MLB Off-Topic

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

What a team that could've been. Strong WS teams from 99-01 or something at the very least.

Manny,Lofton,Thome,Alomar,Vizquel on offense with Pedro leading the way as their ace. They already had the leagues top offense, but add Pedro to that staff and they'd have top 5 pitching too since pitching really was their weakness during those years.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Around that time period (I think '98 or '99), the Indians and Mets had probably my favorite infields of all time, where Cleveland had Thome, Alomar, Vizquel, Ventura, and Alomar Jr. (Sexson as well, though he also played OF and DH); and New York had Olerud, Baerga, Ordonez, Alfonzo, and Piazza.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Around that time period (I think '98 or '99), the Indians and Mets had probably my favorite infields of all time, where Cleveland had Thome, Alomar, Vizquel, Ventura, and Alomar Jr. (Sexson as well, though he also played OF and DH); and New York had Olerud, Baerga, Ordonez, Alfonzo, and Piazza.

Robin Ventura never played for Cleveland. He was on the Mets around this time though (1999-2001). You may be thinking about Travis Fryman as the Indians' 3B. Cleveland scooped him up after he had originally established himself with Detroit. Baerga is much better known for his time with Cleveland.

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Yeah I saw that Dynasty That Almost Was show. Albert Belle is still angry at the world it seems. I don't blame John Hart for not making that trade though. How was he supposed to know Wright would become injury prone etc etc. It sure would've made things VERY interesting in the late 90s/early 00s for sure.

The other thing that caught my attention was the reaction to MLB setting things up in the locker room for the Indians. It seems like one of those "it can only happen to them" kind of things.

[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Linking this for the first half of the article that recaps the amazing 2016 season. I didn't even bother reading the rest once it got to talking about 2017

https://theringer.com/chicago-cubs-mlb-all-star-break-struggles-978ff8eb33ac

The links to the youtube highlights are wonderful.

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

LOL!

Zack Cozart got his donkey from Joey Votto today

[l3ulvl]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

So anyone seen what's happened to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi?

After the Sammy Sosa pics I was expecting to see images of nerdy white guys turned mysteriously darker shades

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Robin Ventura never played for Cleveland. He was on the Mets around this time though (1999-2001). You may be thinking about Travis Fryman as the Indians' 3B. Cleveland scooped him up after he had originally established himself with Detroit. Baerga is much better known for his time with Cleveland.

Thanks, I got lost in my own post. I did mean Fryman, and I meant to include Ventura with the Mets.

I also meant to put Baerga on my list (he was originally thought of, but once Roberto came into my head Carlos left it).

[slickdtc]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

LOL!



Zack Cozart got his donkey from Joey Votto today

This whole saga has been hilarious. Votto in general is super funny.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Watching the Giants recording, Dave Flemming and Mike Krukow both agreed that Bill Mueller should unquestionably be a Hall of Famer.

I respect the hell out of these guys, but there is a line to which I can agree to things, and they crossed it... and I love Bill Mueller (what Giants or Red Sox fan doesn't?).

[dubcity]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Watching the Giants recording, Dave Flemming and Mike Krukow both agreed that Bill Mueller should unquestionably be a Hall of Famer.

I respect the hell out of these guys, but there is a line to which I can agree to things, and they crossed it... and I love Bill Mueller (what Giants or Red Sox fan doesn't?).

Giants have the best broadcast crew by miles and miles, but they can be so biased like that. Flemming and Miller usually not as much. A certain amount of bias is expected, (and fun) given how they travel with the team all year, but they inevitably cross the line.

I remember they kept talking up Aaron Rowand and Lincecum near the end of their runs, when it was obvious they were both brutal.

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Watching the Giants recording, Dave Flemming and Mike Krukow both agreed that Bill Mueller should unquestionably be a Hall of Famer.

I respect the hell out of these guys, but there is a line to which I can agree to things, and they crossed it... and I love Bill Mueller (what Giants or Red Sox fan doesn't?).

There is literally (and I mean literally) not a single metric that one can use to argue Bill Mueller for the HOF. 1200 hits over an 11 year career...23 WAR...a .291 average, 85 HR, a 797 OPS, led the league in ONE category (hitting in 2003). The very fact that these men would say "unquestionably a HOF" is a real extreme case of homerism...

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I don't know if they used the word unquestionably, but I think Krukow said: "He's a Hall of Famer in my book," and Flemming said: "Oh, no question." Something to that effect. Then they started to say when you're the best at your position for that long, blah blah blah.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I think they mentioned second base. Mueller was a third basemen. They were running off a lot of Giants names. Maybe they were talking about Jeff Kent. Gee, that would actually make a lot more sense.

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I don't know if they used the word unquestionably, but I think Krukow said: "He's a Hall of Famer in my book," and Flemming said: "Oh, no question." Something to that effect. Then they started to say when you're the best at your position for that long, blah blah blah.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I think they mentioned second base. Mueller was a third basemen. They were running off a lot of Giants names. Maybe they were talking about Jeff Kent. Gee, that would actually make a lot more sense.

Ah...now that makes sense. I think Jeff Kent is a borderline guy, but he wouldn't be a bad HOF'r. I could see those guys making that statement about him.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Stupid that I'm doing this, but here's a transcript of the conversation. You can see when they start embellishing Bill Mueller why I possibly thought at the time that they were still talking about him, even though Kent's name gets brought up. They were talking about a program after the game celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 1997 Giants:


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Flemming: A great team in Giants history, the '97 Giants...

Krukow: They were a fun bunch... Jeff Kent, J.T. Snow, Stan Javier, Mark Lewis... those were all the new guys.

Flemming: Yeah. That was the year of so much transition, roster turnover, and big bold moves that Brian Sabean made to make that team. You think back in modern Giants history, the team that [Krukow] all had in 1986 had sort of set the stage for '87, '89, '92, '93... that was a long success of a Giants with a lot of great players, but '97 was kind of the reset year to transition into the next era of Giants baseball.

Krukow: In '96, I think they lost 94 games, because it was the year where Matt Williams and Robby Thompson had big injuries. Whatever could go wrong, did go wrong. The only real highlight of that season was Bonds' 40/40 year. But you also got an overview of what was in the minor leagues. Low and behold, they wind up with Bill Mueller, who turned out to be a great big leaguer. Then they go to the playoffs in '97. There is so much energy when you go from a last-to-first situation as a team. A lot of fun.

Flemming: You aren't going to win at this level every year. But also in a year when you don't quite play the way you thought you would or win as many games as you thought you would, you can find pieces for the future, you can find positive developments... you mentioned Bill Mueller, that was a big one.

Krukow: He was also the sort of guy that wasn't a slam-dunk prospect. When he got to this level, it was almost like his style of play was more appropriate at the big league level than it was at the minor league level. He had more strikes to see up here, as a balanced hitter he used the whole field... he really took advantage of the opportunity.

Flemming: Jeff Kent was a big part of that trade where it wasn't like people around baseball were thinking: "Oh well this guy's going to be the next great player." The Giants let him play each and every day, and he just totally blossomed.

Krukow: Oh, I think he should be a Hall of Famer.

Flemming: I do too.

Krukow: I think that's how good he blossomed.

Flemming: I think when you are even the best or one of the best at your position for such a long period, that is, for me, the number one thresholds for being a Hall of Famer. I mean he was the dominant second baseman of that era.

Krukow: He was the guy. Marvin Benard was on that team...

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It was just my mistake, even more so when I didn't realize Flem threw out Kent's name.