The Bitter Rivals Thread

[Mattingly]

Everyone had better wake up...there are rumblings coming out of western FL, where the Devil Rays have put together an astounding crop of position players, and will soon be poised to deal some surplus for pitching.
In Baltimore, the Orioles are on the cusp of a devastating rotation that will be young, cheap, and entirely home grown...featuring three lefties! The pen has been rebuilt, and Miguel Tejada is on a mission this season.
Toronto has assembled quite a group of players north of the border, and will also be looking to challenge the cash machines in NY and Boston.
It's going to be a very interesting year in the AL East...interesting enough that the wild card team will probably come out of the Central again.

So does that mean they don't finish in 4th place this time? Where does Beantown end up? 3rd or 4th?

In my ideal (however decrepit) world, the Yankees finish 1st by 12 games, the Toronto finish 2nd, Baltimore finishes a distant 3rd, Boston is 4th and Tampa Bay finishes 1 game behind them.

Now then, will those southpaws become the Beasts of the AL East?

[CuriousBoston]

Attention All Yankee Fans

Before you nose in to your food troughs this AM, please be advised there has been a major pet food recall, for cats and dogs, of 70 brands of wet or moist food. Nationwide.

A manufacturer changed the supplier of gluten, kidney failure, death.

So mind your troughs before you wallow, & be sure Jeter and best buddy ARod don't feed each other.

[bigtime39]

So does that mean they don't finish in 4th place this time? Where does Beantown end up? 3rd or 4th?

In my ideal (however decrepit) world, the Yankees finish 1st by 12 games, the Toronto finish 2nd, Baltimore finishes a distant 3rd, Boston is 4th and Tampa Bay finishes 1 game behind them.

Now then, will those southpaws become the Beasts of the AL East?

Yes, I believe they will. Your guys are already saying good things about Bedard, Cabrera and Loewen. Penn and Olson, in my perfect world, would join the rotation in June, or thereabouts.

My ideal standings, for, say, the next 20 years or so...

Baltimore
Tampa
Toronto
Boston
New York

[Solair Wright]

Baltimore is no joke, trust me. They are probably going to be a team to beat in the next few seasons, as soon as the prospects, signings, and getting a winning plan gels. Nine losing seasons and a dying fanbase is hurting the team's value, but they'll always have great prospects.

Let's see Daniel Cabrera repeat that one hitter this year, against the Yankees, except the one hit, and be awarded a no-hitter.

[Mattingly]

Yes, I believe they will. Your guys are already saying good things about Bedard, Cabrera and Loewen. Penn and Olson, in my perfect world, would join the rotation in June, or thereabouts.

My ideal standings, for, say, the next 20 years or so...

Baltimore
Tampa
Toronto
Boston
New York

So who are the top 3 pitchers that Baltimore has been showcasing lately? I remember forumer Erik Bedard mentioned this in a thread about NY teams (Mets & Yanks), which segued into the AL East thing. I'm considering posting a thread about this in the O's forum.

Oh, and about that list of yours? If you put Boston in the middle, you can flip it upside down and reality may just set in.

*runs very quickly, grinning very wildly* :gt

Before you nose in to your food troughs this AM, please be advised there has been a major pet food recall, for cats and dogs, of 70 brands of wet or moist food. Nationwide.

A manufacturer changed the supplier of gluten, kidney failure, death.

So mind your troughs before you wallow, & be sure Jeter and best buddy ARod don't feed each other.

Beantowners (regardless of gender) shall not speak until spoken to. Now then, the only purpose of Red Sawx fantasizers is for the mere amusement of Yankee fans. Got that, pipsqueak?

Now then, the Beasts of the AL East feed off of Boston baked beans, Jays that are blue and Baltimore clam bakes.

I'll tell Derek & Alex to have their girlfriend & wife (respectively) to ask them to watch their diet. Wouldn't want to overload on broken heart of Beantown, now would we?

[Mattingly]

I guess that the Sawx don't pay their guy who's way out in left field somewhere enough money.

EDIT: Current bid is $99,999,999.00 eBay listing


Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez poses with
the gas grill he has put on sale on eBay.
(Courtesy of eBay)

Ramirez puts grill up for sale
Outfielder turns to eBay to shed seldom-used cooking device

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- In a certified "Manny being Manny" moment, Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez is selling a gas grill on eBay. As of 10:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the leading bid was $20,522. Ramirez will tack an extra $70 on to the winning bid for shipping cost.

Bidding closes on March 28 at 2:57 p.m.

Enclosed in the ad is a picture of Ramirez proudly standing next to the large Jenn-Air grill.

Ramirez enclosed the following message with his ad:

"Hi, I'm Manny Ramirez. I bought this AMAZING grill for about $4,000 and I used it once. ... but I never have the time to use it because I am always on the road. I would love to sell it and you will get an autographed ball signed by me. Enjoy it, Manny Ramirez."

When the ESPN show "Pardon the Interruption" did a blurb on Ramirez's cameo as a salesman, there was good-natured laughter throughout the clubhouse. David Ortiz, for one, couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Manny, get over here now," Ortiz hollered to his close friend.

[ChrisLDuncan]

I guess that the Sawx don't pay their guy who's way out in left field somewhere enough money.

EDIT: Current bid is $99,999,999.00 eBay listing


Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez poses with
the gas grill he has put on sale on eBay.
(Courtesy of eBay)

Ramirez puts grill up for sale
Outfielder turns to eBay to shed seldom-used cooking device

I think Curt Schilling is going to get at it, it looks like he can't say no to a means to get food.

