MLB Playoffs 2006
Looking for things to do now that fantasy baseball is over (whohoo- I finished ahead of the three teams that did nothing all year long)? Want to vent about the 2006 MLB season and the ongoing playoffs? Here is your chance- just chime in via the comments and we’ll have an ongoing baseball thread that continues throughout the rest of the season. Richie beat me to the punch this morning:
Tags: baseballI hate f-ing Derek Jeter. I don’t really even know why. I don’t really care that the Yankees beat the Tigers yesterday, other than I don’t want the Yankees to win. But I really hate Jeter, and I hate his 5-for-5, and I hate all the press he’s getting for it. I always thought of Jeter and Kobe in the same terms. I sort of feel redeemed about how I felt about Kobe. Maybe Jeter isn’t a rapist, but I still don’t like him. I feel like I’m the only person on the planet who doesn’t. I think he just seems smug about everything. I’ve always thought he’s a bit overrated offensively too. I like A-Rod, and it seems I’m the only person who likes A-Rod. Oh well.
Related Posts (perhaps)
October 4th, 2006 at 8:51 am
Richie- I totally agree about Jeter. Yes, I know he is the “captain” and he went 5-5 for yesterday. And yes, the Yankees are a good team with a powerful lineup. But, come on- enough of the Yankees worship (is Jeter really “fearless”). They only finished a few games better than the other teams in the AL playoffs. I sure hope the Tigers win and wipe that smug smile off Jeter’s face. But, I don’t think I share your sentiment about Pay-Rod- he annoys me too.
Speaking of the Tigers- is it just me or do they almost sound defeated already? All I hear from them is how good the Yankees lineup is. Leyland makes it sounds like the Tigers can’t compete unless he does some crazy managing and the Tigers get lucky. Maybe he is just using some reverse psyhcology on his team, but it smacks a bit of desperation. If Robertson doesn’t have that disastrous 5 run inning (turn your glove around to backhand slow rolling grounders!!), the Tigers are right in that game. Hopefully Verlander can get it done today.
And what is with Frank Thomas? Talk about a $500,000 bargain!!
October 4th, 2006 at 9:56 am
It’s amazing what Big Frank can do when he’s motivated to do something. That was always the big thing when he had his big contracts in Chicago, he always disappeared when we needed him best. Hmmm, let’s see, it’s a contract year and there’s no pressure on him to do any good…hence, the two homeruns!
Big Frank was my favorite player when I lived in Illinois, but I heard enough of his bitchin’ throughout the years that I soured on him. The only reason he did well this year is because he’s pissed off the Sox didn’t want him back (for many good reasons, I’d take Thome anyday) and he wants more money.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:13 am
I agree with Chris about Frank. I hate Frank Thomas. I’ll always remember that after A-Rod signed his big fat contract that Frank held out of spring training for a week or two pouting about how he deserved the same money (a year after he had signed a very large contract). After his holdout he was immediately injured and out for the year. But, damn, Frank Thomas can sure hit when he is motivated.
I thought Santana pitched much, much better than Zito but that the Twins did not make Zito pay for any mistakes (and he made plenty) and the A’s were great at making Santana pay for his few mistakes. And even on Frank’s homerun, Santana had him fooled and he hit the damn homerun all lunging forward with all his weight on his front foot and pretty much one hand on the bat. I think the Twins should just bean thomas for the rest of the series. Especially when Silva is pitching, so he gets thrown out of the game before he gives up too many runs.
Jeter: The press goes a little overboard in their worship of him. He is a very good baseball player, but not that good. I guarantee, if I was SS for the Yankees, I would have gone 0-5 with 5 strikeouts and instead of fearless they would have called me “helpless.” The possible headline “Helpless and Hapless, Anderson flails at ball all night.”
excerpt from the article:
In the ninth it appeared that Anderson had convinced himself that he had a better chance of getting on base if he simply didn’t swing. Three pitches later, he was called out on strikes. So much for that strategy. Derek Jeter, where are you?
October 4th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
I have to admit, I love watching Jeter play. I love his approach. I love the way he carries himself. I love his effort. And I really loved his mad skills.
He is everything I want to see in a professional in any field on any level. And I do not see any smugness in him.
That being said… the two guys I see having the most fun out there for the Yankees are Damon and Abreu. They look like two kids who have $100 gift certificates in the coolest candy store in town.
I would love to think that Verlander has a 4-hitter in him over 7 innings tonight. I think he’s the Tigers’ only chance to stay in this series. The Yankee hitters just looked so loose last night.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
Greg- welcome to the conversation!! As you can see, you are now unmoderated (i.e. your comments appear immediately).
Re: Jeter- all the things you say are true and secretly I admire those attributes as well. A true professional- clutch, confident, etc. I suppose you can be all those things when you’ve got his skills. Perhaps my opinion along with Richie’s are colored by having the Yankees smack the Braves down so many times in the WS (that Jim Leyritz- arghh!!).
Nate- I’ve seen you play some fine SS. Plus, your on-again-off-again facial hair would not be allowed on the Yankees anyway. So, if you went 0-5 and were truly helpless, you could blame it on Steinbrenner for making you shave. And no matter what, you’d collect your big, fat paycheck either way.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
I will always think that Jeter is overrated (even though he probably is the MVP this year) as my hatred for the Yankees distorts my opinion.
