Thread: World Series Prediction Thread

Originally Posted by Nomad

WOW! Alex Rodriguz was on a winning WS team, I guess hell froze over!!

Actually the Yankees just bought hell and turned it into an ice rink.

Congrats to DS and keithbishop.

Now the Sox fans around here can cry more

Originally Posted by Medford Bronco

Congrats to DS and keithbishop.

Now the Sox fans around here can cry more

That makes me laugh. I think it's great that Mark Texiera and C.C. got their rings. Both had been on some pretty good teams that just died in the playoffs and it's nice to see that their signings weren't of the Jason Giambi or Carl Pavano types; they worked!

All bought and paid for. The trophy is merely a receipt

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

All bought and paid for. The trophy is merely a receipt

Agreed to a point but the Phillies are not the KC Royals that is for sure



Phils increase '09 payroll to $131.5M
World Series champions lock up key players through '11
By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com

In these uncertain economic times, the Phillies seem pretty certain they have spent their money on a winner.
The last piece fell into place Sunday when Ryan Howard agreed a three-year, $54 million contract. It locked up a core of talent that should be together the next three seasons. Assuming the Phillies eventually pick up Jimmy Rollins' 2011 club option, Rollins, Howard, Chase Utley, Brad Lidge, Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson and Raul Ibanez are signed through 2011.

Of course, it came at a price. In a year when most teams seem to be cutting payroll or simply trying to maintain it because of a depressed economy, the Phillies' payroll has jumped from around $104 million on Opening Day 2008 to an estimated $131.5 million on Opening Day '09.

"We're fortunate to be in this position," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "If we can't put a World Series champion on the field at this level of payroll, that's my fault. We should be able to contend."

He is correct. Teams contend for much less. The Rays had a $43.8 million payroll last season, which ranked 29th in baseball. The Rockies had a $54.4 million payroll in 2007, when they reached the World Series. That ranked 25th in baseball. The Twins regularly contend in the American League Central with a small-market payroll. The Marlins spend little money, but always seem to be finding good young talent.

"You hope that the players perform to their contracts," Amaro said. "That's not always the case, so we are taking on risk here. But as far as our payroll is concerned, we depend on people coming to the ballpark. Just like any organization, we're going to have a finite level of revenues. As long as we have a quality product on the field, it equals people coming to the ballpark. That said, you don't know where the economy is going to take us. Frankly, we're hopeful that the economy straightens out so that it becomes less of a risk."

The Phillies' projected payroll is for a 25-man roster, plus three additional players: J.C. Romero, Adam Eaton and Jim Thome. Romero will open the season serving a 50-game suspension for violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing drugs. Eaton is not expected to make the team, but the Phils will be responsible for the majority of his salary should he be released and sign with another team. Thome is in the final year of the contract he originally signed with Philadelphia before the 2003 season. The club is paying $3 million of his $13 million salary.

Catchers Carlos Ruiz, Chris Coste, Ronny Paulino and left-hander Mike Zagurski are the only players on the 40-man roster unsigned. Ruiz and Coste or Paulino are expected to make the team, but two of them should cost no more than a combined $950,000. The projection also includes an estimated $3 million in signing bonuses for Ibanez and Lidge.

"It's a calculated risk based on what kind of talent we have on the club," Amaro said of the boosted payroll. "If you go up and down the lineup and through our rotation and bullpen, the people that we've targeted to longer-term deals, we feel like we have control over the next several years. I think we have the right mix of youth and veteran players. It's all about how the players perform. They're the ones who make us smart or dumb. We feel that we have a contending club for the foreseeable future."

Amaro said he didn't need to convince Phillies president David Montgomery to sign Howard, Hamels, Madson, Ibanez, Jamie Moyer, Jayson Werth and Greg Dobbs to multiyear contracts this offseason.


"Fortunately for us, I have a boss who I certainly have to get agreements from and have to discuss certain things form, but we're kind of on the same page," Amaro said. "It was the right thing to do."

