The Sports Thread

AL wins again unsurprisingly. Shouldve put Okajima in in the 9th though.

Agreed. After K-Rod walked Hudson, I actually yelled "Where the fuck is Okajima?!?". Really, they probably should have used him earlier, then Putz and K-Rod in the 8th and 9th and saved Papelbon for when shit started to get sweaty.

Or they should have just not dissed Mo. He'd have shut the shit down, 1-2-3.
 
Mariano Rivera is one of those guys I only hate because he is a Yankee. He is unarguably one of the best closers ever and a class act. Gary Sheffield on the other hand, I just hate.

Sheff is a pretty strange case. He is a truley great player, and yet he'll retire with no legacy anywhere. It's amazing that a guy can be as good as he is and still be, for all intents and purposed, a journeyman. He's just such an asshole that no one can stand him for more than a few years.
 
Pujols should have been hitting. Terrible descion by LaRussa.

LaRussa had a legitimate reason to keep Pujols on the bench. The game was close late (and, as we saw in thr 9th, was on the verge of going into extras). Pujols remained in the bench because LaRussa anticipated the possibility of a pitcher's spot coming up with outs and men on base, the score tied in extra innings with home field advantage.

The NL hasn't won it since '96. Now, imagine: Score is tied. Two outs. Runners on first and third. Bottom of the 11th... and here's Trevor Hoffman up to hit. In that spot, do you want Hoffman hitting, or would you rather have Albert Fucking Pujols in to pinch hit? He was the only hitter left on the bench, and LaRussa needed to keep him for an extra innings scenario. Same reason Leyland kept Michael Young on the bench.
 
what are the odds there of something happening outside of

A)Pujols gets a hit to win the game
B)Pujols is out, NL loses

I'd say the odds of anything happening outside of that is small. Playing for extra innings in a tied game is retarded anyways, you put your best players in the best position to win the game. Worry about extras when extras come
 
what are the odds there of something happening outside of

A)Pujols gets a hit to win the game
B)Pujols is out, NL loses

I'd say the odds of anything happening outside of that is small. Playing for extra innings in a tied game is retarded anyways, you put your best players in the best position to win the game. Worry about extras when extras come

Way to be retarded, Dave. That "A" scenatio is exactly why LaRussa did what he did. Pujols was the ONLY player left on the bench, so LaRussa had to save him for extra innings. If he had used everyone in the game and then was faced with a scenario like the one I described and had no one to hit, you'd be ripping him apart. Reverse the situation, and Leyland can send Michael Young up there.

LaRussa wasn't "playing for extra innings", Dave. He was thinking ahead, which is what seperates the Managers from the great Managers. Leyland was doing the exact same thing. The only difference here is that Pujols complained.
 
the problem with your argument is that it is maybe 10% chance that pujols doesn't either

A)wins the game with a hit
B)end the game with an out

It's very unlikely that the game goes to extra innings. It was 2 outs bases loaded, 1 run down. Any basehit whatsoever brings in 2 runs and ends the game. What's the point for playing for that 10% chance when you have one of the best hitters in the game (possibly in the history of the game) up to try to win the game?
 
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This season is gonna rule!!!

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the problem with your argument is that it is maybe 10% chance that pujols doesn't either

A)wins the game with a hit
B)end the game with an out

It's very unlikely that the game goes to extra innings. It was 2 outs bases loaded, 1 run down. Any basehit whatsoever brings in 2 runs and ends the game. What's the point for playing for that 10% chance when you have one of the best hitters in the game (possibly in the history of the game) up to try to win the game?

Yeah, and a walk brings in one. You seem to forget that three guys had walked that inning. And who exactly where you going to pull for Pujols? The problem with hitting Pujuols in the 9th is that there was no one who needed to be pinch hit for in that inning.

What you're suggesting is that LaRussa empty his bench in the 9th with a high potential for extra innings. If he'd have done that and that game had gone extra's, he'd be fucked.
 
The patriots are going to dominate this season. No one should be able to stop them.

unless people get hurt, as usual.

Our only semi-weak point is our secondary, and it's not even THAT bad.
 
Why is that?

We totally overhauled our receiving core, and we have Maroney to run, if he can stay healthy. Our offense will be insane, and our defense is good if we can get our secondary to work. We would have to fuck up REALLY bad to not at least make it to the Super Bowl.
 
By overhauling you mean, picked up two overrated and aging free agents? k

You do realize there are these games called the "Playoffs." You have to win a least two games, depending on what seed you are, to even get to the Super Bowl. Your defense isn't as good as you think. Alot of guys are getting old and worn out. Bruschi being one of them. Which whom is also the heart of your defense. Their secondary minus Samuel wasn't exactly horrible but it wasn't exactly that good either. Yes alot of injuries screwed the Patriots but who's to say those guys are even healthy yet?

As far as their schedule goes. I see at least 5 games right now they Patriots will lose.

San Diego, Indy, at least once to the Jets, Dallas, and maybe Baltimore. Depending on whether or not they have an offense this year.
 
By overhauling you mean, picked up two overrated and aging free agents? k

You mean three? One of them was a trade, possibly.

Anyway, I disagree with you. Five games? No. I'm not saying were going to go nuts and undefeated, I'm just saying we have the potential to be a great team. And we have a fucking awesome offense, as long as Maroney can hold out at runnung back.