MLB 2008 Season Thread

[Aubie16]

Dear War Eagle!!! and Hugh Jass,

Fuck You.

Regards,

4 of our 5 opening day starters on the DL, also known as the Bravos

[AUJarhead]

[Tiger Wench]

Fucking Yankees.

Shitty Disastros.

That is all.

[Tiger Wench]

And apparently things are so hunky dory in the clubhouse that one of our limited supply of starters got kicked off the team for PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING THE GENERAL MANAGER.  *sigh*  Apparently this isn't the first time he has caused trouble, but dammit, GROW THE FUCK UP!!!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5856597.html

Astros suspend Chacon after altercation with GM Wade
Disgruntled pitcher asked to be traded


By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Already upset that he was demoted from the Astros' starting rotation to the bullpen, Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely Wednesday night after a heated exchange turned violent with general manager Ed Wade an hour before the Astros played the Texas Rangers.

Chacon, who understands that he may not play again this season, admitted that he lost his cool after Wade insisted he go in the manager’s office to meet with him and manager Cecil Cooper. The argument took place in the team’s dining room, which Chacon admittedly refused to leave even though Cooper and Wade asked him to join them in the manager’s office.

Chacon said he lost his temper after Wade cursed at him and told him to “(expletive) look in the mirror,” he said. When made aware of Chacon’s comment, Wade politely declined comment on the specifics.

“Insubordination to the club,” Wade said. “I'm not getting into the details. It's an internal matter.”

Chacon made his displeasure clear on Sunday after he was demoted to the bullpen, and had asked for a trade though his agent Dan Horwits soon after he was taken out of the rotation. It hadn’t turned ugly, however, until Wednesday.

According Chacon, he was in the lunch room after batting practice when Cooper asked him to join him in his office.

“And I said, 'what do you want to speak to me about?'” Chacon said. “He said, ‘we just want to talk to you.’ I said, ‘anything you can say you can say to me right here. I don’t want to go to the office. He looked at me and I said there’s nothing for me to say to you guys.’ And I don’t think whatever they had to say to me they were going to make me happy. I didn’t want to get in a closed-room conversation. I just wanted to be left alone.

“I sat down to eat and Ed Wade came to me and very sternly said, ‘you need to come with me to the office.’ I said ‘for what?’ I said 'I don’t want to go to the office with you and Cooper.’ And I said ‘You can tell me whatever you got to tell me right here.’ He’s like, ‘oh, you want me to tell you right here?' And I said, ‘yeah.’ I’m not yelling. I’m calm.”

It deteriorated quickly afterward, according to Chacon.

“He started yelling and cussing," Chacon said of Wade. "I’m sitting there and I said to him very calmly, ‘Ed, you need to stop yelling at me. Then I stood up and said 'you better stop yelling at me.' I stood up. He continued and was basically yelling and stuff and was like, ‘You need to (expletive) look in the mirror.’ So at that point I lost my cool and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. I jumped on top of him because at that point I wanted to beat his (butt). Words were exchanged.”

Players quickly intervened to separate Wade and Chacon, who remembers being pulled away by backup outfielder Reggie Abercrombie.

Chacon (2-3, 5.04 ERA) signed a one-year, $2 million deal to come to the Astros during spring training and was given a spot in the starting rotation. Despite a record-setting nine straight no-decisions to begin the season, he pitched well early on and had a 2-0 record and a 3.95 ERA as May turned to June.

But he struggled in June, going 0-3 in four starts with a 9.35 ERA. He pitched just one inning on June 1 in Milwaukee, an outing that saw him turn his back on Dewey Robinson in the pitching coach's visit to the mound.

Following a six-run outing in Baltimore June 19, he was told three days later that he'd be demoted to the bullpen. Chacon called the decision "horse (expletive)" prior to Sunday's game against Tampa Bay and was not used out of the bullpen before he was suspended.

“I'd hoped he pitched better for us,” Wade said. “That's the bottom line. ... We took him out of the rotation on Sunday basically on merit. He'd had 10 starts since late April, and the last three starts, four starts weren't very good. So we hoped that he would help us in the bullpen, and unfortunately we're at a point right now when we think it's in our best interest to move forward.”

Chacon admits he asked for a trade.

“Obviously I’ve not been pleased with the decision to move to the pen and made that clear the day they told me,” he said. “After that I decided I wasn’t going to say anything more and go about my business. After that my agent and I decided we were going to let them know I wanted to be traded.

“Through my agent I also told them the only reason I signed with Houston was because they were going to let me start the season all year.”

After the altercation, though, Chacon wonders if he’ll pitch again in the majors.

“Maybe it shouldn’t have happened,” Chacon said. “But when you do those things and you’re yelling at somebody and you’re cussing you better know what type of person you’re dealing with. If there’s any regret, I just wish they had just let me alone. I wish they had left me alone.

