The 2010 A L East Thread

[robvols]

The 2010 Major League Baseball Season kicks off April 4 on Easter Sunday and it all starts off with the most hated rivalry in all of baseball: The New York Yankees vs. The Boston Red Sox. However there are five teams in the division so let us look at what they did during the past offseason:

THE AL EAST OFFSEASON

WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK YANKEES
SITE:http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7179557&topic_id=8187248


KEY ADDITION(s): OF Curtis Granderson, SP Javier Vazquez

KEY LOSS: OF Hideki Matsui, OF Johnny Damon

BOSTON RED SOX
SITE:http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bos

http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7189693&topic_id=8187248


KEY ADDITION: SP John Lackey

KEY LOSS: OF Jason Bay

TAMPA BAY RAYS

SITE:http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tb

http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7183103&topic_id=8187248


KEY ADDITION(s): C Kelly Shoppach, RP Rafael Soriano
KEY LOSS: 2B Akinori Iwamura

TORONTO BLUE JAYS
SITE:http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tor

http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7182855&topic_id=8187248


KEY ADDITION: C John Buck
KEY LOSS (es): SP Roy Halladay, C Rod Barajas

BALTIMORE ORIOLES
SITE:http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bal

http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7182343&topic_id=8187248


KEY ADDITION(s): SP Kevin Millwood, RP Mike Gonzalez
KEY LOSS: None of significance





Spring Training has started in the growing Cactus and shrinking Grapefruit Leagues so go ahead and talk about progress, releases, and signings that happens throughout the period.

So throughout the 2010 season, discuss the happenings in the AL EAST THREAD as the season unravels and takes shape, especially between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

DISCLAIMER: Guys, remember, we are all still Vol fans despite our allegiances towards our teams so hopefully bad blood DOES NOT SPILL OVER TO OTHER FORUMS AND OTHER THREADS. It's already anticipated that the Yankee-Red Sox war is going to get ugly here and possibly the Rays-Red Sox bad blood. Just remember we are all share one common goal when it comes to the Big Orange.

This thread was also created to prevent "intra-trolling" on other team threads. (Example: a Yankee fan causing trouble in a Mets fan thread)

 

[NYYVol]

Good work.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[GahLee]

I highly doubt that any O's fans enter this thread...Rays fans are welcome to argue about their 1 good season...Jay's fans have lost all hope with Halladay gone.

 

[005]

Orioles have hope with their good, young core of players. Jays have good young players.. just not good enough yet i'm afraid. tough tough division.

 

[GahLee]

Orioles have hope with their good, young core of players. Jays have good young players.. just not good enough yet i'm afraid. tough tough division.

Agreed, but it won't be enough to compete with the Yanks/Sox/Rays.

 

[005]

Nah, but a lotta people said that about the Rays for a long time.

 

[GahLee]

Nah, but a lotta people said that about the Rays for a long time.

And it took a long time...they were awful, picking in the top 5 of the draft for over ten years, eventually your gonna win some games, too bad Crawford will be heading elsewhere after this season.

 

[005]

Yeah, kinda like Kazmir was gone last year. Desmond Jennings will slide in nicely.

 

[GahLee]

Yeah, kinda like Kazmir was gone last year. Desmond Jennings will slide in nicely.

When you draft all of your real talent, if they pan out, you gotta pay'em...too much young talent is a bad thing...wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of their best players ( save Longoria ) playing elsewhere in a few.

 

[005]

I hear ya. Who else is included in that though? Longoria is the huge core right now, beckham slides in when bartlett leaves... Jennings will come up, and who knows about zobrist/pena

 

[GahLee]

I hear ya. Who else is included in that though? Longoria is the huge core right now, beckham slides in when bartlett leaves... Jennings will come up, and who knows about zobrist/pena

Guys wanna get paid...still can't believe they were able to lock up Evan for the years and amount of money they did, what a steal...he will be an MVP candidate for the next 10 years...getting paid back up money.

 

[vols kick balls]

When you draft all of your real talent, if they pan out, you gotta pay'em...too much young talent is a bad thing...wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of their best players ( save Longoria ) playing elsewhere in a few.

To much young talent is never a bad thing, especially for a low budget team.

-Good production from young talent
-Trade talent for young talented prospects when previously young talent gets too expensive
-Develop said prospects
-Repeat

That is how small-mid budget teams have to do it. Not everyone has the financial flexibility to go out and sign big names every year. The thought that one could have to much young talent is laughable.

 

[wounded mullet]

Im excited, ready to get this season started.Not too excited about this new Sunday home jersey though.

 

[myrobbins7]

Nice.....WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK YANKEES

 

[GahLee]

To much young talent is never a bad thing, especially for a low budget team.

