MLB

[Dubbel]

Wat denken jullie van het nieuwe seizoen?

Kansen liggen dit jaar ongeveer 50/50 denk ik. Dus 50% dat Anaheim de WS wint en 50% voor het soepie.

[zeux]

Washington valt er in dit beeld af, maar staat schuin rechts onder Dodgers.

Had Mets iets zuidelijker gedacht kwa jong talent.

Phillies staan prima.

[Dubbel]

Washington dus als favoriet om WS te winnen?

Okay, ze hebben een goeie werper maar om ze daarmee op 1 te zetten?

NEXT GAME
Milwaukee Brewers @ Los Angeles Angels

Thursday, Mar 5, 2015, 2:10 PM EST

Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ


YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE

[zeux]

Washington dus als favoriet om WS te winnen?

Okay, ze hebben een goeie werper maar om ze daarmee op 1 te zetten?

Hebben vandaag Scherzer gekocht...

By Bill Ladson / MLB.com | @washingnats | 44 minutes ago + 675 COMMENTS
WASHINGTON -- Right-hander Max Scherzer agreed to terms on a seven-year deal with the Nationals late Sunday night, a source told MLB.com. The value of the contract is $210 million.

The club has not confirmed the deal, which was first reported by CBSSports.com.
Scherzer, arguably the best free agent this offseason, joins a pitching staff that led the Major Leagues with a 3.03 ERA in 2014. Scherzer is familiar with general manager Mike Rizzo, who drafted the right-hander in the first round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft when Rizzo was the scouting director for the D-backs. Sent to Detroit as part of a three-team trade in December 2009, Scherzer went on to blossom with the Tigers, winning 82 games over five seasons and capturing the American League Cy Young Award in '13.
During the Baseball Winter Meetings in December, Rizzo said the Nationals would not acquire a big-name pitcher unless they traded one of their starting pitchers. Yet both Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister, who are free agents after 2015, remain on the roster.
Zimmermann and Fister were Washington's two best pitchers last season. Zimmermann won 14 games and pitched the team's first no-hitter on the last day of the season.
Fister, who was once a teammate of Scherzer's in Detroit, missed the first month of the season because of a lat strain, but led the team in victories with 16 and had a 2.41 ERA.

Dat is dus vier van de vijf dagen Strasburg, Scherzer, Zimmerman en Fister. Met Gonzalez daar nog bij. Hmmmpf.
In welke divisie zaten we ook alweer?

[InnerHarbour]

ESPN

Twee van die klote aap maar drie van de Rangers in de top 10 slechtste contracten Dubbel.

[Dubbel]

Hamilton en Wilson neem ik aan??? Komen overigens beiden van Arlington...

[InnerHarbour]

Nee Hamilton en Pujols.

[zeux]

De donkere financiële dagen voor Wilpons lijken voorbij.

Nu hopen dat ze weer wat wat willen investeren in de Mets. Komende winter wat slagkracht erbij graag. Legit OF en SS bijvoorbeeld.

Voor dit jaar zal er weinig meer bij komen denk ik. Shortstop-markt is verkend, maar was of te matig of kostte teveel talent in een trade. Mogelijk dat er deze zomer een trade komt als Mets op koers voor de playoffs liggen en Flores het toch niet redt op SS, maar voorlopig even niet.

[zeux]

A-Rod bakt zoete broodjes voordat Spring Training begint.

Het zal mij benieuwen. Kan me niet voorstellen dat we hem op het derde honk terug gaan zien. DH at best.
Binnen een maand gaat zijn heup opspelen?
In gedachten hebben de Yankees volgens mij de 61 miljoen die hij nog krijgt allang afgeboekt.

[InnerHarbour]

Ranking the teams by David Schoenfield | ESPN.com

30 through 25

24 through 19

18 through 13

[zeux]

Ranking the teams by David Schoenfield | ESPN.com

30 through 25

24 through 19

18 through 13

Wow, David ziet Mets dus bij de eerste 12 en daarmee als een potentiële play-off kandidaat. Optimistisch! Op basis van pitching: yes. Op basis van hitting: not so sure.

[zeux]

Geinig, in het rijtje van David Schoenfield voor de plekken 12-7 is het:

10. Mets
9. Orioles
8. Angels

10. New York Mets

Big offseason moves: Signed OF/1B Michael Cuddyer; signed OF John Mayberry Jr.; did not acquire Troy Tulowitzki, Ozzie Smith or Honus Wagner.

