Major League Baseball 2013

[Tycho]

With the World Series over and new teams for the 2013 season's campaign starting to take form, let's have a home for next season's discussion!

I've nothing good to post.

Jason Marquis opted for Free Agency from the Padres. He's good. Maybe your team will pick him up?

And Yasmani Grandal, our best-hitting catcher, caught a 50-day game suspension for performance enhancement drugs.

The winter meetings are coming up so we'll have a new thread to post the 2013 news.

The 2012 thread can continue with the post-season awards discussion, btw.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Good to see that the recession is over, at least in southern CA. Geez, Dodger$ and Angel$.

[Tycho]

The Angels are my AL team. It's a 90 minute drive to their park from San Diego - possibly faster by AmTrack.

I grew up going to the Angels' Stadium (Disneyland is across the street). I'm going to have to see some more games up there this year. But hopefully my Padres are going to be doing awesome!

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Pirates dump their closer for Red Sox prospects. :( But they sign a middle reliever.

[DarthQuack]

Let's go Yankees!

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Anyone ABLE to watch the World BB Classic? When are games on? WHERE are games being played? :confused: Who's on the US team, anyway? :o (What's on second, IIRC)

[JimJamBonds]

They are on the MLB network. I'm currently in Mesa for spring training and we talked about going to see USA v Italy last night but it didn't happen.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

And ESPN had the same game on en Espanol today, as part of its Noche Latina coverage.

[Tycho]

I'm watching (actually DVR) both the World Classic and Angels' spring training. I'm very jealous JimJamBonds. I have about $5K expsenses for my 2nd novel coming up and so I elected not to do Spring Training this year. I've become such a regular that I bet Phoenix misses me.

Where are you staying and what (if any) team are you particularly going to see in Arizona?

[JimJamBonds]

I (we, there were 4 of us) stayed in Mesa at the Dobson Ranch Inn. Apparently the Cubs used to stay there, I'm not sure if that is true but that is what I heard. We saw the Brewers/DBacks, Brewers/Rangers, Giants/Royals and the Brewers/Giants. We talked about going to the USA/Italy game on Saturday night but I couldn't talk my buddies into it.

[Tycho]

Oh you should go to the USA vs Italy game! I would love to see that live. I go to Spring Training by myself and various friends meet me at times. Otherwise I meet my team's fans (Padres / Angels) who are there anyway and I know some of our players that I visit with.

I guess I just do what I want on my trip, regardless of what anyone else is doing. I'm like that - meaning no disrespect, but not sacraficing my own vacation time of course.

Hey I did do that Arizona Speedway thing - with the miniature indoor racecar course while I was there. That's a lot of fun for a group of friends. They're pretty strict about running a demolition derby in there though. I actually went with a pro-baseball player on my team and the staff was pretty hard on him since I guess they figured he could pay to replace their cars if we seriously damaged anything (we did not!) but it was a lot of fun. I have a video of us racing on my Facebook page and I did this total spin-out and slammed into him - now THAT was podracing!

I also went to the Challenger Space Musuem with Yoda. Yes - with Master Yoda for real. I have pictures of us on our simulated space shuttle mission. But Yoda just sat there like a stuffed animal and I had to do all the work of the pilot and co-pilot. Maybe he was trying to train me?

Anyway, I love the Padres' home stadium (Peroria Sports Complex) where I stay by, but Maryvale (the Brewers) and Surprise (the Rangers) were nice ballparks, as is Daiblo - where the Angels play - but there's hardly any shade at Diablo. Trying to remember the name of the Whitesox / Dodgers' facility. That was alright. It felt like a Double-A field - quaint is the word, I guess.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

U-S-A! U-S-A! Uh, wait, I mean... go territory of the USA? That's what can happen when you don't send your best players, or simply cobble together a team of people without cohesion and practice. :(

[JimJamBonds]

Oh you should go to the USA vs Italy game! I would love to see that live.I would've loved to have gone as well. But there were 3 other people there with me and they seemed less interested in going so I didn't lobby all that hard about going. We did go to Cooperstown on Sunday night so I did get to go past Chase Field. #ascloseasIcouldget

[Tycho]

Lot of the players don't want to risk injury. However, Chase Headley was injured in Spring Training so it doesn't make a whole ton of difference - playing in the Classic.

You have to try just as hard in Spring Training.

Injuries go with the game. For example, Ron Washington's been hit hard in his ego twice now ;)

*Actually, I have a lot of respect for he and the Rangers who have never given up and made it that far - twice.

Bruce Bochy just does it better.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

The :Pirate:s won't lose today! :thumbsup: Because after yesterday's Opening Day loss?!? to the Cubs?!? at home?!? getting 3 total hits?!?, they aren't on today's schedule! :rolleyes:

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Pittsburgh's in 1st place! :D


...


And so are four other NL Central clubs. So what? :pleased:

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Hey, every MLB team has both 1+ wins and 1+ losses after less than a week to the season. And, in order to start a flame war, the Designated Hitter is 40 years old today; discuss!

p.s. Did I say "in 1st place"? I meant, "tied for the worst in the majors" today. :(

[Tycho]

Grienke had it coming. However I'd agree that he was injured worse than he deserved.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Two wins in a row over Cincy put the Buccos a game under .500 and tied with them for 2nd. Their starting pitching's been pretty good so far, the hitting just needs to improve (lowest batting avg., slugging, & OB %; and tied for 2nd-worst runs scored in all of MLB).