Slowest spring training ever?

John F · March 21st, 2007, 08:34 AM

Like a sleepy mid-summer afternoon, it seems like this Spring Training is going by with nary an incident. I mean, sure, Pete Rose came forward with some stuff for some extra attention... but besides that?

No big trades, no big rumors, no big shakeups.

Am I wrong here? Maybe the fact I'm in Spring Training central (just north of the Blue Jays, Phillies and Devil Rays while just west of the Yankees) the hype just isn't carrying over much...?

Zen653 · March 21st, 2007, 09:03 AM

Spring training does seem rather boring this year. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. We're less than two weeks away from Opening Day. By then, we'll see packed houses in the northeast, plenty of exciting SportsCenter highlights, and lots of press coverage of baseball's daily dramas. I'm stoked for it.

John F · March 21st, 2007, 09:34 AM

It'd be nice if we could have some FanHome posts too

Nat · March 21st, 2007, 05:18 PM

Just makes it easier to ignore baseball til Opening Day. March is mainly to see how well your team's pitchers are warming up anyway...

bedir than average · March 21st, 2007, 06:02 PM

Jeff Weaver is tepid

Zen653 · March 22nd, 2007, 11:27 AM

Brian Cashman's announcement that he won't negotiate a contract extension with A-Rod is certainly big news. The writing seems to be on the wall for an A-Rod opt-out after 2007. He might be able to get a 5-7 year deal somewhere for $25 million a year. The Angels, Cubs, maybe the Red Sox, would all express interest. I'd give the Angels the best shot of landing him, with the Red Sox the second best shot (his wife is from the Boston area, and the Red Sox will have a vacancy at 3B, along with about $40 million coming off the books.) I think the Cubs will be too busy trying to keep Zambrano.

John F · March 22nd, 2007, 11:44 AM

I don't know if the A-Rod thing is as hot as it seems. He's been a jinx wherever he goes after his tenure with the Mariners. Texas went no where with him as did the Yankees. The money is a noose around teams necks and lags the rest of the aspects of the franchise he plays for.

A-Rod may very well regret taking his agents advice and going for that much cash. It limited him to the Yankees and (insert select teams names here).

Zen653 · March 22nd, 2007, 12:25 PM

I don't buy into the theory that A-Rod is a jinx. The Mariners did fine with him. The Rangers were a bad team not because of anything A-Rod did (he was terrific in Texas) but because they simply lacked the pitching to compete. And in New York, it's been bad luck more than anything else. The Yankees were well on their way to a relatively easy World Series Championship when they dropped four straight to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. Then in 2005, they ran into the one team that seems to consistently beat them (the Angels.) And in 2006, they got stuck going up against a Detroit pitching staff that was peaking at the perfect time. You could use the jinx explanation for a bunch of Yankees players who came in after the Yankee championship years. New York has gone ringless since signing Mussina, Giambi and Matsui. Why not blame them? I just don't believe in jinxes. The dynamics of any team are too complex to be affected entirely by any one player. Plus, when you look at A-Rod's actual numbers, he's been a top tier All-Star all the way through. In 2005, he won his second AL MVP Award, this time as a Yankee.

Sawman · March 22nd, 2007, 03:15 PM

I don't doubt for one second that Arte Moreno and the Angels would pay him $25 million for another 5-6 years if he opts out after this season. The whole jinx thing only goes so far, and he's already a proven lock for the HOF.

Nat · March 22nd, 2007, 10:03 PM

Oh, it's most certainly a Giambi Jinx

Goose · March 22nd, 2007, 10:09 PM

The A-Rod jinx is simply Yankee fans and the New York Media trying to come up with an excuse for why the Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years(that's fun to type btw). Plain and simple.

Nocahoma · March 23rd, 2007, 10:36 AM

Let's see...

The Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years
The Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years
The Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years

I'll be damned -- You're right!! That was fun!

John F · March 24th, 2007, 09:17 AM

I stirred up a hornets nest when I brought up A-Rod and Jinx in the same sentence, didn't I?

People, I was conveying about his salary and how it's LIKE a jinx and a drag on a team. Even the big money teams can find paying him that much a drag on their rosters.

It also vaults Alex to a status he doesn't need to be in -- one that puts him under a 24/7 microscope wherever he lands. "Is he worth it, why doesn't he have a ring? Is he worth it? All he does is complain. Is he worth it?"

And while we keep saying Yankees -- what about Texas Rangers? Where he got that contract he is packing in the first place?

