2016 MLB Thread - FLY THE WORLD SERIES W FOR THE CHAMPION CUBS!!!

[orcus116]

I still can't not think of him as the Orioles version of himself. Like I truly believe there is a serious regression right around the corner.

You're just in denial.

Even two years ago, before he entered this amazing run he's been having, he's been on. I was at a game at Wrigley, he was pitching, he took a perfect game into the 7th. I believe the next game he took a no-no into the 8th. This was two years ago mind you. Not last year's Cy Young winning year. It's his mechanics improving and Bosio being a hell of a pitching coach.

This is going to sound stupid but turns out I was thinking of Jeremy Guthrie the whole time, I just hadn't heard his name again until tonight.

[splent]

I still can't not think of him as the Orioles version of himself. Like I truly believe there is a serious regression right around the corner.

You're just in denial.

Even two years ago, before he entered this amazing run he's been having, he's been on. I was at a game at Wrigley, he was pitching, he took a perfect game into the 7th. I believe the next game he took a no-no into the 8th. This was two years ago mind you. Not last year's Cy Young winning year. It's his mechanics improving and Bosio being a hell of a pitching coach.

This is going to sound stupid but turns out I was thinking of Jeremy Guthrie the whole time, I just hadn't heard his name again until tonight.

Jake, Jeremy, easy mistake

[splent]

It's currently in the 13th inning, and Bryce Harper has no official at bat in 7 plate appearances. 6 walks and 1 HBP. First time that's happened ever.

[Dream Team]

Cubs are just stupid this season. Would love to see them win it all, and Theo would be a lock for the Hall after ending two 80+ year curses.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

So... any thoughts on that Toronto/Texas business?

[Mr. Ister]

hilarious

[masterthes]

Bautista certainly got knocked the F out 

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Bautista certainly got knocked the F out 

I don't think that means what you think it means.

hilarious

Indeed... hilarious and entertaining.  I found it pretty gutless if the Rangers really did wait until the 8th inning of the 7th and final game of the season series to "retaliate" for something that happened in 2015.

[jingle.boy]

Not sure how it can be taken as anything else.  Jose's last at-bat last year (against Texas) was the infamous bat-flip.  The Rangers choose the 8th inning of the final game of the year between the two to drop him?  And the pitcher (Bush) that hit him wasn't even on the team last year when Bautista hit the HR - "Bush was serving out the end of a 39-month sentence in Florida for a hit-and-run, injuring a 72-year-old man, knocking him off his motorcycle. He was accused of DUI and leaving the scene, and pleaded no contest."  Why didn't the pitcher who served up that HR last year (Dyson) plunk Bautista - he faced him twice here in Toronto.  If Dyson doesn't want to plunk him, wtf is with Bush doing it.  Gutless, dumbass, punk-bitch is what Bush is.

Sure, Bautista's slide into 2nd was hard and illegal, but Bush brought it on.  And Odor got a nice cheap shot in on Bautista.  https://fat.gfycat.com/NeedySilentEarthworm.webm

Beltre jumped in there pdq to protect everyone, because I'll bet when Bautista caught his wits, he'd have started throwing haymakers as well.

Odor deserves a few games for that shot, as does Bush.  As does Gibbons for coming out on the field after he'd already been ejected.

I feel bad for Fielder.  He knew he was getting plunked.  I love how Chavez plunks him, then just walks off.

https://giant.gfycat.com/SeriousObviousBanteng.webm

[Mr. Ister]

Not sure how it can be taken as anything else.  Jose's last at-bat last year (against Texas) was the infamous bat-flip.  The Rangers choose the 8th inning of the final game of the year between the two to drop him?  And the pitcher (Bush) that hit him wasn't even on the team last year when Bautista hit the HR - "Bush was serving out the end of a 39-month sentence in Florida for a hit-and-run, injuring a 72-year-old man, knocking him off his motorcycle. He was accused of DUI and leaving the scene, and pleaded no contest."  Why didn't the pitcher who served up that HR last year (Dyson) plunk Bautista - he faced him twice here in Toronto.  If Dyson doesn't want to plunk him, wtf is with Bush doing it.  Gutless, dumbass, punk-bitch is what Bush is.

