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|  05-05-2015, 08:38 AM | #2001 | 
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
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			Looks like Shohei Otani is gonna be the next majorly hyped Japanese pitcher.  20 years old, throws 100 MPH, said to already be better than Darvish and Tanaka were in their time in the Japanese leagues. Stats on the year so far: 5-0, 0.80 ERA, 33.2 IP, 17 h, 9 BB, 38 K Oh...and he's also a pretty good hitter and plays the outfield twice a week. | 
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|  05-05-2015, 08:44 AM | #2002 | 
| wekasauce 
					Posts: 106,916
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			Can't wait to see who overpays him
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|  05-05-2015, 09:14 AM | #2003 | 
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
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			-Yankees -Red Sox -Dodgers -Giants -Mariners -Rangers -Cubs Feel like those are the only teams that really ever seem to go in on the big-time Japanese players. | 
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|  05-05-2015, 10:00 AM | #2004 | 
| b/c 5 is better than 4 
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			They're the only ones that are willing to take the financial risk on signing them, despite none of them truly working out since Ichiro.....
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|  05-05-2015, 11:17 AM | #2005 | 
| Former TPWW Royalty 
					Posts: 66,669
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			Matsui was another who ended up being good in MLB.  Pitchers have it tougher mostly because of how differnt the systems are here compared to Japan. | 
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|  05-05-2015, 11:24 AM | #2006 | 
| Large Marge sent me 
					Posts: 32,379
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			A bit different now since the max bid that goes to the Japanese team is 20 mil.  Not like you have to pay 150 just to talk to them anymore.   Still not sure why the Japanese teams agreed to that. Teams like Orix have used their huge windfalls on large projects like to renovate stadiums and such. | 
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|  05-05-2015, 12:07 PM | #2007 | 
| TPWW Fire Pro Champ 
					Posts: 34,001
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			Tanaka's team was fighting it. They wanted those "millions of dollars" bad. But, MLB and Nippon agreed, and that's how it is.  Old system still applies in South Korea. Which is cool. | 
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|  05-06-2015, 07:20 AM | #2008 | 
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
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			Cardinals are 20-6 and have an 8 game lead in the NL Central.  It's almost unfair how consistently good they are year in year out. I've never seen another team that actually plays significantly better any time one of their star players gets injured. | 
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|  05-06-2015, 07:59 AM | #2009 | 
| Large Marge sent me 
					Posts: 32,379
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			I know.  Their top prospect fn died for crying out loud.  Death itself can't even stop them.
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|  05-07-2015, 10:53 AM | #2010 | 
| You know that’s right 
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			Cardinals are gay
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|  05-07-2015, 10:53 AM | #2011 | 
| You know that’s right 
					Posts: 52,760
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			love baseball tho
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|  05-07-2015, 10:09 PM | #2012 | 
| Former TPWW Royalty 
					Posts: 66,669
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			Red Sox fired their pitching coach today. Nobody stood up for him in a recent meeting management had which made it a lot easier to scapegoat him for all the problems with pitching this season.
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|  05-08-2015, 09:38 AM | #2013 | 
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
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			lol what an unfortunate firing "You couldn't make chicken salad out of chicken shit? YOU'RE FIRED!!! | 
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|  05-08-2015, 09:42 AM | #2014 | 
| LIMITLESS 
					Posts: 32,276
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|  05-08-2015, 10:10 AM | #2015 | 
| wekasauce 
					Posts: 106,916
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			Hey whatever I love Ricky "Porkchop" Porcello don't be hatin'
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|  05-08-2015, 10:12 AM | #2016 | 
| b/c 5 is better than 4 
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|  05-08-2015, 12:15 PM | #2017 | 
| MVP Mark 
					Posts: 16,451
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			White Sox are so bad I am already over this season   . One thing that hurts the MLB is that a lot of people only care about 1 or 2 teams. There are not many superstars that people crave to watch or teams. Yankees use to be that way but that has passed. I don't think the MLB ratings suck because its not as popular but that people only care about their team and stop watching when they are eliminated/out of contention. | 
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|  05-08-2015, 03:35 PM | #2018 | 
| wekasauce 
					Posts: 106,916
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			Eh White Sox... almost gave my Tigers their first sweep (losing end) of the season    | 
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|  05-08-2015, 03:36 PM | #2019 | 
| wekasauce 
					Posts: 106,916
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			re: 2nd paragraph Yes fully... I love watching Tigers but could give two fucks less about the Cubs/Cardinals/Red Sox/FOTM team... baseball is very boring with no emotional/financial investment in a game tbh | 
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|  05-08-2015, 03:46 PM | #2020 | 
| Shelly Martinez = Ratings 
					Posts: 23,625
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			I'm watching more than I did last year thanks to MLB.TV. I can get pumped about some teams other than PHI/BOS, but it usually becomes more about certain players and wanting them to do well. | 
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|  05-08-2015, 04:19 PM | #2021 | |
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
				               | Quote: 
 At least Royals/Tigers is this week to get some different teams in the spotlight. Then again the ESPN announcers are woefully bad. | |
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|  05-08-2015, 04:19 PM | #2022 | 
| TPWW Fire Pro Champ 
					Posts: 34,001
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			Add Alex Cobb and Adam Ottavino to the Tommy John surgery list.  Count for 2015: 16 | 
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|  05-08-2015, 07:22 PM | #2023 | 
| TPWW Fire Pro Champ 
					Posts: 34,001
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			Business is about to pick up in Queens. Mets calling up Noah Syndergaard.
