situation.

Kinda sad to see such a historic franchise have this happen.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=6397488


also playoffs to expand next season to 10 teams. They seem unsure as to what the story will be as to scheduling. Anyway fairly historic couple of days for Baseball

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6404094

Coeus

Well not as big a story but the Brewers have extended Ryan Braun's contract through 2020. Looking at the overall numbers ($145M for 9 years) it look like a great deal for the Brewers for a great player. Not sure where this leaves Prince Fielder though...

bonerm

Sorry to interject but I was wondering if anyone could recommend me a decent "Match of the Day" style weekly show that gives highlights of all the weeks games? I was hoping for something that might condense the best of the week into an hour max. Thanks.

brilliantboy

bonerm wrote: »

Sorry to interject but I was wondering if anyone could recommend me a decent "Match of the Day" style weekly show that gives highlights of all the weeks games? I was hoping for something that might condense the best of the week into an hour max. Thanks.

I don't know of anything like that (which by no means means it doesn't exist)
but you can go here: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp and browse through the game recaps playlist

Coeus

bonerm wrote: »

Sorry to interject but I was wondering if anyone could recommend me a decent "Match of the Day" style weekly show that gives highlights of all the weeks games? I was hoping for something that might condense the best of the week into an hour max. Thanks.

I have seen a show in the US called 'This week in Baseball'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Week_in_Baseball

I just checked ESPN Americas listings and they show it a couple of times on Saturday.

jack presley

Coeus wrote: »

I have seen a show in the US called 'This week in Baseball'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Week_in_Baseball

I just checked ESPN Americas listings and they show it a couple of times on Saturday.

This Week in Baseball is more of a behind the scenes show as opposed to a highlights one. Basebball Tonight would be a better option although they only show brief highlights of each game.

The problem with a 'weekly' show is that there are games every night with each team playing at least 6 games a week so Saturday's games for example are already history by Sunday.

8-10

Not to jinx it but anyone else watching the Brewers v Cards game?

Gallardo hasn't been hit yet through 7........... :eek:

Switch it on!

8-10

8-10 wrote: »

Not to jinx it but anyone else watching the Brewers v Cards game?

Gallardo hasn't been hit yet through 7........... :eek:

Switch it on!

2mins later, base hit bottom of the 8th. Jinx it I did. Really enjoying watching the Brewers this year though. Hope they get out of that division.