baseball poll on you-know-who's trade

[hewhocaves]

We're all intelligent, thoughtful people on here... is the A-Rod trade good or bad?

John

[Superluminal]

As a Rangers fan I have to say they are trying for a 3 pete this year. In last place that is. Everybody has been talking about A-Rod so much, I haven't heard what the Rangers got.

[snowcelt]

A-Rod? What a crappy nick name.

Kareem Abdul Jabar: Cream Jar

Sorry. Why not call him Rodriquez (or however you spell it.)

A-Rod! What a s*** name.

What is wrong with you people? You spend hours figuring out ERAs, but you are incapable of spending 25 seconds on figuring out how to pronounce a foreign name?

Sorry. Prob bein' a foo'.

[Sister Ray]

I'm a red sox fan. A-Rod is the trophy wife of baseball - each team that was after him just wanted him so the others couldn't have him.

I still think it's absurd that we tried to trade for a shortstop when we already have one of the best in baseball, who's half A-Rod's salary (at least).

[NASA Fan]

Sorry. Why not call him Rodriquez (or however you spell it.)

What is wrong with you people? You spend hours figuring out ERAs, but you are incapable of spending 25 seconds on figuring out how to pronounce a foreign name?

I don't follow baseball so I have almost no idea what the details of this trade/thread is about, but I do have to agree with snowcelt that Rodriquez is not that hard to pronounce, I encounter names on an almost daily basis that are harder to pronounce.

[constible]

A-Rod's just a nickname. Every baseball player has a nickname.

A-Rod will definitely add to the Yankees defensively. Soriano as just as good as A-Rod offensively, just nowhere as good defensively. The Yanks aren't getting a major upgrade in offense like everyone seems to think. The only thing A-Rod is better at is defense, and hopefully post-season at-bats. (Soriano was absolutely TERRIBLE!!!!).

The Rangers get pretty much the same player, at a fraction of the salary. It's a great move for the Rangers. I'm willing to bet this helps the Rangers more than it helps the Yankees.

And pfft to the Red Sox. They had their chance, but blew it.

[Sister Ray]

And pfft to the Red Sox. They had their chance, but blew it.

And I'm glad we did. We HAVE a shortstop. We don't need two.

[Normandy6644]

The Rangers got Alfonso Soriano and a minor leaguer. I think it's kind of crappy, since I'm a Devil Rays fan (hey, I've in Tampa and no one can accuse me of bandwagoning when they get better!). Basically the whole money war between Boston and NY screws over the rest of the AL East. I mean, the D-Rays spent $10 million this year, and they call it a major improvement! Until money issues are addressed in baseball, a team with a small payroll will never be able to compete against these $100 million dollar teams. I mean I love baseball, but I would like to see some real competition. Ah who cares, Lou and the Rays will take 'em out anyway!!

[Sister Ray]

Lots of Red Sox fans go to Devil Rays games. I know this because there's always applause when one of them comes up to bat.

Yes, Boston has money. But New York has more. I'd like more competition in the AL East (I think Baltimore might give us a good run this year, though) but right now it isn't happening. Heck, I'd like more competition in baseball overall - I've seen many world series' since 1988 (I turned six that year and baseball became cool.) and my favorites are 2002 (since it was two unusual teams) and 1993 (Joe Carter's homer still makes me cry. When it happened, my mother came rushing into the room because she thought I'd hurt myself!). That is of course live world series'. I'd have a different list with them overall.

[Normandy6644]

Lots of Red Sox fans go to Devil Rays games. I know this because there's always applause when one of them comes up to bat.

Lol I know, I hate that. :lol: I want to go and have the majority of the crowd rooting for the real home team. Maybe when they start winning...

[Sister Ray]

Lots of Red Sox fans go to Devil Rays games. I know this because there's always applause when one of them comes up to bat.

Lol I know, I hate that. :lol: I want to go and have the majority of the crowd rooting for the real home team. Maybe when they start winning...

It baffles my mind why the team was created, You're the first Devil Rays fan I've ever met. I think that now means that I've met someone who is or was a fan of every MLB team since the late thirties. And not all of them are ancient. There are Brooklyn Dodgers fans I've met who's parents weren't even alive when the team moved.

[hewhocaves]

Normandy.. so you're the fan. :-) Bud Selig ought to be paying you a dividend check. you could put it towards another scope (grin). However, you guys have Zimmer and Tino, you'll definately improve this year.

