MLB Season 2006 thread

[redwings1914 18]

WOW WHAT A COMEBACK TODAY!

[timothy1997 0]

after today's comeback win, this clinches it for me.

THE 2006 DETROIT TIGERS WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!!!!

I know it is still early, but this team is on a mission. Even if the Tigers go .500 from here on out, they still win 90 games. I challenge anyone to convince me that this team cannot play .500 ball.

[BlakChamber 8]

I like seeing the Tigers win come back games. A couple years ago, even last year they would have just given up. Not anymore.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Uh, wow. Just wow. Another new way to win instead of another new way to lose. Every time I watch the Tigers win, I see the old Tigers in the opponent. Little things like falling just short of making the great catch, giving up RBI doubles on 0-2 counts, throwing the ball nearly into the stands on a routine bunt, and not-so-little things like blowing huge leads. I remember listening to the Tigers play the Twins a couple years ago on Internet radio, and they scored like 7 runs in the top of the 5th, and proceeded to allow 8 in the bottom half. Old Tigers. New version is so much more fun.

[dallas27 7]

Sooooo glad this game was on tv....bastards

[Lou_Siffer 1]

Kansas City is just putrid, its hard to even come up with a word to describe how bad that team is. I mean theres just NOTHING there. Sweeney better hurry up and get healthy so he can get the hell outta there!

I had yesterday's game on the radio, and im proud to say that i stuck with it even after the 1st inning!

[betterREDthandead 58]

Is it too soon to start the ROY campaign for Justin Verlander? Or do we have to wait until Papelbon blows a few more saves?

[Lou_Siffer 1]

Nope, not too early. Hell ive already got Kenny winning the Cy Young lol

[betterREDthandead 58]

Tigers move 2.5 games ahead of the White Sox last night. The altar at the High Church of Leyland is nearly complete and I am hoping St. Justin will make an appearance tonight to consecrate it.

[Lou_Siffer 1]

Its really crazy looking up and down the lineup and seeing so many HR's and RBI's all spread out. I remember back one year when we didnt have anybody hit 20 HR's (or maybe we had 1 guy..)...now we could have as many as 6 or 7 easily!

I think Spurling does deserve to be up here, but im not really confident in Colon in the rotation. Leyland still hasnt made a decision but bringing up Chris makes you think Colon will start. They still could make a switch but im kinda hoping to see what Zach Miner's got. I like the idea of bringing up the guys who are playing the best, regardless of experience. Heck i wouldnt be surprised if Humberto Sanchez got the call from Erie.

I love watching Pudge after we get the final out, it just always gives me that Marlins feeling when they won it all with him.

[Draper_Rocks#33 4]

i also read that they might call up Wilfredo Ledezma to take his spot

[Lou_Siffer 1]

i also read that they might call up Wilfredo Ledezma to take his spot

If Leyland sticks with his philosophy, it will be Miner.

[betterREDthandead 58]

3.5 game lead.

[Lou_Siffer 1]

s*** I might have to change my Cy Young avatar to Verlander now!! (depending on tomorrow!) I love the way he has the ability to just crank up that fastball to 101 when he wants to. You watch him one inning and he's throwing 95-97 and you think well, maybe he lost some zip tonight...then next thing you know its 98...then 99....then 100+!

[BlakChamber 8]

Another win tonight

Is that 13 of the last 14, or 14 of 15?

[betterREDthandead 58]

Another win tonight

Is that 13 of the last 14, or 14 of 15?

Wrong and wrong: 15 of 16

[dallas27 7]

The Tigers beat the Indians 3-1 for their 15th win in their last 16 games. The Tigers won 15 times over a 16-game stretch in only two other seasons: 1911 and 1984.

espn.com

1984 was a real good year for the Tigers...

[redwings1914 18]

Todays loss was expected....can win everysingle game

Bonds hit 715.

[BlakChamber 8]

You mean, 715*

If I remember correctly, Rogers has struggled his last two starts. I know his last start before yesterday, the Tigers got the win, but I don't remember Kenny pitching well.

[eva unit zero 271]

You mean, 715*

If I remember correctly, Rogers has struggled his last two starts. I know his last start before yesterday, the Tigers got the win, but I don't remember Kenny pitching well.

You can personally asterisk it in your head all you want..but the fact remains:

There is no real evidence that says Bonds knowingly or intentionally took steroids. Combine that with the fact that his period of alleged use falls into a time period in which steroids were not against the rules, and the fact he had already posted significant power numbers and won the MVP a couple times before the alleged use.

Remember...there has never been a positive steroid test on Bonds, as there was for Palmeiro and others.

