Who's gearing up for baseball season?!?

[JohnnyCougar]

I am....and I want to revitalize the Baseball Group here at DU. I know some of you want to give the group a visit and post your predictions and expectations and such. Support the DU baseball group!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=318

And kick this thread if you love baseball!

[SeattleGirl]

1. Bring on the boys of summer!!!!!!

[JohnnyCougar]

4. I can't wait to see these two guys perform.

They are probably the best pair of young pitching prospects in all of baseball. And Detroit, my team, has them.

I know you guys got King Felix, too. I'm going to enjoy watching him this year. Just watch out for Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya when you watch the Tigers in the near future.

[SeattleGirl]

14. Well, the Mariner's first meeting with the Tigers in April

out here, on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd.

You guys are back out here on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of July.

The Mariners head to Detroit on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of September.

That's cool about your pitching prospects. Hopefully they will fulfill their promise, and pitch really well when they come to the Big Show!

:hi:

[StaggerLee]

33. Dimitri Young question

I know he's DHing but is it possible that the skipper will give him 1st bag eventually? And what would that mean for Shelton?

Also - was shooting the breeze with other Bengal heads at my local watering hole the other night and one question none of use knew the answer to was: What happened to Bobby? Did he ride off into the sunset? I know he was a fan favorite but I am glad that he's gone.

[JohnnyCougar]

40. Higginson will probably retire.

His career sort of ended with a whimper.

As for Dmitri Young, I doubt he will be playing much first base this year with both Shelton and Carlos Pena on the roster. Dmitri will play some third base and left field this year. He came to spring training in excellent shape. He lost about 20 or 30 pounds in the offseason. My guess is he'll get about 100 games at DH, 20 at third, 30 in left field, and 10 at first base. He used to be a really good fielder until his weight got out of control. Jim Leyland made him come to camp leaner this year, though.

[Zomby Woof]

10. Hell yeah!

The Mariners will always be my AL team. :D I am a real fan too... back in the 80's I used to sit in the goddamned Kingdome on a beautiful summer DAY and watch them chase futility. It was that much sweeter in '95... :party:

But I bleed Dodger Blue. :loveya:

Come to think of it, Dave Niehaus and Vin Scully are the two greatest living baseball broadcasters!

[SeattleGirl]

17. Hey, ZN! Glad you're a fan of the Mariners!

I like the Dogers too.

And I agree, Niehaus and Scully are the best!

[Zomby Woof]

25. ZN?

I thought I was ZW!









ZombyWappler! :D :hi: SG!

[SeattleGirl]

28. Sorry, dude!

I'm trying to do to damned many things at once.

:blush:

Maybe Mr. Wappler needs to take me to dinner wor something!

[Zomby Woof]

62. I thought it was hilarious!

:D No worries.

I was at Opening Night for both the 1989 and 1990 seasons. For the '89 opener, Griffey got a HR on his first at-bat. In later seasons, it was much more difficult scoring tickets for the opener.

But that crybaby was not my favorite Mariner... that was Edgar! Followed closely by Ichiro and Jay Buhner! :D

[StaggerLee]

2. Take me out to the baaaalllgame!

I didn't realize there was a baseball group!

:applause:

[JohnnyCougar]

8. Well, see...

Then it's a good thing I posted this thread!

:woohoo:

[deadparrot]

3. I'm more than ready.

Just itching for the preseason games to begin. Already have tickets for the new stadium and a road trip to KC planned (to see Cards vs. Royals) in May.

:woohoo:

[SeattleGirl]

7. One of these days, I'm going to get down to Peoria to

watch some Mariner's spring training games. It sounds like such a blast!

[mac56]

5. Me!

Counting the days!

I put out a thread the other day to get a DU fantasy baseball league going on Yahoo.

[bridgit]

6. we can't wait...

:woohoo:

[SeattleGirl]

21. I got to attend a game at your great ball park in 2004

while visit SF. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The Giants were playing the Mets, not the Mariners, but I just really wanted to go to a gave there while I was in town.

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[bridgit]

51. SG!! sup, home skillet!! yeah, you gotta watch out you can get rainy...

fogged on and windy wet in either process if you don't bring a big ass umbrella; but when the weather is right i'll take 'the stick' any time

:hi: :hug: :loveya:

[Oeditpus Rex]

52. The weather was never right at the Stick

I've been to day games there when everybody was in T-shirts and tank tops the first three innings, then shivering in a jacket in the 7th. That infernal wind prompted Willie Mays to say, "The good outfielder at Candlestick is part outfielder, part weatherman."

Haven't been to Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T yet, but I understand it's much better.