Most intriguing player: Matt Harvey. Back from Tommy John surgery, Harvey was as good as any pitcher in baseball in 2013 before his injury. He'll be ready Opening Day. But will he be Matt Harvey, Cy Young contender?

Due for a better year: David Wright played through a shoulder problem -- a bruised rotator cuff that sapped his power and finally forced him to shut things down in September. From 2009 to 2013, he hit .323/.412/.536 against fastballs; in 2014, he hit .281/.337/.363. A healthy Wright should be worth three to four extra wins for the Mets.

Due for a worse year: I'll take the under on Lucas Duda hitting 30 home runs again. Although I think he'll come close and be a pretty valuable contributor. It's one reason I like the Mets -- the lack of obvious decline candidates.

I'm just the messenger: The problem with the Cuddyer signing is obvious: He doesn't have much range in right field, he's coming of a season in which he played just 49 games and while he hit .332 and .331 the past two seasons, he'd never hit .300 before going to the Rockies. And he turns 36 in March. The Mets signed Cuddyer and then apparently the Wilpons ran out of money because Sandy Alderson could have gone on vacation the rest of the winter.

The final word: And yet ... I'm picking the Mets to win a wild card! My gut says either the Mets or the Marlins win a wild card, thanks in part to how bad the Phillies and Braves may be. I like the Mets better because of the depth in the rotation. Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom is the real deal and Zack Wheeler has the arm strength and now the experience to take a leap forward. Obviously, a lot hinges on the comeback of Harvey and return to form of Wright. Everybody's concerned about Wilmer Flores at shortstop, but he doesn't project to be as terrible as everyone thinks. Anyway, every year there's at least one team that climbs from under .500 into the postseason (actually, there were two last season and three in 2013). The Mets are my pick for 2015.

Prediction: 86-76


9. Baltimore Orioles

Big offseason moves: Lost OFs Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis and LHP Andrew Miller via free agency; re-signed DH Delmon Young; acquired OF Travis Snider from the Pirates; signed LHP Wesley Wright; and GM Dan Duquette flirted with taking over as president of the Blue Jays.

Most intriguing player: Manny Machado. He's had two knee surgeries in two seasons, one on each knee. The Orioles need his defense and his bat.

Due for a better year: Chris Davis will miss Opening Day due to the final game of his PED suspension and then settle back in at first base, where he may not hit 53 home runs and drive in 138 runs again, but should hit much better than .196/.300/.404.

Due for a worse year: Steve Pearce was a 31-year-old journeyman whom the Orioles actually released April 27 and then re-signed two days later when Davis went on the DL with an oblique injury. Pearce hit .293/.373/.556 with 21 home runs in 338 at-bats, after hitting 17 in 743 previous major league at-bats. It may not be a complete fluke; he shortened his stride, which worked to shorten his swing and tap into the power he showed early in his minor league career (33 home runs in 2007). With the departure of Cruz, Pearce will get a chance to play every day, probably shuttling between DH and the outfield.

I'm just the messenger: Orioles fans are a little sensitive about this, because they have won 96, 85 and 93 games the past three seasons: The analytics don't care much for the O's, especially the starting rotation. Basically, the metrics argue that the Orioles' collection of No. 3 and No. 4 starters isn't that good. That even though the Orioles were fifth in the AL in ERA last season, they were just 11th in strikeout percentage and 13th in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Just because the rotation was solid in 2014 doesn't mean it will be similarly effective in 2015, given the middling peripherals. FanGraphs forecasts the Orioles finishing last in the AL East, under .500. Baseball Prospectus forecasts them finishing last in the AL East, under .500. You can disagree with the computers, but that's what the computers say.

The final word: But I'm not a computer! I like the O's to finish above .500. If Machado returns and Matt Wieters gets back behind the plate on a regular basis, that will help; but even if he doesn't, Caleb Joseph threw out a league-leading 40 percent of base stealers. They lose Cruz's power but Davis will have a better year. And, like the Red Sox, maybe the rotation lacks an ace, but it has depth -- especially if Kevin Gausman can produce 30 starts in his first full season. Don't sleep on Chris Tillman, who had a 2.33 ERA in the second half with a much-improved strikeout rate. The defense and bullpen are both solid and no manager is more prepared than Buck Showalter.

Prediction: 86-76


8. Los Angeles Angels

Big offseason moves: Traded 2B Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers for LHP Andrew Heaney; acquired OF Matt Joyce from the Rays for RHP Kevin Jepsen; acquired RHP Nick Tropeano and C Carlos Perez from the Astros for C Hank Conger; signed Cuban INF Roberto Baldoquin; acquired 2B Josh Rutledge from the Rockies for RHP Jairo Diaz.