[dallas27 7]

Bonds told a U.S. grand jury that he used undetectable steroids known as "the cream" and "the clear," which he received from personal trainer Greg Anderson during the 2003 season. According to Bonds, the trainer told him the substances were the nutritional supplement flaxseed oil and a pain-relieving balm for the player's arthritis. According to government attorneys, BALCO founder Victor Conte has identified the designer steroid THG as "the clear."

Doesn't matter if he did or did not know that he used a steroid, only thing that does is that he did.

[eva unit zero 271]

Doesn't matter if he did or did not know that he used a steroid, only thing that does is that he did.

No, the only thing that matters is that it has never been proven he ever actually took anything. Only assumed. If this were a criminal trial he would walk after the prosecution presented nothing but hearsay and conjecture.

[betterREDthandead 58]

You can personally asterisk it in your head all you want..but the fact remains:

There is no real evidence that says Bonds knowingly or intentionally took steroids. Combine that with the fact that his period of alleged use falls into a time period in which steroids were not against the rules, and the fact he had already posted significant power numbers and won the MVP a couple times before the alleged use.

Remember...there has never been a positive steroid test on Bonds, as there was for Palmeiro and others.

No concrete evidence, but it'd be like finding Bonds holding a hot smoking gun, standing over a dead Victor Conte with a bullet hole in his head (we can all wish), right after taking out billboard ads all over the city that said "I'm Barry Bonds and I will kill Victor Conte by shooting him through the head."

So whether or not there are witnesses, there's more than enough circumstantial evidence to get past the "reasonable doubt" standard. Bonds juices. Or he juiced. Probably not stupid enough to any more.

Look at the numbers. He supposedly started juicing for the 1998 season.

From 1986-1997, he batted .288, slugged .551, and hit a home run every 16.2 at-bats.

From 1998-2005, he batted .323, slugged .730, and hit a home run every 9.2 at-bats.

You don't just start cranking up the numbers at age 32. And you don't juice without knowing it. You can't tell me that for 8 years he just took a different brand of painkiller. Aleve is great for the ol' arthritis, but not THAT great. You need a major, major cocktail of stuff to get that kind of numbers boost, not just an accidental diet supplement.

Yes, he posted significant power numbers before the juicing. Yes, he won a few MVPs. I'd say the numbers were quite a bit more significant afterwards. No, it wasn't against the rules. It was still cheating - otherwise, it wouldn't be banned now.

[eva unit zero 271]

No concrete evidence, but it'd be like finding Bonds holding a hot smoking gun, standing over a dead Victor Conte with a bullet hole in his head (we can all wish), right after taking out billboard ads all over the city that said "I'm Barry Bonds and I will kill Victor Conte by shooting him through the head."

So whether or not there are witnesses, there's more than enough circumstantial evidence to get past the "reasonable doubt" standard. Bonds juices. Or he juiced. Probably not stupid enough to any more.

Look at the numbers. He supposedly started juicing for the 1998 season.

From 1986-1997, he batted .288, slugged .551, and hit a home run every 16.2 at-bats.

From 1998-2005, he batted .323, slugged .730, and hit a home run every 9.2 at-bats.

You don't just start cranking up the numbers at age 32. And you don't juice without knowing it. You can't tell me that for 8 years he just took a different brand of painkiller. Aleve is great for the ol' arthritis, but not THAT great. You need a major, major cocktail of stuff to get that kind of numbers boost, not just an accidental diet supplement.

Yes, he posted significant power numbers before the juicing. Yes, he won a few MVPs. I'd say the numbers were quite a bit more significant afterwards. No, it wasn't against the rules. It was still cheating - otherwise, it wouldn't be banned now.

There is not a steroid you can take which will improve your batting average. Also, that's a very skewed stat you posted; His average did not drop below .291 from 1990 to 1997...and in four of the six years immediately preceding the alleged juicing, his SLG was in the 600s and above his career average of .609.

Also: after hitting 30 HR only once from 86-91, Bonds would hit 40 HR three times from 92-97, hitting at least 30 every season. Aside from the 73 HR season, Bonds has never hit 50+ even in his 'juiced' years. Is it so hard to believe that one of the best players of our generation could have an unusually good season?

Or maybe every pretty good player that has had a ridiculously good season was just juiced? Selanne must have been hitting the needle hard in 92, huh? Or maybe Gordie Howe was on steroids when he posted 100 points in the 70s after never doing it before?

[dallas27 7]

Is it hard to believe that Barry Bonds took steriods? You don't gain that much muscle that fast just working out. How much muscle did he put on? Probably 30 pounds worth?