[bridgit]

60. naw, you're trip'n, you'll need to hang with us, we get wet like...

everybody else but seen more good days than bad; SBC park is pretty cool though :thumbsup:

[Oeditpus Rex]

67. I keep waiting for some right-handed monster

to get into a high fast ball and take it off the giant Coke bottle, causing the cap to shoot off and dump Coke all over those sitting under it.

Now, that would be a special effect. :thumbsup:

[bridgit]

68. bwahaha, you got it, nothing quite that special EVER happens at...

'the stick' :rofl: :thumbsup:

[Catshrink]

9. I have tickets to the Cubs spring training opener on Thursday!

WooHooo!!!!

:bounce:

time to change my avatar.

[StaggerLee]

11. Lucky!

:woohoo:

[Catshrink]

15. Yep! I'm playing hooky.

I told my students that even teachers need to do that once in a while. Meanwhile, they will have a guest speaker on desert snakes and other vile critters. Gee, sorry I'll miss it.

[JohnnyCougar]

12. I got a ticket to opening day at Wrigley.

:P

[Catshrink]

19. That is the coolest of all!

And most likely will be cool -- I remember bundling up for Opening Day at Wrigley. When Greg Maddux pitched his first game as a Brave, I lost my voice booing him. Hmmmm. A teacher who couldn't talk for three days -- students loved it.

[SeattleGirl]

23. I have ALWAYS wanted to see a game at Wrigley!

I wouldn't even care who the opponent was; I would just like to see one of the coolest parks in baseball!

Not to mention the fact that I am a baseball nut, and totally love the game!

[Catshrink]

27. Bart Giamatti called Wrigley Field the "Cathedral of Baseball"

There is nothing like it. I miss Chicago -- but most of all, I miss Wrigley. My license plate says "WrigFld." I get all kinds of compliments on it -- and was able to talk myself out of a ticket because of it. (The cop said he had SheaStd on his.)

[SeattleGirl]

30. That's so cool!

That is one cathedral I really want to see!

I'd also like to see Jacobs Field, and Yankee Stadium (as long as no game was going on -- those Yankee fans can be kind of skeeeery!)

[JohnnyCougar]

35. I've been to the Jake

but never Yankee stadium.

Last year, I saw two new stadiums:

Dodger Stadium and Jacobs Field. And I saw some Tigers minor league parks in Erie and Toledo.

[SeattleGirl]

22. Oooh, I'm jealous!

Not because you're going to see the Cubs (though they have always been one of my fav teams) but because you get to go to a spring training game. I want to go to a Mariners spring training game one of these years!

[Catshrink]

24. ZombieWoof used to go to Mariners Spring Training games...

They play in Peoria, the other side of Phoenix. Unfortunately, the Cubs are playing the A's. I'd rather see them play Seattle, but hey, that's the day I needed to avoid the snakes. I have tickets to another game during Spring Break -- that's against the BrewCrew.

[SeattleGirl]

34. I still miss having Milwaukee in the AL

I still follow how they're doing.

[JohnnyCougar]

36. Milwaukee's my second favorite team.

They're going to be good this year. I predicted them to finish second in the Baseball Group predictions thread.

[SeattleGirl]

39. I'm definitely going to have to check the baseball group out

:headbang:

[JohnnyCougar]

41. You should...

Just don't get mad at me for where I predicted Seattle to finish :blush:

[SeattleGirl]

44. I won't, I promise.

Hey, after losng 99 games two years ago, and 96 or so last year, I don't exactly expect them to get to the WS. Even our own local sports guys are saying that, while they think the Mariners can be better this year, they are NOT going to win the AL West. But hey, I loves me some Mariners anyway!

[JohnnyCougar]

47. Yeah, believe me, I've had my share of losing seasons lately.

What with rooting for the Brewers and the Tigers for the last 12 or 13 seasons, I haven't seen a winning team once out of either of them. The 80's were pretty cool, though!

[SeattleGirl]

48. I love the Brewers and the Tigers

As I said in another post, I still miss having the Brewers in the AL. The tigers will be out here in Seattle twice this season.

[StaggerLee]

49. The Brew Crew being in the NL

is still weird for me.

:hi:

[Zomby Woof]

66. That Peoria sun fries my brain!

:crazy: Salad! Where the hell is my salad??? :nuke:

On edit: I love those Cubbies too! They have 2 more seasons to get a WS win in under 100 years. :D

[Initech]

13. I'm counting down the days until spring training starts!

Ooooooooh, cant wait! I'm going to my first game of the season on March 17th.

[maveric]

16. As a Red Sox fan, I fear Toronto this year.

They've made some serious off season aquisitions.
Bengie Molina
Troy Glaus
Lyle Overby
AJ Burnett
BJ Ryan

And with a healthy Roy Halliday, the Jays might surprise the baseball world and take the AL east by a large margin.

