MLB 2013

[StarWarsGirl]

This is the MLB 2013 thread. I've created a new thread for the 2014 season. Please move to that thread. Thank you.

Spring training has begun, people! For many baseball fans, football season is just the waiting period to the next baseball season start. Of course, if your team wins the Superbowl, that's always nice. Now pick your team. Mine, of course, is the Baltimore Orioles.

 

[afar28]

Ill probably get alot of flak for this, considering most people hate them, but NY Yankees chase for 28 starts!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Ill probably get alot of flak for this, considering most people hate them, but NY Yankees chase for 28 starts!

They got beat by my team today.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Los Angeles Dodgers, Dodger town.

 

[Nemo14]

My heart belongs to my RedSox no matter what.

 

[Bob Saget]

My two favorite teams are the Toronto Blue Jays & Atlanta Braves, with the Boston Red Sox & Tampa Bay Rays following closely behind.

Those teams I would like to see go all the way. Now as far as who I think will win the 2013 World Series based on talent, scouting, etc...I'd pick a SF Giants repeat, only this time over the LA Angels in 6 games. Pitching wins championships, and the Giants are once again loaded with quite possibly the most dangerous rotation in all of MLB. The Angels have added strength to their lineup by adding Hamilton, so they should go far this year. Also keeping my eye on the Indians, and how they have been making some interesting additions this offseason for the Tribe.

--My 2013 MLB Picks:--

American League
West: LA Angels
Central: Detroit Tigers
East: Baltimore Orioles
Wild Card (1): New York Yankees
Wild Card (2): Oakland A's

ALCS: LA Angels over Detroit Tigers

National League
West: SF Giants
Central: St. Louis Cardinals
East: Washington Nationals
Wild Card (1): LA Dodgers
Wild Card (2): Cincinnati Reds

NLCS: SF Giants over Washington Nationals

World Series: SF Giants over LA Angels

 

[StarWarsGirl]

--My 2013 MLB Picks:--

American League
West: LA Angels
Central: Detroit Tigers
East: Baltimore Orioles
Wild Card (1): New York Yankees
Wild Card (2): Oakland A's

I officially like you. You picked my team over the Yankees. May I ask why you picked the Orioles over the Yankees?

 

[StarWarsGirl]

My heart belongs to my RedSox no matter what.

I will cheer for them...if they beat the Yankees.

Favorite cheer at Oriole park:
Orioles fans: Yankees suck!
Red Sox Fans: We agree!

 

[PUSH]

The Milwaukee Brewers. Don't expect me to be as vocal here (or vocal at all, really) as the NFL thread, though. I don't really follow baseball all that closely. The season tends to drag on. I just wanted to say what my favorite MLB team is.

 

[alindley]

Gotta be the Blue Jays. I've got a job with them so if you ever come to a game be on the lookout.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

The one and only Pittsburgh Pirates. I feel playoffs and World Series this year. Alright Pixie dust aside, obviously me being from Pittsburgh I'm going with the Pirates. But since they are a "hovering .500" team that is built there now, I'll root for my second favorite team, the San Fran Giants.

 

[afar28]

The one and only Pittsburgh Pirates. I feel playoffs and World Series this year. Alright Pixie dust aside, obviously me being from Pittsburgh I'm going with the Pirates. But since they are a "hovering .500" team that is built there now, I'll root for my second favorite team, the San Fran Giants.

They have alot of young talent. McCutchen will be considered a top 5 player in 5 years IMO

 

[StarWarsGirl]

The Milwaukee Brewers. Don't expect me to be as vocal here (or vocal at all, really) as the NFL thread, though. I don't really follow baseball all that closely. The season tends to drag on. I just wanted to say what my favorite MLB team is.

That's interesting. It doesn't drag on for me at all. Football, on the other hand, gets boring. I enjoy coming home, plopping myself on the couch with my laptop and a nice Orioles game to watch while doing homework. If it's not on one night because they have a break or they played middle of the day, I miss it. I also probably went to about 20 games last season. Helps when your father is a Sunday season ticket holder AND his law firm has tickets that are up for grabs on any given day. I only went to one Ravens game last season. Football is on a couple of times a week, only once a week is it my team for a few hours, and then you wait and debate about the next game. Baseball always has a way of changing constantly and staying interesting.

For now, I wear my Superbowl Champions gear with Orioles earrings.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

They have alot of young talent. McCutchen is will be considered a top 5 player in 5 years IMO

There's no question there's some talent on this team. McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez, Burnett, Marte, and we also got a hanful of some of the best pitching prospects in the game. Problem is we have the worst ownership team in all of the MLB. Nutting our owner needs to go cry a river and hide in his CA bungalow chamber. Huntington can't evaluate talent for crap and thinks doing intensive Seals training will help improve a players on field awareness. Coonelley ain't bad. Good business mind. Hurdle I like, however you put good players on his team, it makes him look good vice versa with bad players. Same should be said with other managers. And I don't even want to get started with their famous philosophy/mindset when it comes to the trade deadline "will trade our good players away for prospects". Seen that happen for 20 years and where are we now. I've been alive for 19 going on 20 seasons here my friend and every year I've watched/followed them they've had a losing season. That says a lot. Anyhow, I love going to PNC Park which is the best stadium in all of baseball, no one can argue that. Also is great value and is nice to go to a game on a great sunny night. Offers a great skyline view of the city of Pittsburgh. I'd recommend coming here the next time the Yankees play here and show us what real baseball is. Luckily, there's enough good history in this franchise (4-5 world series) that can hopefully prove me wrong.