This entire paragraph sets up the argument that Bush should not have been put in this situation by his team/manager, and he should not be faulted, ESPECIALLY given his past and how much it's taken him to get back to this point...and then you go and blame it on him in the end.  Huh?

[jingle.boy]

Really don't understand what you think I'm implying about Bush.  The only "situation" his team/mananger put him in was to pitch through the 8th inning in a one-run game. 

However... 
A) if the team told Bush to drop Bautista, that's classless.  If the team is going to retaliate, you do it right away, not at the last minute.
B) if Bush took it upon himself to do so, where does he come off doing so when he wasn't even on the team last year, and the team didn't see fit to do anything about it for 6 games and 8 innings.  It's classless.

Either way, it's a classless move by the team and/or Bush.

[TAC]

   I love how Chavez plunks him, then just walks off.

Yes I agree. That was hilarious and totally cool.

[Mr. Ister]

Really don't understand what you think I'm implying about Bush.

Nothing implied, you stated it explicitly:

Gutless, dumbass, punk-bitch is what Bush is.

[jingle.boy]

Really don't understand what you think I'm implying about Bush.

Nothing implied, you stated it explicitly:

Gutless, dumbass, punk-bitch is what Bush is.

Ok, fair point, and I see what you mean now.  I see now that I kinda melded the two points together (that it was 'The Rangers' that did this, and Bush was just the fall-guy; then chastise Bush for doing what he did).  I guess I didn't do a good job of stating my opinion that Bush did this on his own... he wasn't acting at the direction of anyone but himself, and when I say "The Rangers chose the 8th inning..." I meant Bush directly, then followed on with the Odor cheap shot.

[KevShmev]

Baseball's unwritten rules are stupid and outdated.

Texas is gutless for beaning a hitter.

Bautista is a dick for intentionally trying to take out a player's legs.

No good guys in this scenario.

[jingle.boy]

Baseball's unwritten rules are stupid and outdated.

Texas is gutless for beaning a hitter.

Bautista is a dick for intentionally trying to take out a player's legs.

No good guys in this scenario.

with all the above.

[Accelerando]

Agreed, but one could argue Texas initiated the everything with plunking Joey Bats. They still sore from what happened October, AND they chose to do it in the final game of their regular season meeting?!

[splent]

I can't wait to see all the suspensions. It hurts both teams.

[JayOctavarium]

I watched the recap of this on the At Bat app. I'll admit I found it very entertaining.

[jingle.boy]

One thing that didn't get pointed out was how Odor threw an exceptionally low sidearm, and downwards towards Bautista's head.  The ball didn't even get 1/2 way to first, and was way off line.  Is Odor that shitty a 2nd baseman that he can't even get it close?  Hard to believe that wasn't intentional.



And these two replays leave little doubt - at least in my mind.  https://youtu.be/p1Pw8N-ojjY?t=330

Just dumbass moves all around. 

[KevShmev]

I heard some talking heads say that earlier on TV, but throwing sidearm from that angle is not unusual, and it looks like it tailed down at the last second when he saw Bautista coming for him.  In other words, Bautista's illegal slide did affect the throw, which is why it was so off line. 

[jingle.boy]

I heard some talking heads say that earlier on TV, but throwing sidearm from that angle is not unusual, and it looks like it tailed down at the last second when he saw Bautista coming for him.  In other words, Bautista's illegal slide did affect the throw, which is why it was so off line.

That's what I figured at first, and yeah... I get that infielders DO throw sidearm to make sure the runner stays down/out of the way.  But... I've NEVER seen a throw THAT bad - 50 feet short, and 40 feet off-line??  Per the picture below, Odor still has his right/plant foot on the ground, and the ball has already left his hand.  I've seen other fielders get completely upended and still make the double play.  Seems pretty questionable.

[El Barto]

A: How was Odor's punch a "cheap shot?" He pushed the dude back, dude came back at him and stuck his hand in his face, Odor clocks him solidly in the jaw.

B: How was the play scored?

[KevShmev]

I believe interference was called on the runner and a double play was awarded, ending the inning.

