# MLB: September 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 1, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349 "2012-09-01T09:57:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**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:** [September 24, 2012, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/241 "2012-09-24T12:44:11Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Which is a good point, and there is no doubt that AGon has been bad, it’s been a crazy slump. I have to trust ownership when they say that they won’t really concern themselves with payroll any time soon. They are looking to make more on their TV deal than the Angels did and were able to pay for the ball club in cash so they are clearly starting from a point of being flush. > > I have to believe that AGon will be better than James Loney in the long run (though it is hilarious that he hasn’t been so far), and I don’t think there is anyone else out there in free agency, there sure isn’t anyone in the farm system which has\* tons and tons\* of arms, but no bats. If you take the money out of the picture Carl Crawford just needs to be better than Shane Victorino or…no one. They had negative WAR players in LF before Victorino, and Victorino has been awful but still an improvement. The bar isn’t high for Crawford to make the team better and if you take money out of the picture that’s all this is about, making a better team. > > Think of it this way, if this was a fantasy trade the whole league would have vetoed the trade because the Red Sox got suckered and destroyed competitive balance. If the money doesn’t matter that’s essentially what happened here too. Maybe it does matter, but right now they are saying it doesn’t, who are we to disagree? The money matters. The Boss’s near final major decision to extend A-Rod is going to be a huge burden and drag on the Yankee payroll. Pujol’s contract is going to hurt the Angel’s in 5 years or so tremendously. The Phillies have saddle themselves with several terrible contracts and the Dodgers just took one of the worst contracts ever in Crawford. Beckett doesn’t matter as his contract will soon be done. Done before it harms them. A-Gon may prove more-or-less worth the money. I’m guessing he mostly will. But how can you defend the prospects given up in a deal that basically rescued Boston of all but one of its terrible contracts? ---
**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:** [September 24, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/242 "2012-09-24T13:14:40Z")
E > [@What\_Exit](#): > > The money matters. The Boss’s near final major decision to extend A-Rod is going to be a huge burden and drag on the Yankee payroll. Pujol’s contract is going to hurt the Angel’s in 5 years or so tremendously. The Phillies have saddle themselves with several terrible contracts and the Dodgers just took one of the worst contracts ever in Crawford. Beckett doesn’t matter as his contract will soon be done. Done before it harms them. A-Gon may prove more-or-less worth the money. I’m guessing he mostly will. > > But how can you defend the prospects given up in a deal that basically rescued Boston of all but one of its terrible contracts? I’ll cite James Loney as a sure fire top prospect that didn’t pan out and the depth of the pitcher prospects in their system. Not that the prospects don’t matter, they really do, and I am not saying that this wasn’t a high risk trade, it was, I am just saying that if the owners say they have another 300 million or so allocated for payroll and they do that care about the luxury tax AND even with the prospects they gave up they still have a farm system full of good pitchers, that this isn’t THAT crazy a deal. Could they have gotten a better one? Probably. But they clearly don’t care. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/243 "2012-09-24T13:22:24Z")
Missed the edit window. I do know that I am probably wearing really rosey glasses, but who should they have targeted to fix their first base and left field problems? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/244 "2012-09-24T14:21:12Z")
The Nats lost yesterday, and their lead is down to 4.5 games. I’m starting to get nervous here. Sure, if they play .500 ball over their last 10 games, the Braves would have to win 'em all to catch the Nats, but the way the Nats have been sputtering lately, and the fact that their last 10 games are against the Brewers (1), the Phils (6), and the Cards (3), that’s not exactly guaranteed. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/245 "2012-09-24T14:57:24Z")
Yeah, I was at the game on Sunday and the Nats were looking sloppy. The ‘highlight’ was that Wang exceeded my (low) expectations and even hit a double. Just hoping they can start trending up right when we need it most. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/246 "2012-09-24T15:38:44Z")