My sister lives in Tampa and is a Yankees fan. Whenever she goes to Yankees games, they lose. I've asked her to stay away when they are in the playoffs.

As for the Rangers, i think they made out pretty good, better than if they had done the boston deal. It's really a matter of can they make Soriano into the player everyone thinks he should be. In NY they were saying he has Mays or hank Aaron-like qualities. Plus, he's a good, quiet player. One should think that after the A-Rod mouthing off that would be welcome.

As for the BoSox, I just enjoy reading the Boston papers. I love Dan Shaugnessey's articles; I read him more frequently than anyone in NY. Lost in all this was the undertone that calling a deal 'done' when you're just starting out with negotiations is never a good move. Sort of a 'Pons and Fleischman' move, yes? And remember, when NY didn't get Schilling and foulke, we didn't go screaming unfair to everybody.

Lastly, I can think of 162 reasons why this trade is the most important thing in the world and means nothing. That's why we run the experiment.

John

[Normandy6644]

Normandy.. so you're the fan. Bud Selig ought to be paying you a dividend check. you could put it towards another scope (grin). However, you guys have Zimmer and Tino, you'll definately improve this year.

Yep, it's me. :lol: There are a few others around here, just right now it's not a big baseball area. Like I said, maybe if the team starts winning (and with the addition of Tino, Zimmer, Jose Cruz, and a few others) they might have a better shot at it this year. I'm hopinh it will be like it was for Seattle when Pinella was their manager. They went from under 500 to the playoffs and suddenly attendance jumped up like crazy. I'm hoping we get the same here. *crosses fingers*

[beck0311]

Until money issues are addressed in baseball, a team with a small payroll will never be able to compete against these $100 million dollar teams. I mean I love baseball, but I would like to see some real competition.

I have been an Oakland A's fan since I was knee high to a grasshopper. They have made the playoffs 4 years in a row with a much lower payroll than the Yankees (this year it is a third of the Yank's). Spending a huge amount of money on a positional player is just throwing money away. It remains to be seen how this trade affects the Yankee's chances, but the larger impact will likely come from the loss of the Rocket and Andy Petit (sp?). The most successful baseball teams have good pitching staffs (including the bullpen and the closer) and a team can have a strong pitching staff without breaking the bank, but it takes a strong farm system and some creative work from the GM (thank God for Billy Bean!).

[Normandy6644]

Within pitching in mind, the Cubs should have another good year, since the just got Maddux. I think it will be hard to beat the three punch of Maddux, Prior, and Wood. Gonna be a fun year.

[orion11349]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the inevitable world series winners.

The Angels. Yes with Arte Moreno as our new owner, we have regrouped and stocked our team with pitching and hitting.

I think that the AL West will be a real treat to watch this year.

By the way, the Angels have always played the Yankees very well.

Go Angels :D

[Kebsis]

I'm predicting Yanks go all the way this year.

[Bob The Confused]

Come on, let's look at this illogically. Last year, the Marlins got Ivan Rodriguez and they went all the way. So, based solely on that logic, everyone must expect the Tigers to do the same. Wow, I can't even type that without laughing my head off. :lol:

I always like to think my team will do well. (NY Mets fan here, woohoo) However, I know the reality of it is they will stink. Oh well, one of these days they'll actually win something.

[ocasey3]

As a long time Tiger fan, I am keeping my fingers crossed. Its about time Illitch (sp?) spent some money on this team and not just on my beloved Red Wings.

[beck0311]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the inevitable world series winners.

The Angels. Yes with Arte Moreno as our new owner, we have regrouped and stocked our team with pitching and hitting.

I think that the AL West will be a real treat to watch this year.

By the way, the Angels have always played the Yankees very well.

Go Angels :D

It wasn't that long ago thet AL west was kind of a joke, but the last 5 years has seen a lot of improvement. It has been pretty exciting right through September. Looking at the teams that the Angels, the Mariners and the 2004 World Champion Oakland Athletics (maybe a bit premature) I also think that it will be another exciting year on the coast.

Also the Rangers are in AL west, but nobody cares about them 8-[ .

[Darkwing]

With the amount of money Steinbrenner is dumping into the Yankees, I have to laugh every time the Yankees lose the World Series.