Most intriguing player: Mike Trout. He won the MVP award with his worst season. Which tells you how good he is. But will he learn to adjust to all those high fastballs he'll be seeing after pitchers learned his weakness?

Due for a better year: No obvious candidate. I’d suggest Josh Hamilton but he’s already injured, out six to eight weeks after surgery on his shoulder. That puts him ready right around Opening Day. But even if he’s ready, will he hit?

Due for a worse year: Matt Shoemaker was one of the biggest surprises in the majors, a pitcher with uninspiring minor league numbers who made the team out of spring training but was sent down after three relief appearances. Called back up in May to join the rotation, Shoemaker went 16-4 with a 3.04 ERA, including a 1.87 ERA in the second half as the Angels surged past the A’s. I think he’ll be pretty good thanks to a terrific splitter/changeup that batters hit just .160 against with one home run in 173 plate appearances, but I’m not sure he’s this good.

I'm just the messenger: This is where I’m supposed to say something bad. OK, the Howie Kendrick trade made sense because they picked up young left-hander Andrew Heaney, who has potential to develop into a No. 2-type starter. The Angels needed rotation depth, preferably an inexpensive young starter, but losing Kendrick does hurt in the short term as the team lacks an obvious quality replacement; they did pick up Rutledge, although keep an eye on Cuban free agent Roberto Baldoquin. More than anything, however, we're just looking at regression: You win 98 games because a lot of things go right; not as many things will likely go right in 2015.

The final word: The Angels probably have the highest floor of any team in the American League. They’re a safe bet to finish over .500. The lineup has Trout, a still-effective Albert Pujols and solid depth with underrated players such as Kole Calhoun and Chris Iannetta. There’s a little more uncertainty in the rotation with Shoemaker, Garrett Richards coming back from his knee injury, the wear and tear on Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson’s control issues. In the end, I see the Angels returning to the postseason and battling the Mariners in a tough AL West.

Prediction: 87-75

[zeux]

Cute!!!



Hoeveel kladjes zijn hieraan vooraf gegaan? Tongetje uit de mond bij het schrijven?

[InnerHarbour]

Over slechte contracten gesproken Dubbel

[Dubbel]

Tja, hij houdt nou eenmaal van uitgaan....

Na dit jaar wordt het alleen maar minder dus ik reken op de wereldtitel.

[InnerHarbour]

Overal lees ik dat de GNats de grote favorieten zijn voor het winnen van de WS dus jullie hebben pech.

[zeux]

Overal lees ik dat de GNats de grote favorieten zijn voor het winnen van de WS dus jullie hebben pech.

Moeten ze eerst langs de Mets.

Er heerst onverbeterlijk optimisme in Queens. Ze zien zichzelf al de playoffs in pitchen. Ik moet het nog zien. Eerst maar eens naar een winnend seizoen met een behoorlijke marge (85 wins bijv) streven. Dan verder dromen.

[Dubbel]

En toen was het plotseling Maart.

O's momenteel op achterstand 0-2 tegen de Tigers.

En 0-7....

Slam van Cespedes 0-11

Rout, rout, rout!

[zeux]

Phillies verloren van universiteitsteam. Nice. :-)

[Dubbel]

Tigers own de O's opnieuw. Streep IH maar vast met potlood door qua oktober...

[InnerHarbour]

Elk jaar hetzelfde, resultaten in ST betekenen niets Dubbel, dat je dat nu nog niet weet, moet ik je blijven onderwijzen.

BTW, oktober gaat het voor de O's niet worden, hebben toch teveel ingeleverd IMO. 85-77 geen playoff's dit jaar.

[Dubbel]

Zeg maar dag met je titel SFO
Zeg maar dag met je titel SFO
Zeg maar dag met je titel, dag met je titel
Dag met je titel SFO

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ ... s-29426218

Angels Joden Honkballes, la la la la la la la la la laaaaaa

Anaheim's Andrew Heaney; het waren 15 fantastische minuten...

edit: http://www.halosheaven.com/2015/3/6/816 ... me-from-lf

[zeux]

Mets hebben een LHP-probleem in de bullpen. Collins zegt eventueel zonder linkshandige reliever het seizoen in te gaan. Pffff. Madness.

[Dubbel]

Oef, had geloof ik een bakkie op in mn vorige post.

[InnerHarbour]