March 21st, 2007, 08:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
John F Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa Bay area, Florida Posts: 2,510	Slowest spring training ever? Like a sleepy mid-summer afternoon, it seems like this Spring Training is going by with nary an incident. I mean, sure, Pete Rose came forward with some stuff for some extra attention... but besides that? No big trades, no big rumors, no big shakeups. Am I wrong here? Maybe the fact I'm in Spring Training central (just north of the Blue Jays, Phillies and Devil Rays while just west of the Yankees) the hype just isn't carrying over much...?

March 21st, 2007, 06:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	Jeff Weaver is tepid __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

March 22nd, 2007, 12:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 7,274	I don't buy into the theory that A-Rod is a jinx. The Mariners did fine with him. The Rangers were a bad team not because of anything A-Rod did (he was terrific in Texas) but because they simply lacked the pitching to compete. And in New York, it's been bad luck more than anything else. The Yankees were well on their way to a relatively easy World Series Championship when they dropped four straight to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. Then in 2005, they ran into the one team that seems to consistently beat them (the Angels.) And in 2006, they got stuck going up against a Detroit pitching staff that was peaking at the perfect time. You could use the jinx explanation for a bunch of Yankees players who came in after the Yankee championship years. New York has gone ringless since signing Mussina, Giambi and Matsui. Why not blame them? I just don't believe in jinxes. The dynamics of any team are too complex to be affected entirely by any one player. Plus, when you look at A-Rod's actual numbers, he's been a top tier All-Star all the way through. In 2005, he won his second AL MVP Award, this time as a Yankee. Last edited by Zen653; March 22nd, 2007 at 12:29 PM.

March 22nd, 2007, 10:09 PM	#11 (permalink)
Goose Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Aberdeen,Wa Posts: 1,190	The A-Rod jinx is simply Yankee fans and the New York Media trying to come up with an excuse for why the Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years(that's fun to type btw). Plain and simple. __________________ http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/843...idensigfd9.png

March 21st, 2007, 09:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 7,274	Spring training does seem rather boring this year. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. We're less than two weeks away from Opening Day. By then, we'll see packed houses in the northeast, plenty of exciting SportsCenter highlights, and lots of press coverage of baseball's daily dramas. I'm stoked for it.

March 21st, 2007, 09:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
John F Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa Bay area, Florida Posts: 2,510	It'd be nice if we could have some FanHome posts too

March 21st, 2007, 05:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
Nat Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,351	Just makes it easier to ignore baseball til Opening Day. March is mainly to see how well your team's pitchers are warming up anyway...

March 22nd, 2007, 11:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 7,274	Brian Cashman's announcement that he won't negotiate a contract extension with A-Rod is certainly big news. The writing seems to be on the wall for an A-Rod opt-out after 2007. He might be able to get a 5-7 year deal somewhere for $25 million a year. The Angels, Cubs, maybe the Red Sox, would all express interest. I'd give the Angels the best shot of landing him, with the Red Sox the second best shot (his wife is from the Boston area, and the Red Sox will have a vacancy at 3B, along with about $40 million coming off the books.) I think the Cubs will be too busy trying to keep Zambrano.

March 22nd, 2007, 11:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
John F Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa Bay area, Florida Posts: 2,510	I don't know if the A-Rod thing is as hot as it seems. He's been a jinx wherever he goes after his tenure with the Mariners. Texas went no where with him as did the Yankees. The money is a noose around teams necks and lags the rest of the aspects of the franchise he plays for. A-Rod may very well regret taking his agents advice and going for that much cash. It limited him to the Yankees and (insert select teams names here).

March 22nd, 2007, 03:15 PM	#9 (permalink)
Sawman Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Riverside, Ca. Posts: 259	I don't doubt for one second that Arte Moreno and the Angels would pay him $25 million for another 5-6 years if he opts out after this season. The whole jinx thing only goes so far, and he's already a proven lock for the HOF.

March 22nd, 2007, 10:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
Nat Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,351	Oh, it's most certainly a Giambi Jinx

March 23rd, 2007, 10:36 AM	#12 (permalink)
Nocahoma Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,238	Let's see... The Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years The Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years The Yankees haven't won squat in 7 years I'll be damned -- You're right!! That *was* fun!

March 24th, 2007, 09:17 AM	#13 (permalink)
John F Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa Bay area, Florida Posts: 2,510	I stirred up a hornets nest when I brought up A-Rod and Jinx in the same sentence, didn't I? People, I was conveying about his salary and how it's LIKE a jinx and a drag on a team. Even the big money teams can find paying him that much a drag on their rosters. It also vaults Alex to a status he doesn't need to be in -- one that puts him under a 24/7 microscope wherever he lands. "Is he worth it, why doesn't he have a ring? Is he worth it? All he does is complain. Is he worth it?" And while we keep saying Yankees -- what about Texas Rangers? Where he got that contract he is packing in the first place?