And now that the have A-Rod as well, I'll have to laugh even more every time the Red Sox beat them. I'm not saying the Sox will beat the Yankees every game--but when they do, it's a jab in the eye of Steinbrenner that I can't help but get some satisfaction over.

As for the nickname of A-Rod, there's a lot of players in baseball named Rodriguez, so having nicknames for them helps distinguish them.

2 examples:
Alex Rodriguez = A-Rod
Ivan Rodriguez = Pudge

[constible]

The Yanks have an incredible line-up, but I'm still concerned about their pitching. Brown is more injury prone than Wells, Contreras has no experience, Vazquez hasn't pitched in New York, Lieber hasn't pitched in a year...

I'd say the Yanks have the third best rotation, Boston being second and the Cubs being first. The A's are fourth and the Astros are fifth. That's my $0.02.

And, as a Yankee fan, I am disgruntled with the way Steinbrenner's been handling the team as of late. Last year I overlooked it, but now it's ridiculous. Sheffield and Lofton aren't exactly model team players, the whole team is completely different, the bullpen is amazing, but untested.
Joe Torre is going to have his hands full.

And for all the naysayers out there who think A-Rod should be at short and Jeter at third due to A-Rod's better defensive capabilities, I actually think that's why A-Rod should go to third. He is better defensively, and will have a much easier time adjusting there. Jeter would would end up being in the bottom half of third basemans defensively.

The Yanks have had the biggest payroll for the last three years, and haven't won a World Series, so I'm not really inclined to think you can buy World Series championships. The Mets had a bloated payroll and they couldn't even finish at .500. The New York Rangers' (hockey) payroll is twice the next highest team IIRC and look at them.

And the '98 Yanks had something like an $80 million payroll and won 116 games.

What I'm trying to say, is that baseball isn't predictable, it's a game of streaks. Money doesn't win, even most wins in a season doesn't guarantee a championship ('01 Mariners). Timely post-season hitting and pitching wins chamionships.

[milli360]

I'm predicting Yanks go all the way this year.
My World Series postdiction (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=184131#184131)

[constible]

I'm predicting Yanks go all the way this year.
My World Series postdiction (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=184131#184131)

You're correct on three of them so far. Wow.

[Normandy6644]

I'm predicting Yanks go all the way this year.
My World Series postdiction (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=184131#184131)

You're correct on three of them so far. Wow.

Yeah, are we looking at a "Milli-damos" here? Any doomsday ideas? What about Hitler? Is he gonna make a comeback? Answers, now!

[milli360]

You're correct on three of them so far. Wow.
Yeah, are we looking at a "Milli-damos" here?
I was a bit confused for a moment there. I had to look at the calendar to see what month it was. Three correct?

And then I remembered! The Yankees also lost last year. I'm talking about the next year, 2004.

[constible]

You're correct on three of them so far. Wow.
Yeah, are we looking at a "Milli-damos" here?
I was a bit confused for a moment there. I had to look at the calendar to see what month it was. Three correct?

And then I remembered! The Yankees also lost last year. I'm talking about the next year, 2004.

Ahh yes, I'm currently earninga degree in Math and I can't even count. :oops:

[FP]

Milli360 wrote on 12/25/03:

Have you checked out the message board over at the Straight Dope? I think I'll head over there for a while.

In the meantime, here's a Christmas present, for 2004:

Carolina will lose the Superbowl

Howard Dean will lose the Democratic nomination

Yankees will lose the World Series

Bush will lose the Presidency

Since the World Series ended in October, I think Milli was talking about the 2004 World Series, so he is only 2 for four, so far. But I like his odds.

[Archer17]

As a Pittsburgh Pirate fan I can only shake my head over the trade. I don't blame the Bronx Bombers, I'm sure if the Pirate ownership had the coin they'd be playing the same game. Having said that, I think things have gotten out of hand. The gap between the haves and have-not's is too large right now. Besides a handful of teams, most of us have to be satisfied with mediocrity. There was a time in the spring when almost any fan could imagine their team competing for first place .. not any more. :(

I know some will say "hey look, the Florida Marlins won without a huge payroll last year" but that was a fluke. The big spenders get the better players .. it's not an even playing field. Let me throw in another sad face here --> :( Go Bucs! 8-[ .. maybe we'll get to .500 this year .. yeah, right!