“I’m there for my teammates. I’m not there for them. I’m out there for my teammates. It just sucks that it had to end like that. … Obviously I won’t be able to play the rest of the year or whatever, but it’s fine. I don’t expect to. I don’t expect anything to be different. It’s really just a matter of if I want to play anymore.”

Astros owner Drayton McLane strongly supports Wade, and he told his players as much in a meeting shortly before they began their 3-2 loss to the Rangers.

"We can’t have anarchy," McLane said. "You can’t have rebellion. If he disagreed with what Cecil wanted him to do, he should have had the courage to sit down and talk to him. He wouldn’t come in Cecil’s office."

McLane was adamant that Chacon will never return to the Astros.

"Absolutely not," McLane said. "If you shoved a policeman down or any other public servant, can you imagine shoving a principal in a school? It was in full view of several players. Players pulled Chacon and restrained him. There’s absolutely no way. You can’t defy authority. Even if he disagreed with what they wanted him to do, he should have had the courage to sit down and talk to him."

[Thrilla]

Dear War Eagle!!! and Hugh Jass,

Fuck You.

Regards,

4 of our 5 opening day starters on the DL, also known as the Bravos

This man speaks the got damn mutha fuckin' titty suckin' truth.  Lest he forget about Chipper Jones' torn quadricep, Matt Diaz's torn knee ligament, Martin Prado's thumb issues, or Mark Kotsay's lower back problems.  If you're healthy and injury free, then stay the fuck away from Atlanta, because we don't want you.

But how about Gonzalez, the "new" closer?  He's two for two in saves, and his stance on the mound is one of the funniest pre-pitch deliveries I've ever seen.  Looks like one of Leo Mazzone's children, with all the rocking and what not.

[Pell City Tiger]

[Jumbo]

I guess Jeter is going on the Dl.

[Rancid Milk]

Speaking of bizarre and injuries...here's a combination of the two:

PHOENIX (AP)—On a painful day in the desert, the Arizona Diamondbacks put left fielder Eric Byrnes and catcher Chris Snyder on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday.

Byrnes is out with a strained left hamstring, Snyder with a left testicular fracture.

OUCH.

Oh, and just a random MLB comment...as a fan of good stories and no team in particular, I'd like to see the Rays hold on to their slim lead, if for no other reason than to see either of Boston or New York sit at home during the postseason.

[Aubie16]

wait...

you can...fracture them?  Jesus I'd think my doctor was kidding if he told me thats what happened.

[Thrilla]

Tiger Wench...I'm disappointed.  No disparaging remarks about your beloved Astros' 17 inning loss against the Braves Sunday night?

I was there for the entire game.  It even started with a rain delay.  Put in a total of 9 hours at the Ballpark.  Just so happened that we sat in the 755 club, which doesn't cut off alcohol in the 7th inning, and thank god for that.  We drank the entire time.

So...I've been a part of Braves' history, as it was the longest game evar played at Turner Field.  And I got out of yardwork, which I was supposed to do after the game.  Beautiful.

[Tiger Wench]

Tiger Wench...I'm disappointed.  No disparaging remarks about your beloved Astros' 17 inning loss against the Braves Sunday night?

They aren't MY beloved Astros.  Bastards.  They are just like some good time Charlie that rolls through town, sweeping you off your feet, tumbling you into bed much sooner than you ever normally would, rocking your world, and then just when you get used to the wonderfulness of it all - BAM!  Fucker leaves town without so much as a smack on the ass goodbye. 

Carlos Lee is a fucking fatass.  He couldn't hustle after a fly ball if his fat ass depended on it.  His batting average SUCKS ASS and he doesn't seem to give a shit. 

Kaz Matsui was a huge injury plagued (anal fissures??? WTF???) waste of money. 

The Puma can't carry this team all by his lonesome.  And he does not have the personality to be enough of a leader in the clubhouse.  Biggio and Baggy would have put up with Lee's halfassed behavior for about >--< this long.  We need someone to throw a chair in a locker and wake the rest of the team the fuck up.

And don't EVEN get me started about our alleged "starting rotation".  Please.  My vibrator has more power.

Bastards.

[Thrilla]

They aren't MY beloved Astros.  Bastards.  They are just like some good time Charlie that rolls through town, sweeping you off your feet, tumbling you into bed much sooner than you ever normally would, rocking your world, and then just when you get used to the wonderfulness of it all - BAM!  Fucker leaves town without so much as a smack on the ass goodbye. 

Carlos Lee is a fucking fatass.  He couldn't hustle after a fly ball if his fat ass depended on it.  His batting average SUCKS ASS and he doesn't seem to give a shit. 

Kaz Matsui was a huge injury plagued (anal fissures??? WTF???) waste of money. 

The Puma can't carry this team all by his lonesome.  And he does not have the personality to be enough of a leader in the clubhouse.  Biggio and Baggy would have put up with Lee's halfassed behavior for about >--< this long.  We need someone to throw a chair in a locker and wake the rest of the team the fuck up.