Agreed. Saturday was a laugher in favor of the Nats, but man I’d feel better with more bats and fewer mental mistakes. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/247 "2012-09-24T16:30:28Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Missed the edit window. I do know that I am probably wearing really rosey glasses, but who should they have targeted to fix their first base and left field problems? Left field had many solutions about as good as Crawford without the giant contract. Just taking his contract and Beckett’s was enough to get A-Gon for a bag of balls. That is my 2nd biggest problem with the deal. My biggest is that I am a Yankee fan and the Dodger’s just rescued the Red Sox but that is not a good argument of course. 😃 A-Gon should be a fairly good pickup, but the cost was too high. Crawford is a player that plays with his legs. He is due for a decline and might already be in it. Yet he is still owed a fortune for many many years. Where to go for a 1st base solution is a good question, but the price they paid was really high. They should have waited it out and seen what developed. A better opportunity may have happened. Odds are good they could have got Fielder or Cabrera from the Tigers in the off-season and for a reasonable trade and while the defense would not be as good the offense would actually be better. For left field any serviceable left fielder would have worked. Even going after Nick Swisher to play left would make more sense. He will probably get a contract for more then he is really worth but it will still look small compared to Crawford’s. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/248 "2012-09-24T17:09:08Z")
I choose to believe the Nats are safely in there. They’re just showing some wear at the end of a long season, but that’s not going to cost them more than a couple games off their pace. (I wouldn’t mind a couple early wins, though.) –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/249 "2012-09-24T18:20:10Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Yeah, I was at the game on Sunday and the Nats were looking sloppy. The ‘highlight’ was that Wang exceeded my (low) expectations and even hit a double. Just hoping they can start trending up right when we need it most. Heh-heh…the Nats have a player named “Wang”\*…huh-huh, huh-huh… \*The scion son of the former computer giant founder. What did you think I meant? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/250 "2012-09-24T19:32:44Z")
Nats are playing much better today, (currently 9-1, top of the 7th). Hopefully they can carry that energy into Philadelphia. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/251 "2012-09-24T20:18:52Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Nats are playing much better today, (currently 9-1, top of the 7th). Hopefully they can carry that energy into Philadelphia. Now 9-2 in the bottom of the 8th, so this one’s about as close to a lock as it gets. Lead up to 5, magic number down to 5. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/252 "2012-09-24T20:35:34Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Now 9-2 in the bottom of the 8th. And now 12-2. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/253 "2012-09-26T01:42:32Z")
Tiger’s destiny is finally back in their hands. But still kind of sad they didn’t run away with it, and still have a lot of work to do to get in. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/254 "2012-09-26T02:03:36Z")
O’s lose and Yanks have a 3-1 lead over Twins currently. Though only in the 7th. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/255 "2012-09-26T12:23:19Z")
Nats lose again in Philly. The magic number is 5, they have 8 games left 5 of them against Philadelphia who they have lost to 5 or 6 games in a row. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/256 "2012-09-27T15:14:34Z")
One week to go and none of the AL divisions has been clinched. Does it get any better? Add the uncertainty of the one game elimination for the wild card and MLB has found a way to ratchet up the tension. As a Yankee fan, I want no part of it. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/257 "2012-09-27T19:52:18Z")
My Indians have [let go of manager Manny Acta and promoted Sandy Alomar](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120927&content_id=39100904&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb). Can’t say I really hold Acta responsible for the season. Ah well. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/258 "2012-09-27T20:02:02Z")
Nats win one, but Porter is going to Houston next year. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/259 "2012-09-27T20:29:06Z")
You know what’s amazing? We’re 6-7 games from the end of the season, depending on the team, and _nobody in the AL has even clinched a playoff spot of any sort yet_. All of the division races are still alive, and even the Rangers, who have the best record in the AL, could still theoretically finish behind all 3 of the top teams in the East, and the A’s and Angels in their own division, leaving them out of the wild-card picture. Ditto the Yankees. Meanwhile, in the NL, four teams have clinched playoff spots, only one division race is still alive, and the Cardinals are close to clinching the last wildcard spot. Two different leagues, two different universes. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/260 "2012-09-27T20:48:25Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > My Indians have [let go of manager Manny Acta and promoted Sandy Alomar](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120927&content_id=39100904&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb). > > Can’t say I really hold Acta responsible for the season. Ah well. Yeah, their roster is a joke. Their prospects (Carlos Santana) and pitching acquisitions (Lowe, Jimenez) have not panned out as expected. That they were somewhat competitive at the beginning of the season made Acta a miracle worker. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349.md?page=14)