# MLB: March/April 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055 "2012-03-28T16:17:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/281 "2012-04-21T22:32:50Z")
> [@Ambihelical\_Hexnut](#): > > He’s done it! Philip Humber has pitched the 21st perfect game in MLB history! First one I’ve ever “witnessed” (I listen to the games on the radio). Congrats to Humbert, even if it was against my team. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/282 "2012-04-21T23:13:57Z")
That’s four in the last three years. Five, really, except for that awful call against the Tiger’s Armando Gallaraga. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/283 "2012-04-22T00:19:18Z")
What a game in Boston. Sox led 9-0 and the Yanks came back to win 15-9. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/284 "2012-04-22T00:47:42Z")
Matt Kemp was less than pleased about being called out on strikes in his last at-bat. Matt Kemp got his revenge. 9th home run, 22nd RBI. 436 feet. Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/285 "2012-04-22T00:54:16Z")
Kemp is as hot to start a season as I’ve ever seen a hitter. Ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/286 "2012-04-22T00:55:29Z")
Correction – officially 423 feet. Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/287 "2012-04-22T01:05:08Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > What a game in Boston. Sox led 9-0 and the Yanks came back to win 15-9. This team looks absolutely dead in the water-yeah they came back after a bad start last year, but they simply look completely lifeless. They’ll probably be shopping a bunch of guys at or by the break. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/288 "2012-04-22T01:10:20Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Correction – officially 423 feet. He murdered that ball. Kershaw is pitching like a madman too. It has been a great baseball day. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/289 "2012-04-22T01:33:21Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > He murdered that ball. Kershaw is pitching like a madman too. It has been a great baseball day. I felt bad for the pitcher. He reacted like he’d just dropped his iPad in the toilet. Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/290 "2012-04-22T01:42:58Z")
The Angels owe Albert Pujols $240 million through his age-41 season (10 years). The Tigers owe Prince Fielder $214 million through his age-36 season (9 years). The Dodgers owe Matt Kemp $158 million through his age-34 season (8 years). While it would be ridiculous to expect Kemp to keep hitting like he has been over the past couple of weeks, and a lot of things can happen in baseball, i know which one of those contracts i’d be most happy with right now, if i were a general manager. Vernon Wells will earn $10 million more than Matt Kemp over the next three seasons. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/291 "2012-04-22T01:54:27Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > This team looks absolutely dead in the water-yeah they came back after a bad start last year, but they simply look completely lifeless. They’ll probably be shopping a bunch of guys at or by the break. I wonder if Bobby V is pricing tickets to Tokyo-Narita yet. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/292 "2012-04-22T02:31:27Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Vernon Wells will earn $10 million more than Matt Kemp over the next three seasons. 🙂 As to this, one wonders what might happen in Anaheim if this continues. Right now Vernon Wells has an on base percentage of .255. That’s actually UP from last year’s .248. Meanwhile, Mike Trout is humilating the PCL. At some point the Angels are going to have to make what might be a really painful decision, because no matter how much Vernon is being paid, you can’t have a corner outfielder that bad and pretend to be a good team. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/293 "2012-04-22T04:26:42Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > As a Dodger fan, it made me smile to see Aubrey Huff play 2B. Huff played second base? Are you sure? From what I [saw](http://www.baycityball.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/huffsecondbase1.gif), he doesn’t appear to be anywhere near second base. Even as a Giants fan I can’t help laughing at that actually. (explanation: Huff went toward 1st base when he needed to be on 2nd for an inning ending double play) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/294 "2012-04-22T12:46:16Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > What a game in Boston. Sox led 9-0 and the Yanks came back to win 15-9. Man, what a crazy game. The fans really turned on Bobby V. by the end of the game. It went from a scattering of boos to “off with his head” by the end. > [@Ambihelical\_Hexnut](#): > > He’s done it! Philip Humber has pitched the 21st perfect game in MLB history! Very cool, though Fox cut over to the final out and we lost the Swisher grand slam. Fox should have kept the Yankees-Red Sox game in a small window at least. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/295 "2012-04-22T16:37:35Z")