Here is a look at that projected 2009 Opening Day payroll:

PITCHERS
Joe Blanton ($5.475 million)
Clay Condrey ($650,000)
Chad Durbin ($1.635 million)
Eaton ($8.5 million, plus a $500,000 buyout for 2010)
Scott Eyre ($2 million)
Hamels ($4.35 million)
J.A. Happ ($405,000)
Kyle Kendrick ($475,000)
Lidge ($11.5 million, plus an estimated $1 million signing bonus)
Madson ($3 million)
Moyer ($6.5 million)
Brett Myers ($12 million)
Chan Ho Park ($2.5 million)
Romero ($4 million, minus $1.25 million for 50-game suspension)


CATCHERS
Carlos Ruiz (unsigned)
Chris Coste or Ronny Paulino (unsigned)


INFIELDERS
Eric Bruntlett ($800,000)
Dobbs ($1.15 million)
Howard ($15 million)
Feliz ($5 million)
Rollins ($7.5 million, plus a $1 million signing bonus)
Utley ($11 million, plus a $250,000 signing bonus)


OUTFIELDERS
Ibanez ($6.5 million, plus a $2 million signing bonus)
Geoff Jenkins ($6.75 million, plus a $1.25 million buyout)
Matt Stairs ($1 million)
Shane Victorino ($3.125 million)
Jayson Werth ($3 million)


OTHER
Thome ($3 million)

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

All bought and paid for. The trophy is merely a receipt

Oh give me a break. They've bought tons of players before and they didn't win every championship. Hell, were you pissed off at your Orioles when they went out and spent some dough a few years back?

Originally Posted by King87

Oh give me a break. They've bought tons of players before and they didn't win every championship. Hell, were you pissed off at your Orioles when they went out and spent some dough a few years back?

A few years back? it was like 12 years ago and they spent a ton of money on "has been" players and they did it for ONE reason...to try and remain competetive in the same division as the Sox and Yankees. What did they get for their effort? A 12 year old Yankee fan interferes with a ball and they lose a playoff series to NY anyway.

There is a difference between spending money and having a payroll so much higher than the next highest team that 3 other teams couldnt even fill the gap with their own payroll.

The Phils have a high payroll of their own at 131 mil? Fine...that's still 70 million less than NY. There are about 10 teams in baseball under 70 mil.

If everyone wants to turn a blind eye to the salary issue...so be it. Let the Yankees win one out of every four championships for another 100 years. While we're at it, remove the cap in football and basketball and let the Cowboys and Lakers do the same thing.

Congrats to the Yankees.

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

A few years back? it was like 12 years ago and they spent a ton of money on "has been" players and they did it for ONE reason...to try and remain competetive in the same division as the Sox and Yankees. What did they get for their effort? A 12 year old Yankee fan interferes with a ball and they lose a playoff series to NY anyway.

There is a difference between spending money and having a payroll so much higher than the next highest team that 3 other teams couldnt even fill the gap with their own payroll.

The Phils have a high payroll of their own at 131 mil? Fine...that's still 70 million less than NY. There are about 10 teams in baseball under 70 mil.

If everyone wants to turn a blind eye to the salary issue...so be it. Let the Yankees win one out of every four championships for another 100 years. While we're at it, remove the cap in football and basketball and let the Cowboys and Lakers do the same thing.

Hideki Irabu? They outbid the Sox. BUST

Carl Pavano? BUST

Kevin Brown? BUST

Prior, home grown talent (Jeter, Rivera, Williams, Posada, Rivera, Mendoza) mixed with free agents. The Mets and Sox do the same thing, but not as well as we do. They could outbid us if they wanted to, even if it breaks their bank. Tough, it's the lack of a cap's fault.

The Yankees did this type of spending in the 1980s and won absolutely nothing. Sure they won more games than any other team in that decade, but outside of a WS appearance, nothing. A lot of that was because of the Bronx Zoo atmosphere. Prior to Steinbrenner buying the team, they were owned by CBS, who didn't care and let them suck into oblivion. In came Steinbrenner who used the resources available to him and built a winner.

Baseball is a bid business. Even if I am a Yankee fan, I don't like it. I hate the money being thrown around since it can land you the players I mentioned. But if it also puts us back on top, so be it.

A-Rod was a bust and a choke artist, now all of a sudden he's expensive? Give me a break.

Baseball needs a salary cap, I agree 1000%. But until then, we can all root for the small guys like the Rays and Twins... who seem to be in it every year, but not teams like the Pirates, who trade their players to these contenders because of salary cap issues, but somehow can afford a new ballpark. The Yankees aren't the only ones to blame. In fact, they aren't to blame. It's the sport. And if the salary cap were truly unfair, then there wouldn't have been a 9 year drought.

I keep hearing Yankees fans talk about homegrown talent as if it's something they do regularly. After Jeter, Cano (only one in the last 10 years), Posada and Rivera...where are the above average regular contributors? ARod, Tex, CC, AJ, Damon, Matsui, Swisher, Marte..........