And don't EVEN get me started about our alleged "starting rotation".  Please.  My vibrator has more power.

Bastards.

Now that's more like it.

[War Eagle!!!]

They aren't MY beloved Astros.  Bastards.  They are just like some good time Charlie that rolls through town, sweeping you off your feet, tumbling you into bed much sooner than you ever normally would, rocking your world, and then just when you get used to the wonderfulness of it all - BAM!  Fucker leaves town without so much as a smack on the ass goodbye. 

Carlos Lee is a fucking fatass.  He couldn't hustle after a fly ball if his fat ass depended on it.  His batting average SUCKS ASS and he doesn't seem to give a shit. 

Kaz Matsui was a huge injury plagued (anal fissures??? WTF???) waste of money. 

The Puma can't carry this team all by his lonesome.  And he does not have the personality to be enough of a leader in the clubhouse.  Biggio and Baggy would have put up with Lee's halfassed behavior for about >--< this long.  We need someone to throw a chair in a locker and wake the rest of the team the fuck up.

And don't EVEN get me started about our alleged "starting rotation".  Please.  My vibrator has more power.

Bastards.

WOO HOO...SHe's back!!!!

[Tiger Wench]

I have been too fucking depressed to even have the energy to rant.  I lost like an entire week when I had my surgery - 6 hours of anesthesia, major pain meds, morphine, etc.  And when I got my head somewhat cleared, I sure as hell couldn't use the freaking Disastros to help me figure out who I was, and where I was, since NOTHING HAD FUCKING CHANGED!!!  IT WAS FREAKING GROUNDHOG DAY!!  They sucked when I went under, and they sucked when I woke up.  Carlos Lee was still an unmotivated $100M fat ass, Kaz Anal Fissures was still on the DL, we still had no starting pitching AT ALL, the fucking Phillies are still laughing at us for hiring Ed Wade as a GM and giving them Brad Lidge (who just got a freaking $37.5M, 3 year extension as a reward for a fucking 0.77 ERA - THAT'S ZERO POINT SEVEN SEVEN, PEOPLE.  BRAD.  FUCKING. LIDGE.), Cecil Cooper is a nice guy who is in WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY over his head, and Drayton McClain is a fucking cheap ass owner.

Is it any wonder I can't find the energy to rant?  It;s all just too fucking depressing...

[Thrilla]

I have been too fucking depressed to even have the energy to rant.  I lost like an entire week when I had my surgery - 6 hours of anesthesia, major pain meds, morphine, etc.  And when I got my head somewhat cleared, I sure as hell couldn't use the freaking Disastros to help me figure out who I was, and where I was, since NOTHING HAD FUCKING CHANGED!!!  IT WAS FREAKING GROUNDHOG DAY!!  They sucked when I went under, and they sucked when I woke up.  Carlos Lee was still an unmotivated $100M fat ass, Kaz Anal Fissures was still on the DL, we still had no starting pitching AT ALL, the fucking Phillies are still laughing at us for hiring Ed Wade as a GM and giving them Brad Lidge (who just got a freaking $37.5M, 3 year extension as a reward for a fucking 0.77 ERA - THAT'S ZERO POINT SEVEN SEVEN, PEOPLE.  BRAD.  FUCKING. LIDGE.), Cecil Cooper is a nice guy who is in WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY over his head, and Drayton McClain is a fucking cheap ass owner.

Is it any wonder I can't find the energy to rant?  It;s all just too fucking depressing...

Hey now...look on the bright side.  You have Michael Bourne...who Stuart Scott lovingly calls...

"The Ultimatum"

 

[War Eagle!!!]

Meanwhile the Cubs sign Rich fucking Harden! Dude is a bad ass if he gets healthy! That will put the Cubs with Zambrano, Harden and Dempster as the top 3...watch out if the Cubs make the play offs...

[Buzz Killington]

Meanwhile the Cubs sign Rich fucking Harden! Dude is a bad ass if he gets healthy! That will put the Cubs with Zambrano, Harden and Dempster as the top 3...watch out if the Cubs make the play offs...

Absolutely.  I like their chances sooooooooo much better with Lilly as a possible 4th starter in the playoffs rather than with Candyass Marquis.

[Tiger Six]

What?  Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are the numbers 1 & 2 on the north side anymore?

I guess I don't follow baseball much. 

[Buzz Killington]

What?  Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are the numbers 1 & 2 on the north side anymore?

I guess I don't follow baseball much. 

Woody is the shits at closer sans a few blown saves.
Prior still has a vagina infection that is keeping him from pitching in San Diego now.

[AUJarhead]

Well, at the halfway point, I'm not shocked the Cubs are in first place.  I think there is no question they are the best team in the NL.  I don't know if the Cards can hold on to the WC spot.  The Brewers really improved them selves with CC.  Best of luck to all in the second half...