The Red Sox have officially become the Mets. Yes, they have a $170M payroll, but a third of that is on the DL, and much of the rest is useless. Time to blow it up, dump the numerous older nonperformers, bring up Iglesias, Lavarnway, and Middlebrooks, and start the next generation. No, this isn’t panicking, it’s a reflection of the fact that they’re playing .268 ball since last September 1, and it’s been a quarter of a season since then. That’s not a mere slump, it’s what the Japanese groundskeeper in _Major League_ said about the Indians: “They’re shitty”. The most beloved man in Boston now is no longer Jerry Remy, it’s Terry Francona. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/296 "2012-04-22T17:42:39Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The Red Sox have officially become the Mets. Yes, they have a $170M payroll, but a third of that is on the DL, and much of the rest is useless. Time to blow it up, dump the numerous older nonperformers, bring up Iglesias, Lavarnway, and Middlebrooks, and start the next generation. Why ISN’T Lavarnway in the bigs right now? What the hell is he expected to prove in Pawtucket that he hasn’t already? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/297 "2012-04-22T18:20:50Z")
Mainly he’s there to tune up his defense, and get the PT and AB’s he wouldn’t get by backing up Salty. Plus, Beckett has adopted Shoppach as his caddy, replacing Varitek in the role, and he might not be comfortable with either Salty or Lavarnway or a combo. Not that Beckett is in a strong position to ask for special favors right now anyway. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/298 "2012-04-22T18:21:00Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The Red Sox have officially become the Mets. Yes, they have a $170M payroll, but a third of that is on the DL, and much of the rest is useless. Time to blow it up, dump the numerous older nonperformers, bring up Iglesias, Lavarnway, and Middlebrooks, and start the next generation. > > No, this isn’t panicking, it’s a reflection of the fact that they’re playing .268 ball since last September 1, and it’s been a quarter of a season since then. That’s not a mere slump, it’s what the Japanese groundskeeper in _Major League_ said about the Indians: “They’re shitty”. > > The most beloved man in Boston now is no longer Jerry Remy, it’s Terry Francona. Tough to even blow it up. Can’t move Crawford or Lackey. You could probably trade Youk to the Mets. Someone, somewhere would probably take Becket at 15.75M through 2014. No one would give you much for Ortiz and the fans would be pretty unhappy I would guess. (Though Tampa might consider it as he is such a great Yankee killer and only one year. OK maybe the could move Ortiz.) Moving Ellsbury would be stupid. I don’t think you would really want to move Buchholz or Lester but I’m sure you could find a trade partner for them. Who could afford to take on Adrian mid-season? Overall it would be hard to blowup the Red Sox in a useful way. But moving Youk to a team in need of a first baseman may make lots of sense. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/299 "2012-04-22T18:37:44Z")
The Ellsbury, Ortiz, Matsuzaka, and Jenks (a complete waste of oxygen there) contracts are up at the end of the year. They’re tradeable, but not for all that much. Crawford is too good to suck forever, but hand/wrist injuries take a long time to recover, so he won’t be worth much this year anyway (his problem last year was trying too hard, not too little). Lackey, yeah, they’re stuck with him, but there’s still some hope he’ll be embarrassed enough to get in shape for next year. Gonzo isn’t what we expected but he’s still a net positive, even with blaming the September collapse on God’s will rather than the fucking _players_’ will. Agreed it’s a good time to trade Youk. He’s still productive when healthy, but he doesn’t have the natural talent to produce when he’s not, which is often. Middlebrooks is looking like the real thing, too, which is what is largely behind the questions about Youk. Bobby V didn’t help himself by weaseling away from his own comments on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055/300 "2012-04-22T20:25:35Z")
I’m not quite sure i’d be blowing up the Red Sox quite yet, especially not when it comes to position players. They’ve scored exactly 5 runs per game so far this season (5th in the AL, 8th overall), and before yesterday’s bullpen explosion had scored 9 runs in 6 innings. And that is likely to improve, i think, given the underperformance of some of the hitters early in the season. Their biggest problem is that they have given up 20% more runs than any other team in the majors. Almost 7 per game. Even if they had not given up a single run to the Yankees yesterday, they would _still_ have the most runs conceded in all of baseball. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-march-april-2012/617055.md?page=16)