2013 MLB Thread

[conscript]

Why was Dempster suspended? He threw at a suspended cheater who shouldnt have been playing anyways, give him a medal. If A-Rod was sitting out like all the other cheaters this never happens.

I'd love to see Selig or the Union be forced to answer why a guy facing the longest suspension in league history with absolutely ZERO chance of getting the suspension completely wiped out, is allowed to play and impact wild card and division races for both his team and others in the AL. How is that fair to the other teams who lost guys to suspension who agreed to a deal with baseball and didn't appeal? A-Rod has no business being on the field right now.

[koodledrum]

Why was Dempster suspended? He threw at a suspended cheater who shouldnt have been playing anyways, give him a medal. If A-Rod was sitting out like all the other cheaters this never happens.

Because it's NOT a players place to dish out judgement & punnishment. Arod has appealed the suspension thus according to the CBA - which I hasten to add, Dempster has not only been party to, but as a former players union rep should KNOW the ins and outs of - is allowed to play during the appeal process without fear of being hurt outside the norms of the game. Hitting him was against the rules, Dempster knew it and MLB has ruled that for his flagrant abuse of the rules he should be suspended.

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I'd love to see Selig or the Union be forced to answer why a guy facing the longest suspension in league history with absolutely ZERO chance of getting the suspension completely wiped out, is allowed to play and impact wild card and division races for both his team and others in the AL. How is that fair to the other teams who lost guys to suspension who agreed to a deal with baseball and didn't appeal? A-Rod has no business being on the field right now.

Either Weiner or Selig will point to the players union's collective bargaining agreement which states that during the appeal process of any disciplinary procedures any player who chose to appeal a suspension is permitted to take the field & appear.

The difference between Rodriguez & the other 12 players, the other 12 players accepted their punishment for varying reasons from an admission of "guilt" in the issue or I suspect atleast one or two of them accepted the punishment as a convenience (either because their teams were already out of contention OR because they're a free agent, thus any suspension hanging over would impact their potential value). Rodriguez meanwhile disagrees with the LENGTH of the suspension, thus has elected to appeal for an arbitrator to decide not only on his guilt but to decide on a reasonable length - like it or lump it that's his right as a union player to do so and thus is playing.

[Stommped]

Why was Dempster suspended? He threw at a suspended cheater who shouldnt have been playing anyways, give him a medal. If A-Rod was sitting out like all the other cheaters this never happens.

Dude... seriously get a grip. Let's say a known criminal with a violent past gets off a rape/murder charge on some bullshit technicality (OJ!). Can anyone just walk up that person, kill them, and then expect no consequences? It doesn't matter who it is, you break the law/rules - you face the consequences.

[draynay]

Why was Dempster suspended? He threw at a suspended cheater who shouldnt have been playing anyways, give him a medal. If A-Rod was sitting out like all the other cheaters this never happens.

I think if they suspend Rodriguez 50 games like the rest he takes it, but he got suspended 211 games, an appeal is legit and allows him to play until things are fully resolved. The rules allow him to play, I really don't see where people like yourself are getting confused.

[koodledrum]

I think if they suspend Rodriguez 50 games like the rest he takes it, but he got suspended 211 games, an appeal is legit and allows him to play until things are fully resolved. The rules allow him to play, I really don't see where people like yourself are getting confused.

I'm not so sure he'd accept even the 50 games I'm afraid, in a way I agree with his premise that 211 games is too stiff but I see from Selig's point too that 50 games is too light given the severity of the allegations as I believe would 65 games - but there has to be a cutoff where it stops being "punishment" and it strays into "persecution". Personally I'd have shot for a season suspension myself on the basis of a 50 games for the drugs & 112 for obstruction & disrepute charges, that would be a piece of cake to stick at an arbitration hearing if the evidence is solid enough.

But since it's Arod people will automatically say he shouldn't be playing because they can't make a subjective argument because it's Arod - mind you the more his lawyers go on the more I dislike him!

[belfpala]

Dude... seriously get a grip. Let's say a known criminal with a violent past gets off a rape/murder charge on some bullshit technicality (OJ!). Can anyone just walk up that person, kill them, and then expect no consequences? It doesn't matter who it is, you break the law/rules - you face the consequences.

This isn't murder and this isn't vigilante killing of a murderer.

"Justified" is always a defense. And what Dempster did was justifiable, at least to me, in the spirit of baseball and fair competition. Note that "justified" is a positive defense; it means, yes he did something against the rules, but he was justified for doing it.

It's a defense that can work in criminal courts. And this isn't even criminal.

[koodledrum]

So I'm on the mound and I drill David Ortiz, he is on "the list" and has said he "doesn't know" how he got there, promised to "find out" why he's on there yet has remained silent all this time - it's justifiable right because Ortiz was a juicer back in the day? You can't have the scenario whereby you don't punish players for plunking people without good cause, in this case the player has appealed the decision made & until that appeal is heard the punishment must be suspended, even it stands, the punishment for the "crime" has been dealt with. You can't have a system whereby pitchers take the law into their own hands, that shit works for on the field stuff, but not when the punishment has been handed down and is being appealed - that's why Dempster has not only been suspended, but deserved it.

I could justify beaning just about every player in baseball for some reason or another, doesn't mean you can go out and do it.

[belfpala]

Maybe I'm just biased because my local broadcast team includes a HoF pitcher as color commentator who says things like, "3-0 count? He's expecting a fastball down the middle, better to just plunk him in the thigh."