I literally laughed out loud at Bill Plaschke yesterday on ATH.  Bomani Jones said that Bautista cocked his hand back to punch, but Odor basically beat him to it, and Plaschke said, "he wasn't really going to hit him."   Right, because when someone cocks their fist and raises their arm to punch you, you should always think, "he's not really going to do it." And then five seconds later, you are on the ground next to your teeth.

[El Barto]

B.2: So you're not allowed to break up a double play like that? Is it something that people do all the time, but only get called if they're egregious about it?

[KevShmev]

Nope, they changed the rule over the winter so players don't get hurt by morons like Bautista going out of their way to take out the legs of an infielder.

[El Barto]

C: I agree with our colleague to the North that Odor side-armed it pretty low to hit the runner, but if it's a free play then why the hell not? I've got no problem with it. Pretty smooth in my book.

[jingle.boy]

Nope, they changed the rule over the winter so players don't get hurt by morons like Bautista going out of their way to take out the legs of an infielder.

I'll concede it was a moron play, but Bautista isn't a moron himself.  This whole 'unofficial rules' which makes his brutally illegal slide "ok" is f'n retarded.  Odor even said after the fact he respects Bautista for it. 

[TAC]

Why was Odor suspended 8 games and Bautista only 1?

[jingle.boy]

Why was Odor suspended 8 games and Bautista only 1?

Because Odor was 8x the douchebag in the whole exchange? - throwing at his head, shoving him, cold-cocking him, and taking another swing.  Bautista was a douche for that hard/illegal slide, but - according to the unofficial rules of bball - THAT was ok.   

I believe interference was called on the runner and a double play was awarded, ending the inning.

I literally laughed out loud at Bill Plaschke yesterday on ATH.  Bomani Jones said that Bautista cocked his hand back to punch, but Odor basically beat him to it, and Plaschke said, "he wasn't really going to hit him."   Right, because when someone cocks their fist and raises their arm to punch you, you should always think, "he's not really going to do it." And then five seconds later, you are on the ground next to your teeth.

While I agree with this in principle, the more I watch the replay, it's 100% clear Odor didn't 'beat him to it' - he took his shot before Bautista was even winding up to take his.  Fist was on jaw before Jose even had his hand clenched

[TAC]

Why was Odor suspended 8 games and Bautista only 1?

Because Odor was 8x the douchebag in the whole exchange? - throwing at his head, shoving him, cold-cocking him, and taking another swing.  Bautista was a douche for that hard/illegal slide, but - according to the unofficial rules of bball - THAT was ok.   

I believe interference was called on the runner and a double play was awarded, ending the inning.

I literally laughed out loud at Bill Plaschke yesterday on ATH.  Bomani Jones said that Bautista cocked his hand back to punch, but Odor basically beat him to it, and Plaschke said, "he wasn't really going to hit him."   Right, because when someone cocks their fist and raises their arm to punch you, you should always think, "he's not really going to do it." And then five seconds later, you are on the ground next to your teeth.

While I agree with this in principle, the more I watch the replay, it's 100% clear Odor didn't 'beat him to it' - he took his shot before Bautista was even winding up to take his.  Fist was on jaw before Jose even had his hand clenched

Odor DID beat him to it. Bautista is clearly forming a fist. Bautista shouldn't be less penalized because he LOST the fight.

I am totally on Bautista's side, trust me. The Bat Flip was awesome, and the Rangers were ass hats through this whole thing, but when two guys get in a fight, you don't over penalize the winner.

[jingle.boy]

Allow me to clarify... yes, Odor did beat him to it - but not because he saw that he was going to get punched, therefore he beat Bautista to the punch (literally).  Exhibit A - hand on jaw; Bautista not even with a clenched fist.

when two guys get in a fight, you don't over penalize the winner.

Maybe not, but the instigator gets the bigger penalty.  Odor was completely the aggressor/instigator.

[TAC]

Wasn't the takeout slide the instigation?

[El Barto]

I'm sure Bautista was only getting into his face to further a civil discussion on baseball etiquette and the unspoken rules.

[TAC]

I'm sure Bautista was only getting into his face to further a civil discussion on baseball etiquette and the unspoken rules.

Uh...yeah. Maybe.