-Good production from young talent
-Trade talent for young talented prospects when previously young talent gets too expensive
-Develop said prospects
-Repeat

That is how small-mid budget teams have to do it. Not everyone has the financial flexibility to go out and sign big names every year. The thought that one could have to much young talent is laughable.

Laughable? Really?

Tell me what is great about drafting at the top, developing that talent into something and watching it walk away?

Or, developing that talent into something then trading it for even younger talent, only to repeat the process again....yeah, sounds like a winning formula to me.

 

[GahLee]

Don't mention the Marlins either, they had plenty of veteran leadership on these teams.

 

[Heebs]

Yankees-Rays have plenty of bad blood too.

 

[vols kick balls]

Laughable? Really?

Tell me what is great about drafting at the top, developing that talent into something and watching it walk away?

Or, developing that talent into something then trading it for even younger talent, only to repeat the process again....yeah, sounds like a winning formula to me.

You are acting like that this isn't how mid-low payroll teams have been ran for years. There is nothing great about trading away some of your better players, but a lot of the times it has to be done to stay under budget. Teams can and do succeed this way.

Anytime one makes a statement that you can have to much talent, it is a laughable statement. Will smaller teams be able to hold on to all of that young talent? No, but they will win games with it while they can and then trade some of the more expensive players to reload.

 

[GAVol]

Laughable? Really?

Tell me what is great about drafting at the top, developing that talent into something and watching it walk away?

Or, developing that talent into something then trading it for even younger talent, only to repeat the process again....yeah, sounds like a winning formula to me.

None of that really has anything to do with the assertion that too much talent is a bad thing.

 

[GahLee]

None of that really has anything to do with the assertion that too much talent is a bad thing.

Looking at it the wrong way, or maybe I didn't phrase it the way I should...having young talent is good, but when your basically your entire lineup and rotation is raw young talent, your going to lose a lot until they learn how to win, when they start reaching their potential, they want the big pay day, clubs that operate this way end up trading away that talent away for younger talent...thus starting the cycle over again...a team will never stay in contention year in and year out with young talent alone.

The Marlins operate this way, lineup and rotation always has good young talent, only to see it walk, or trade for someone else, who then ends up walking.

just saying that when your relying on young talent alone, and have no plans too lock it up long term, your doing nothing but spinning your wheels.

 

[GAVol]

just saying that when your relying on young talent alone, and have no plans too lock it up long term, your doing nothing but spinning your wheels.

Pirates and Royals fans everywhere agree.

 

[Heebs]

Idk how much talent either of those teams actually have

 

[wounded mullet]

Yankees-Rays have plenty of bad blood too.

I would honestly say the Sox/Rays feud is a tad more intense.

That being said i enjoy beating the Yankees more than i do the chowda heads.

BUT...

screw Matt Damon

Ben Affleck as well

goes twice as much for Marky Mark... yeah Entourage is overrated, i said it.

 

[vols kick balls]

Looking at it the wrong way, or maybe I didn't phrase it the way I should...

having young talent is good, but when your basically your entire lineup and rotation is raw young talent, your going to lose a lot until they learn how to win, when they start reaching their potential, they want the big pay day,

clubs that operate this way end up trading away that talent away for younger talent...thus starting the cycle over again...a team will never stay in contention year in and year out with young talent alone.

The Marlins operate this way, lineup and rotation always has good young talent, only to see it walk, or trade for someone else, who then ends up walking.

just saying that when your relying on young talent alone, and have no plans too lock it up long term, your doing nothing but spinning your wheels.

Regarding the point in intalics, teams control players for 6 years normally after they are called up. Most of the time that will make the prospect anywhere from 28-30 when they are eligible to a new contract. It's not like you are only going to get to witness the players growing pains and then they are gone. You will still get a lot of good production out of these players for ~5 years. The cycle does not go develop players, growing pains, some success, trade them.

Regarding the point in bold, unless you catch lightning in a bottle like the Braves did in the 90's (and hopefully the Reds have with their young rotation) you are not going to win consistently using this strategy because you will have to blow it up and rebuild sooner or later. This is a correct statement, but it is also nearly impossible to win consistently with a limited budget and this is a proven way to at least be in contention for a 3-4 year run before having to rebuild.

 

[Heebs]

I would honestly say the Sox/Rays feud is a tad more intense.

That being said i enjoy beating the Yankees more than i do the chowda heads.

BUT...

screw Matt Damon

Ben Affleck as well

goes twice as much for Marky Mark... yeah Entourage is overrated, i said it.

I don't know much of it. I just know the whole Franky Cervelli/Jonnie Gomes/Shelly Duncan feud really livened things up.

Then of course CC threw up and in and broke Carlos Pena's wrist. Followed by one of TB's whack starters drilling Tex in the back the next time they played.