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|  05-08-2015, 07:29 PM | #2024 | |
| Former TPWW Royalty 
					Posts: 66,669
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|  05-08-2015, 10:40 PM | #2025 | 
| Shelly Martinez = Ratings 
					Posts: 23,625
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			Another reason I don't miss having ESPN. Who does the TV games now? Orel Herschiser and Dan Schulmann did radio games for a while. Love them.
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|  05-09-2015, 02:24 AM | #2026 | 
| Former TPWW Royalty 
					Posts: 66,669
				               | Was the pitching coach for the Indians minor league club in Columbus. Could have arrived for yesterday's game but won't till Sunday or Monday because of a condition in his deal. He wanted to wait until the Indians flew someone over to replace his spot in the minors before leaving. | 
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|  05-10-2015, 12:07 AM | #2027 | 
| LIMITLESS 
					Posts: 32,276
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			I miss Justin Upton in a Dbacks uniform.    | 
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|  05-10-2015, 12:15 PM | #2028 | 
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
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			http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.j...t_id=107767183 Is it bad that the horribly worded caption made me laugh?  Poor Parker though. Fractured bone in his elbow and on his way for a third major elbow surgery. Only 26 but seems like his career could very well be over. | 
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|  05-10-2015, 02:01 PM | #2029 | 
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			That guy had all the talent in the world. Wish him the best and hope he recovers.
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|  05-10-2015, 05:06 PM | #2030 | 
| Let me talk to ya 
					Posts: 11,749
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			Micheal Pineda set down 16 batters in 7 innings.
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|  05-10-2015, 07:28 PM | #2031 | 
| TPWW Fire Pro Champ 
					Posts: 34,001
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|  05-11-2015, 10:25 PM | #2032 | 
| Large Marge sent me 
					Posts: 32,379
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			People always get three parts wrong in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  Random cancer survivor ladies singing the stretch at Wrigley are the first in a looooong time to get it right.  Everyone gets it wrong.  Feel like a curse has been lifted and I can finally go to heaven.   1) It's not "take me out TO the crowd" it's "take me out WITH the crowd" 2) Its Cracker Jack (singular) not Cracker Jacks. 3) It's "I dont care if I NEVER get back" not "EVER" | 
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|  05-12-2015, 08:31 AM | #2033 | 
| wekasauce 
					Posts: 106,916
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			hate Wrigley and how it makes ppl at other ballparks do the stupid "throw it back!" when catching an opposing player's home run if I catch a home run ball from an opposing player I'm keeping that fucker get off me | 
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|  05-12-2015, 09:07 AM | #2034 | 
| Shelly Martinez = Ratings 
					Posts: 23,625
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			Ya I'm with you 100p. So dumb. Ball girl will just give it to another fan anyway. | 
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|  05-12-2015, 09:14 AM | #2035 | 
| Former TPWW Royalty 
					Posts: 66,669
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			Might toss back a Yankees home run ball depending on the situation but everything else I'd keep the ball or give it as a gift to whoever brought me to the game.
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|  05-12-2015, 09:19 AM | #2036 | 
| wekasauce 
					Posts: 106,916
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			If it's a HEATED RIVAL, sure I could see... I wouldn't throw out an ARod home run ball though, even though he's a huge dickhole
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|  05-12-2015, 09:22 AM | #2037 | 
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
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|  05-12-2015, 09:22 AM | #2038 | 
| President of Freedonia 
					Posts: 58,377
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			Stoked for Syndergaard tonight, though.
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|  05-12-2015, 09:43 AM | #2039 | 
| Shelly Martinez = Ratings 
					Posts: 23,625
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			I would prob give the ball to a kid tbh
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|  05-12-2015, 10:48 AM | #2040 | 
| Large Marge sent me 
					Posts: 32,379
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			The hilarious thing is how people get so mad if they don't throw it back.  If you were to ask the mob why you should throw it back they'd say "ITS TRADITION!!"......because keeping tradition has brought so much luck to this franchise, right?? I would give a foul ball to a kid, but I'm keeping the HR ball. I don't care if it was hit by Pablo Ozuna, it's a fn home run ball. Mad respect for the once in a blue moon guy who has a random ball (be it from home or batting practice) and does the flawless transfer to please the crowd and keep the ball. SPOILER: show | 
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