[JohnnyCougar]

20. Yes...the Jays have been a well run team lately.

I give a ton of credit to JP Riccardi.

They might surprise, although Glaus and Burnett are always injury risks.

[maveric]

26. If they DH Glaus, he'll stay healthy.

He knows how to jack the ball out of the yard.

[JohnnyCougar]

31. True. They can shuffle Hillenbrand and Glaus

between 3B and DH.

And they still have Eric Hinske who can play third when needed. The Jays have a lot of depth, which will be key down the stretch.

[Maestro]

18. kick

:kick:

[CatholicEdHead]

29. I am in two Yahoo Fantasy leagues already

and I cannot wait for the Twins to surprise the league. Why even play the season? ;)

[bumblebee1]

32. Meeee!!!

After football and the Olympics, I'm ready for baseball. Spring training can't come soon enough.

[BigMcLargehuge]

37. I am ready for the season to start

so are all of us in Red Sox Nation

[SeattleGirl]

38. I was so happy when the Red Sox won the WS!

Of course, when the Mariners play them, they are the "enemy", but damn, I was so happy for the team and the Nation when they won -- especially whenthey spanked the Yanks!!!!

[maveric]

42. The Padres picked up a couple of older players that can hit.

Vinny Castilla, Mike Cameron and Mike Piazza. Sure these guys are old but they can add some power to one of the most anemic in baseball.
They still won the NL West last season.

[SeattleGirl]

45. Oh, you got my Cammy!

I still miss seeing him in center field! :cry:

[GalleryGod]

43. Heading down to Spring Training on Thurs Morning: 8 Days !

[In_The_Wind]

46. I'll be watching baseball games this year.

[Blue_Tires]

50. ttt

thanks for the reminder

[NMDemDist2]

53. yeah, hurry up and get the spring training folks outa my town

:banghead:

traffic is a nightmare, can't get a table at a restaurant, smog is in high gear

Opening Day can't come soon enough for me........

[AngryAmish]

56. You are lucky to have us

I have to say you have quite a cute 'lil town there. Food kinda sucks, though. The mexican food, of all things, is bad. At least the joints I went to.

[NMDemDist2]

58. the economy thanks you! odd about the Mex food though... my local

taco place is great!

10 years ago when I moved here we could absorb the winter visitors easily and be glad to have them but I need to move outa here. it's a BIG city with few of the amenities that make it habitable (transit, arts, theater)

did you come to Snottsdale or Peoria? totally different areas those two.....

[AngryAmish]

59. I stayed in Scottsdale last time

I am staying there this time also. I have to say my snotty remarks about the food may be a result of a small sample set. I have already been on Chowhound and have staked out a few spots. Chicago has the best mexican food in the nation so everywhere else suffers by the comparison.

[AngryAmish]

54. I head to PHX on 3/4

It is a golf/baseball trip, so no baseball until 3/6 for the Oakland v. Cubs brawl. A hint to the Cubs fans - do not buy the home games in spring training because there are too many Cubs fans there and PHX is a small town and you can get to the other towns easily. Better tickets are available for the "road" games. Plus Mesa kinda sucks - it reminds me of Hammond.

On 3/7 I am going to the World Baseball Classic game USA v. Mexico. My buddy who I am going with is Mexican and a complete baseball nut. For the USA I think Clemons is pitching. And of course D. Lee will be at first.

I am so excited.

[Maccagirl]

55. I'm a Cleveland and Cincinnati fan

so, I'm looking "forward" to a long season.

:cry:

[DainBramaged]

57. NY Spoiled Crankies, since 1961 pinstripe covered

We 'goona go somewhere this year.:silly:

[SaveElmer]

61. Count me in...Twins will surprise...

Though not high profile they made some really good moves this offseason...and with their rotation, adding Liriano and Baker...just watch out!!!

[JackDragna]

63. Oh, hell yes.

If for no other reason than to be there Opening Day to see the White Sox finally get their rings. Heh heh.

[Reverend_Smitty]

64. I so can't wait for baseball to start!

I have a good feeling about the Mets this year, I think we are finally going to win the NL east

[JohnnyCougar]

65. I still don't think so.

The Braves have some really good, young hitters coming up. I do think you guys have the best shot at a wild card, though.

Anyone who wants to should go critique my predictions in the Baseball Group, or even offer predictions of their own. I was pretty close last year. I predicted a few teams records exactly, and 6 out of 8 playoff teams. Not to brag or anything...:)

[SalmonChantedEvening]

69. You betcha!!

Lets Go Psillies!!