[draynay]

It's no big surprise that Puig is a pretty big draw in Miami, the first two games of the series have the highest attendance over a 2-day period this season for the Marlins. They didn't get to see much of him today, only saw 2 pitches but one of them ended up leaving the park. There was a little bit of controversy when he showed up late for a game he wasn't going to be starting, but he got fined and everybody moved on.

[koodledrum]

haha he showed up late for a game he was supposed to be starting - how the hell does that happen? Suppose if you're gonna give the fans something it might as well be a homer but showing up late for the game, ye that'll cost you a few bucks to the club and it'll cost you in the kangaroo court at some point as well!

Yankees swept the twin bill against the Rays, 5.5 games back from the second WC spot now - most of our games are against the division from here on out, but the ones which aren't, ye so we've got the Giants but that's offset by playing the White Sox & the Astros, we're not out this yet!

[Dabrix32]

i got a lol out of Dempster's interview in reaction to his suspension. I swear it sounded like he took another shot at A-rod. Talked about not appealing and serving the suspension because he didnt want to be a distraction for his team and it was the right thing to do.(not appealing)

[Stommped]

This isn't murder and this isn't vigilante killing of a murderer.

"Justified" is always a defense. And what Dempster did was justifiable, at least to me, in the spirit of baseball and fair competition. Note that "justified" is a positive defense; it means, yes he did something against the rules, but he was justified for doing it.

It's a defense that can work in criminal courts. And this isn't even criminal.

Dempster was absolutely a vigilante in this case. It's a completely different story if someone on the Red Sox was hit first, and A-Rod was the player he chose to hit in retaliation. THEN it's justifiable. But to just blatantly throw at a guy for no reason other than the fact that you don't like him and you think he's a cheater who is playing on a technicality is not justifiable.

Again, I realize this isn't murder we are talking about but I think it applies well. Killing a guy who has just pulled a knife out on you is "justifiable" (this would be the Red Sox were hit first scenario), killing a guy who's a criminal, rapist, etc. etc. who is just standing somewhere is NOT "justifiable" in the eyes of the law. Under the rules of the CBA A-Rod has just as much right to be in that batter's box as anyone else on the field. Did A-Rod do something to Ryan Dempster to justify getting hit by a pitch that he didn't do to all the pitchers he faced in the 12 games he has been back for?

You may think it's some sort of "street justice," eye for an eye sort of thing that happens frequently in gangs; irregardless it's against the rules and Dempster should be punished. The 5 games and $2500 fine are a joke, he got off WAYYY too easy in my mind.

[koodledrum]

According to rumours Dempster felt slighted by Arod who didn't acknowledge him at an event they were mutually attending - again not justifiable.

Just saw Heyward get hit in the head (pure accident before anyone gets "touchy") scary looking hbp - gotta have balls to stand in there but just a pitch that seemed to have eyes for the earflap on his helmet and wasn't going anywhere other than there.

[draynay]

I wish the Dodgers would put League on the DL for chronic shittyness or something, they've got too many guys in the bullpen and they're a man short on the bench. It might work out because the bench guys are versatile utility men like Schumaker, Hairston, and Punto, but I would like to avoid League pitching at all too.

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Oh man, Heyward got his jaw broken by that pitch, that's rough, 4-6 weeks and he was playing great.

[koodledrum]

Yeah spied that this morning that his jaw was broken on that pitch, it just had his number from the moment it was thrown, tough break for him but he's a professional he'll know it's just something that happens every once in a while, not nice to see it but that's baseball.

Ichiro got his combined 4000th base hit last night off RA Dickey in the first inning becoming the first player to combine for that total between NPB & MLB, I know there's a difficulty difference but to get 4000 hits for your career is an amazing feat - MLB state that if you take minor league knocks into account only 3 further players would reach the 4000 hit mark. (Hank Aaron, Stan Musial & Arnold Statz) Yankees got the win on Soriano's 2 run shot off RA Dickey who was pretty solid despite being charged with the loss, Soriano broke an 0-17 slump in the process.

[draynay]

I was looking at Pete Rose's age 27-39 seasons totals up against Ichiro's MLB career and they're pretty similar, aside from a large discrepancy in stolen bases for Ichiro and doubles/walks for Rose. Ichiro actually has more hits, but Rose walked 400 times more than him.

[koodledrum]

Ichiro's more the kind of guy who depends on getting on the basepaths and making it happen though, Rose might have been a bit better for power, but Ichiro even at 39 can still be a menace when he gets on - with that being said I know who I'd prefer to try and score from second on a hit!

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Braun has released the following "statement" - bullshit is what it's called where I come from, he's not sorry, he's merely sorry he got caught.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130822&content_id=57972360&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

[draynay]

Bullshit storm, 6foot2? I didn't know they stacked it that high. Did somebody actually advise him to release this statement thinking it would help? His best course is to shut the fuck up forever while we all just wait for him to retire. If he thinks he can spin this at all he is crazy.

[belfpala]

It's one of those situations where more words are worse.

"I 100% unequivocally apologize for everything I've done, to my fans, to my team, to my teammates, to my peers, to everyone. Thank you, I'll see you after my deserved suspension."

That is all he needed to say, all he should have said.

[conscript]

I used but I didn't know what I used was banned. That is what Braun`s statement says to me. What a crock of shit.