I have an opinion about why no-one really likes A-rod…It’s the common man principle. I have never seen him come to the ballpark in old jeans and a “UM Classics Softball Champions” t-shirt looking like he had too many beers after the doubleheader the night before. He’s always wearing really nice clothes and is perfectly shaven (along with frosted hair, but don’t get me started on that). Anyway, how can the common person relate to him on a personal level. He’s always trying to put on the persona that everything is great and always trying to say the right thing (usually throwing his teammates under the bus). He’s a fantastic player who makes way too much money, but I’d like to see him beaten down by life like the rest of us. It’d show that he has some personallity, not just a robot who’s continually looking for that next endorsement. He reminds me of that clic in high school of the prep boys who have no clue about real life.
October 4th, 2006 at 8:32 pm
Sure, A-Rod is overpaid. I think that is why he gets the most hate.
But who would have turned down $22M a year? No one. You can’t blame
him for the Rangers stupidity. I like A-Rod less now that he’s a
Yankee, but that all has to do with the Yankees and Steinbrenner, not
A-Rod. Since he signed that contract in 2001, he’s won 2 MVPs. How
can you complain about that? And with regards to the common man principle, I think that would apply to Tiger Woods as much as anyone, but A-Rod gets so much more hate than Tiger. I think Tiger and A-Rod are very similar - well dressed, well-groomed, bi-racial, extremely successful,
stoic on the playing field. Plus Tiger is married to a blond Swedish
ex-model (I don’t know A-Rods dating/marriage status). Why shouldn’t
every male on the planet hate Tiger Woods? They don’t, but yet they do
hate A-Rod.
Back to Jeter. The one play that exemplifies my hate for Jeter is the
one where the throw from the outfield to home plate is off target, and
Jeter runs by, catches the ball about 3 feet from home plate, and flips
it to the catcher in time to tag out the runner. This play still gets
shown on highlight clips like it is one of the 10 greatest plays in the
history of baseball. Sure, great hustle, but something about that play
always nags at me. I keep thinking about when I played SS, and this
play never really makes sense to me. What was Jeter doing that close
to home in the first place? The play itself doesn’t really require great
athleticism. He freakin’ caught the ball and flipped it two feet. Why
is this so great? It just seems like he’s getting way too much credit
for being out of place and making a mediocre athletic play.
October 4th, 2006 at 9:16 pm
Sure, Jeter might be overrated, but at least he knows better than to dive for a ball in a 2-2 game in the 7th inning on astroturf. Torii Hunter may be fine, but he probably cost the Twins the series with that boneheaded play.
October 5th, 2006 at 9:00 am
Richie- good call on the Jeter play. I also have no idea why he happened to be in the vicinity of home plate. As far as I know, the SS has no business being there.
That was definitely the wrong decision on Torii Hunter’s part to dive for that ball. I love aggressive play but you’ve got to be smart about it. He is a gold glover center fielder but that error hurt them bad and put the Twins in a deep hole.
How about that crazy double play at home in the Dodgers-Mets game? Somebody would definitely be getting a point for that one!! Sounds like J.D. Drew, being the second one tagged out in the confusion, was most in the wrong. Nothing like having 5 straight people reach base and only scoring one run in the inning!! Doh!!
And what kind of crap did the Yankees pull to get the game postponed yesterday? Sounds fishy to me as it sounds like the Yanks knew way before the Tigers that the game was postponed. A little gamesmanship, maybe?
October 5th, 2006 at 11:04 pm
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October 9th, 2006 at 7:58 am
It sure is nice to see the Yankees lose the Division Series for an early exit and not the Braves.
October 9th, 2006 at 9:52 am
Richie- I totally agree. I took much pleasure in watching the Yanks collapse against the Tigers, not only becaus I’ve enjoyed following the Tigers but also because I hate the Yankees. It makes it even sweeter to see the disarray in the Yankee nation now that they failed again despite their ridiculous payroll.
And how about them Tigers? Rogers and Bonderman were incredible in Games 3 and 4. Both of them seemed to have an extra intensity about them and just kept making pitch after pitch. Leyland really did turn this team around (and how can you not respect a guy that wears his spikes all the time?). It was a great sports day watching UM beat MSU and then flipping back and forth to the Tigers eliminating the Yankees. The celebration was quite a sight (Rogers pouring champagne on the state trooper, players spraying the crowd) and though it might have been a little over the top for the ALDS, it was perfectly acceptable given the Tiger’s recent baseball history!! I hope they can keep it rolling against the A’s!!
October 9th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
I find it hard to think like alot of people (the Yanks Collapse against the Tigers) I can see how people have “blinders” though.The “mighty” Yankees. How many times did they get to play and pad their win total against tampa bay and baltimore this year? the worst teams in our division were Cleveland and …oh well yeah KC. You dont get one of the best records while playing 162 games by being “lucky” or having teams collapse when you play them. You get that kind of record by just plain being a better team and beating them.”Good pitching will beat good hitting almost EVERYTIME”. The Tigers didnt get lucky Vs the Yankers (NOT a type O) They were just BETTER!