 

[rsoxguy]

Hope springs eternal and works against certain realities. I therefore choose my beloved Red Sox.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

The one and only Pittsburgh Pirates. I feel playoffs and World Series this year. Alright Pixie dust aside, obviously me being from Pittsburgh I'm going with the Pirates. But since they are a "hovering .500" team that is built there now, I'll root for my second favorite team, the San Fran Giants.

Who knows. I mean, I know the feeling of having a losing team for a number of years (not 20 years, but almost 15 years) but stuff changes. You get a new manager, you make the playoffs. Something changes, your guys rally, you get in. Tampa Bay did it a few years ago. Orioles did it last year. You just never know. Similarly, a team like the Phillies can just fall apart. It wasn't a losing record, but it also wasn't a winning record. Red Sox did poorly last year as well after being good (though I vividly remember the Orioles knocking them out of the Wildcard spot in favor of Tampa Bay two years ago. Yes, I was at that game...)

I went to a Pirates game at Baltimore last year, and there were some pretty rowdy Pirates fans there even when they were losing. Eventually, we got tired of hearing it in our own park and turned around and said, "You're down by five runs, shut up!" Yes the Orioles won that game. If memory serves correct, it was a blowout. But they were still excited.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

Who knows. I mean, I know the feeling of having a losing team for a number of years (not 20 years, but almost 15 years) but stuff changes. You get a new manager, you make the playoffs. Something changes, your guys rally, you get in. Tampa Bay did it a few years ago. Orioles did it last year. You just never know. Similarly, a team like the Phillies can just fall apart. It wasn't a losing record, but it also wasn't a winning record. Red Sox did poorly last year as well after being good (though I vividly remember the Orioles knocking them out of the Wildcard spot in favor of Tampa Bay two years ago. Yes, I was at that game...)

I went to a Pirates game at Baltimore last year, and there were some pretty rowdy Pirates fans there even when they were losing. Eventually, we got tired of hearing it in our own park and turned around and said, "You're down by five runs, shut up!" Yes the Orioles won that game. If memory serves correct, it was a blowout. But they were still excited.

There last winning season was in 1992. That means they finished .500 or above (.592 winning percentage that year). Made it to the NLCS and lost to the Braves. Therefore it makes it 20. I'm from Pittsburgh, I know my Pgh sports. The examples you showed above are what the Pirates should use as a model. We are known for having rowdy sports fans although the one's you ran into their aren't usually how they act all the time. Being down by 5 anymore does mean we're actually in the game at this point but shouldn't of been rowdy, should've been courteous and left like most fans here would do. Negativity is what surrounds this team when observing them.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

There's no question there's some talent on this team. McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez, Burnett, Marte, and we also got a hanful of some of the best pitching prospects in the game. Problem is we have the worst ownership team in all of the MLB. Nutting our owner needs to go cry a river and hide in his CA bungalow chamber. Huntington can't evaluate talent for crap and thinks doing intensive Seals training will help improve a players on field awareness. Coonelley ain't bad. Good business mind. Hurdle I like, however you put good players on his team, it makes him look good vice versa with bad players. Same should be said with other managers. And I don't even want to get started with their famous philosophy/mindset when it comes to the trade deadline "will trade our good players away for prospects". Seen that happen for 20 years and where are we now. I've been alive for 19 going on 20 seasons here my friend and every year I've watched/followed them they've had a losing season. That says a lot. Anyhow, I love going to PNC Park which is the best stadium in all of baseball, no one can argue that. Also is great value and is nice to go to a game on a great sunny night. Offers a great skyline view of the city of Pittsburgh. I'd recommend coming here the next time the Yankees play here and show us what real baseball is. Luckily, there's enough good history in this franchise (4-5 world series) that can hopefully prove me wrong.

Oh gosh, this brings back bad memories of Orioles seasons long gone...but yes, this is probably the problem, as it was with us. We would trade away our good players, fired several managers doing a poor job, and just made some really bad decisions. I also know the feeling of not knowing what it's like to have a winning team. But then we got Buck Showalter. Who never looks happy, win or lose, but he's the best.
I mean, keeping a few good prospects on the team is always a good thing, but you have to have some solid players in addition to the prospects. We have a 20-year-old on our team (who is fantastic and who I expect to be the next Cal Ripken eventually, and who Cal has praised like there's no tomorrow), but we also have more experienced players, like Adam Jones, who are going to be with us for several more years. I still think that every team has a good chance, yes, even the Pirates.
17 years, only about 14 that I actually remember, of just watching them lose, and then on the 17th year, it's "Hey, let's win." That's when it feels great to have been loyal to one particular team and it all pays off.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

Mark Cuban, if you're reading this thread, I give you full permission to buyout the Pirates ownership and spend money on the team to get our payroll at about $110 million. Not uniform upgrades or employee salary increases. Being your a Pittsburgh guy who is looking for something to do in the NBA offseason, I'd seriously consider this offer.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

There last winning season was in 1992. That means they finished .500 or above (.592 winning percentage that year). Made it to the NLCS and lost to the Braves. Therefore it makes it 20. I'm from Pittsburgh, I know my Pgh sports. The examples you showed above are what the Pirates should use as a model. We are known for having rowdy sports fans although the one's you ran into their aren't usually how they act all the time. Being down by 5 anymore does mean we're actually in the game at this point but shouldn't of been rowdy, should've been courteous and left like most fans here would do. Negativity is what surrounds this team when observing them.

Not quite as bad as the Orioles. Before last year, the last time we went to the playoffs was 97. Pirates fans aren't terrible; it's the invasion of the Yankees fans that I can't stand...I found the Pirates fans more amusing than anything. Just for the heck of it I looked up what the score was for that game. 7-1. Yup. We swept that series.