The Cowboys fan base doesnt suffer due to a salary cap...nirhter do the Lakers. So why is it that most defenders of the Yankees payroll always try to use the "Yankee image" as a reason for the need for that team to win? because they have the largest fanbase? I hope so...they are only in the most populated market.

Sure, they dont always win, but what happens to the teams that might be able to win if they had a Burnett or Sabathia added to their roster? Maybe Teixiera at first. The teams that are a player or two away from being competetive have to sit at home during the post-season because the players they might have had help them are all in NY. it hurts baseball whether the Yanks win or lose.

Originally Posted by Devilspawn

Hideki Irabu? They outbid the Sox. BUST

Carl Pavano? BUST

Kevin Brown? BUST

Prior, home grown talent (Jeter, Rivera, Williams, Posada, Rivera, Mendoza) mixed with free agents. The Mets and Sox do the same thing, but not as well as we do. They could outbid us if they wanted to, even if it breaks their bank. Tough, it's the lack of a cap's fault.

The Yankees did this type of spending in the 1980s and won absolutely nothing. Sure they won more games than any other team in that decade, but outside of a WS appearance, nothing. A lot of that was because of the Bronx Zoo atmosphere. Prior to Steinbrenner buying the team, they were owned by CBS, who didn't care and let them suck into oblivion. In came Steinbrenner who used the resources available to him and built a winner.

Baseball is a bid business. Even if I am a Yankee fan, I don't like it. I hate the money being thrown around since it can land you the players I mentioned. But if it also puts us back on top, so be it.

A-Rod was a bust and a choke artist, now all of a sudden he's expensive? Give me a break.

Baseball needs a salary cap, I agree 1000%. But until then, we can all root for the small guys like the Rays and Twins... who seem to be in it every year, but not teams like the Pirates, who trade their players to these contenders because of salary cap issues, but somehow can afford a new ballpark. The Yankees aren't the only ones to blame. In fact, they aren't to blame. It's the sport. And if the salary cap were truly unfair, then there wouldn't have been a 9 year drought.

LOL hikeki irabu. What a bum he was

and dont forget that other stiff from Japan Igawa

seriously congrats to a great guy
and the Sox fans can cry all day today

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

A few years back? it was like 12 years ago and they spent a ton of money on "has been" players and they did it for ONE reason...to try and remain competetive in the same division as the Sox and Yankees. What did they get for their effort? A 12 year old Yankee fan interferes with a ball and they lose a playoff series to NY anyway.

There is a difference between spending money and having a payroll so much higher than the next highest team that 3 other teams couldnt even fill the gap with their own payroll.

The Phils have a high payroll of their own at 131 mil? Fine...that's still 70 million less than NY. There are about 10 teams in baseball under 70 mil.

If everyone wants to turn a blind eye to the salary issue...so be it. Let the Yankees win one out of every four championships for another 100 years. While we're at it, remove the cap in football and basketball and let the Cowboys and Lakers do the same thing.

Uh...what about that offseason where they got Miguel Tejada and several other guys who were a big chunk of change. The Blue Jays did the same thing. The Cubs did the same thing. The Mets did the same thing. The Red Sox did the same thing.

"Buying" teams doesn't usually work and the Yankees turned to shit when they just started picking up every sexy bat at the end of the year.

**** it, turn off the NFL salary cap. Cincinnati is one of the richer teams in the league in regards to money made. Suprising, I know.

Originally Posted by King87

Uh...what about that offseason where they got Miguel Tejada and several other guys who were a big chunk of change. The Blue Jays did the same thing. The Cubs did the same thing. The Mets did the same thing. The Red Sox did the same thing.

"Buying" teams doesn't usually work and the Yankees turned to shit when they just started picking up every sexy bat at the end of the year.

**** it, turn off the NFL salary cap. Cincinnati is one of the richer teams in the league in regards to money made. Suprising, I know.

Just ask the Rangers of the NHL about buying teams. It never worked.

Originally Posted by Medford Bronco

Just ask the Rangers of the NHL about buying teams. It never worked.

Daniel Snyder has only been able to muster a pretty good defense with his shenanigans.

Originally Posted by Medford Bronco

Congrats to DS and keithbishop.

Now the Sox fans around here can cry more

Don't forget about OB420, IIRC she's a big Yankee fan!