[bigtime39]

So who are the top 3 pitchers that Baltimore has been showcasing lately? I remember forumer Erik Bedard mentioned this in a thread about NY teams (Mets & Yanks), which segued into the AL East thing. I'm considering posting a thread about this in the O's forum.

Oh, and about that list of yours? If you put Boston in the middle, you can flip it upside down and reality may just set in.

*runs very quickly, grinning very wildly* [/IMAGE OVERLOAD]

Now then, the Beasts of the AL East feed off of Boston baked beans, Jays that are blue and Baltimore clam bakes.

I'll tell Derek & Alex to have their girlfriend & wife (respectively) to ask them to watch their diet. Wouldn't want to overload on broken heart of Beantown, now would we?

Learn these names, for they will haunt you for the next several years:
Eric Bedard, LHP
Daniel "Wild Thing" Cabrera, RHP
Adam Loewen, LHP

and, coming soon

Hayden Penn, RHP
Garrett Olson, LHP

That's right, kids...five young, cheap, home-grown starters, three of whom are lefties, and more where they came from!

And it's Baltimore Crab Cakes! Recommended.

Now that Pay-Rod and Jeter aren't having slumber parties anymore, how do their significant others get away from them for "girls night out"?

[Solair Wright]

Baltimore will be better than the Yankees, eventually. Instead of getting paid for obscene contracts for "aging and near the end of their career" players, they should trust on what Baltimore is doing: prospects. After 2000, the Yankees got NO rings, and got defeated six straight times.

As soon as someone replaces Peter Angelos as the owner of the O's, the team could get their first ring since 1983. Eat that New York!

[Mattingly]

Learn these names, for they will haunt you for the next several years:
Eric Bedard, LHP
Daniel "Wild Thing" Cabrera, RHP
Adam Loewen, LHP

and, coming soon

Hayden Penn, RHP
Garrett Olson, LHP

OK, give me some time and I'll check what they've done this ST and check 'em out. If there's not an existing thread under Bird's (brained?) forum, I'll likely post one there during the wee hours.

Now then, how often will ex-farmhand Moose upset those magical plans you folks have? Hey, man, you folks have to dig yourselves out of that serious ditch you've brought upon yourselves. I've heard criticism that the Birds won't win with Peter Angelos at the helm, but then again, people said that Mike Illitch's strong preference for his NHL Red Wings would never allow him to help the Tigers much. 2006 proved them wrong.

Like I told forumer Eric (Erik?) Bedard, it has to be done on the field, not on some piece of paper written pre-season, since paper titles don't mean diddly squat to me.

[Erik Bedard]

...since paper titles don't mean diddly squat to me.

Says the Yankee fan.

BTW, ST ERAs for each likely O's Opening Day pitcher:

Erik Bedard - 0.64
Adam Loewen - 2.25
Daniel Cabrera - 3.21
Jaret Wright - 4.50
Steve Trachsel - 8.18 (better watch his back, though, because Rob Bell (0.00) and Jeremy Guthrie (1.80) are still in camp)

Guthrie/Bell
Todd Williams - 1.42
Chad Bradford - 11.17
Danys Baez - 4.26
Scott Williamson - 1.69
Jamie Walker - 1.29
Chris Ray - 3.18

After checking out the Yankees' stats, I couldn't resist noticing Chris Britton's 13.50 ERA. Daaaaaaaaang.

[bigtime39]

Says the Yankee fan.

BTW, ST ERAs for each likely O's Opening Day pitcher:

Erik Bedard - 0.64
Adam Loewen - 2.25
Daniel Cabrera - 3.21
Jaret Wright - 4.50
Steve Trachsel - 8.18 (better watch his back, though, because Rob Bell (0.00) and Jeremy Guthrie (1.80) are still in camp)

Guthrie/Bell
Todd Williams - 1.42
Chad Bradford - 11.17
Danys Baez - 4.26
Scott Williamson - 1.69
Jamie Walker - 1.29
Chris Ray - 3.18

After checking out the Yankees' stats, I couldn't resist noticing Chris Britton's 13.50 ERA. Daaaaaaaaang.

Trachsel had better get some traction, or Hayden Penn will be in the rotation sooner than anyone thought. (I had him pencilled in for July.)
Don't get too excited either way about Bradford's ERA. (It's indicative of about five consecutive bad pitches that left the park.)

[Solair Wright]

I'm glad that former O's pitcher Rodrigo Lopez is gone from the team, and now he will suffer up in Colorado. Now those wins he cost the Orioles last season can be turned into wins, hopefully. It's no surprise that 2005 was a fluke season for him, and now he'll be suffering by throwing meatballs that leave the park.

What will you say? Will the O's be successful against the Evil Empire? We'll find out this season. They're no problem for the Red Sox, but the Yankees, however, struggle.

[KenFougere]

The final piece of the puzzle is in the right place!

Papelbon to return as closer

With the Red Sox closer now in place and their line-up much improved over 2006, they are the team to beat in the AL East. With Dice-K replacing (Clement), J.D. Drew (Nixon) and Lugo (Alex Gonzalez), they've upgraded their offense and their starting staff dramatically.

You agree with me Matt, don't you?

[Solair Wright]

Matt won't agree with you. Why? Because he's concerned that his team will win the World Series every year. In addition, he's in charge of the Evil Empire Army, Inc., who will try to win the World Series, but they have came up short from 2001-2006. They've upgraded here and there too, such as getting some various prospects, such as Juan Miranda.

Another question: Will the old stiff Jason Giambi produce, or will he be traded and sent to Kansas City for a seat at Royals Stadium?

Find out this year when the Bitter Rivals (including a Cards/Red Sox fan) squabble and try to get bragging rights, only to come up short. In a Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park near you.