MLB Baseball Thread

**sceptile33** · 19th January 2012, 10:40 PM

The Pittsburgh Pirates. This is the year they end the streak, and Andrew McCutchen becomes a superstar.

woot21 out dawgs

I really, really, REALLY don't mean to be a jerk or laugh at you or the Pirates or anything, but you said something very similar to that last year.

Originally Posted by woot21

I really believe the Pirates will be the surprise team of the 2010 season. They are going to have 3 good starters at the top of the rotation, a number 4 who has the stuff to be an ace, if he can control it, and hopefully a serviceable number 5. On the offensive side the line up could be pretty scary, even more so come mid-season when Tabata and Alvarez arrive in the bigs. As long as Doumit stays healthy we could have a very good year.

woot21 out dawgs

First page of this thread. Did the Pirates actually do something that makes you believe they'll play better, or are you simply hoping for the home team?

**Larry** · 19th January 2012, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by sceptile33

I

First page of this thread. Did the Pirates actually do something that makes you believe they'll play better, or are you simply hoping for the home team?

They had a little something going last year for a little while.

**BCVM22** · 20th January 2012, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by SlimShady

Garcia will either get traded or get dropped to triple A.

No one's going to trade anything of value for Garcia. They'd either release him or, as you said, demote him, though he can refuse the latter by way of his major league service time.

**TheWatersGreatGuardian** · 20th January 2012, 2:40 AM

Originally Posted by Larry

If they put Phil Hughes in the starting rotation I might cry. Burnett will come up big when he needs to.

Hes also shown that he is a bit of a headcase. IMO Hughes has more of a future in that rotation than Mr. Punch the wall and Get Splinters.

Remember, hughes was pretty good before that injury.

**G50** · 20th January 2012, 2:47 AM

So glad to find out that the Braves avoided arbitration with Jair Jurrjens. I was so worried that he wouldn't play at all in 2012 with the Braves.

He still gets a chance to make my wish come true, hopefully it does while he's still in ATL. He was actually notified of the wish in fact.

**ESPNfanatic35** · 20th January 2012, 4:00 AM

I'm hoping the Reds can kick some butt this year. They've always had the offense (which will only get better) and the addition of Ryan Ludwick for depth and top catching prospect Devin Mesoraco will help. The rotation led by Cueto and Latos will be a lot better and the bullpen with Marshall, Madson, Bray, Masset, and Ondrusek is downright filthy. I think they will be a scary team in 2012.

**SlimShady** · 20th January 2012, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by ESPNfanatic35

I'm hoping the Reds can kick some butt this year. They've always had the offense (which will only get better) and the addition of Ryan Ludwick for depth and top catching prospect Devin Mesoraco will help. The rotation led by Cueto and Latos will be a lot better and the bullpen with Marshall, Madson, Bray, Masset, and Ondrusek is downright filthy. I think they will be a scary team in 2012.

You guys have a hell of a shot now since the Brewers lost Fileder and Braun (braun for a lot of the season).
The Cardinals may have Wainwright back, but they lost Pujols... So Reds have a great shot at 1st.

**TheWatersGreatGuardian** · 20th January 2012, 6:07 PM

Carlos Pena is back with the Rays! He was one of my favorites.

So now we got:
Jennings
BJ
Longoria
Pena
Zobrist
Scott
Joyce
Sean Rodriguez/Brignac
Molina/whatever minor league call up :P

That lineup has a lot of Ks in it, but a lot more potential for power than last year.

**woot21** · 20th January 2012, 7:30 PM

Originally Posted by sceptile33

I really, really, REALLY don't mean to be a jerk or laugh at you or the Pirates or anything, but you said something very similar to that last year.

First page of this thread. Did the Pirates actually do something that makes you believe they'll play better, or are you simply hoping for the home team?

To be fair if Alvarez had been anything other than abysmal, I think the Pirates would have had a good shot at .500 last year. And they did raise their win total from 2010 by 15 in 2011. Do that again and they end up with 87 wins. Morton and McDonald are quality starters, Karstens works as a number 4, Bedard is good (when healthy), plus Lincoln as a number 5 is good.

The lineup has McCutchen, Tabata, Presley, and Walker in it everyday. Plus if Pedro actually improves over last year that's five everyday players that will be productive at the plate. Plus no more Ronnie Cedeno (Barmes is an upgrade offensively) in the lineup, and Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee isn't a horrible platoon at 1st. Which leaves just Barajas batting 8th.

I can see our lineup looking like this to start the season:
Presley
Tabata
Walker
McCutchen
Alavrez
Jones/McGehee
Barmes
Barajas
Pitcher

I'll take that, it's an improvement over previous years.

woot21 out dawgs

**TheWatersGreatGuardian** · 20th January 2012, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by woot21

To be fair if Alvarez had been anything other than abysmal, I think the Pirates would have had a good shot at .500 last year. And they did raise their win total from 2010 by 15 in 2011. Do that again and they end up with 87 wins. Morton and McDonald are quality starters, Karstens works as a number 4, Bedard is good (when healthy), plus Lincoln as a number 5 is good.

The lineup has McCutchen, Tabata, Presley, and Walker in it everyday. Plus if Pedro actually improves over last year that's five everyday players that will be productive at the plate. Plus no more Ronnie Cedeno (Barmes is an upgrade offensively) in the lineup, and Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee isn't a horrible platoon at 1st. Which leaves just Barajas batting 8th.

I can see our lineup looking like this to start the season:
Presley
Tabata
Walker
McCutchen
Alavrez
Jones/McGehee
Barmes
Barajas
Pitcher

I'll take that, it's an improvement over previous years.

woot21 out dawgs

But where is the pitching going to come from. I don't think they have the starting pitching to be a above 500 team

**woot21** · 21st January 2012, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by TheWatersGreatGuardian

But where is the pitching going to come from. I don't think they have the starting pitching to be a above 500 team

Morton and McDonald are quality starters, Karstens works as a number 4, Bedard is good (when healthy), plus Lincoln as a number 5 is good (prefer him over Correia).

woot21 out dawgs

**TheWatersGreatGuardian** · 21st January 2012, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by woot21

Morton and McDonald are quality starters, Karstens works as a number 4, Bedard is good (when healthy), plus Lincoln as a number 5 is good (prefer him over Correia).

woot21 out dawgs

Yeah, I still don't see that as enough to have a winning season. Understand that I am not rooting against them by any means, I want them to be good. Just don't see that pitching holding up over 162

**sceptile33** · 21st January 2012, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by woot21

To be fair if Alvarez had been anything other than abysmal, I think the Pirates would have had a good shot at .500 last year. And they did raise their win total from 2010 by 15 in 2011. Do that again and they end up with 87 wins. Morton and McDonald are quality starters, Karstens works as a number 4, Bedard is good (when healthy), plus Lincoln as a number 5 is good.

woot21 out dawgs

Well, they really had nowhere to go but up after their 2010 season, really. I do sincerely hope they improve this season, but I'm not expecting much.

**Totodile is BEAST** · 21st January 2012, 2:11 AM

Ba doing doing boing

**TheWatersGreatGuardian** · 21st January 2012, 2:13 AM