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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Dream Team on March 23, 2023, 06:44:58 AM
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Well a new season is upon us . . . how do you like your team's chances? As a Red Sox fan, I have no optimism whatsoever about this upcoming season. One bright spot might be if Chris Sale is finally 100% good to go for a full season.
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Red Sox
I.e., Dodgers East. :biggrin:
Dodgers will be fine offensively, but there are huge question marks with the pitching staff. Julio Urias is probably the least concerning guy. Will Walker Buehler be back this season and, if so, will he return to being one of the best pitchers in the league? Does Kershaw still have it, and how much time will he miss on account of his inevitable back issues? Dustin May has absolutely filthy stuff, but has he learned to control it? When will Tony Gonsolin be back and can he duplicate what he did last year? Can Mark Prior and his staff get Noah Syndegard back anywhere close to what he used to be? Will any of our minor league studs (Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone) contribute?
I think the Dodgers will benefit from the anti-shift rule, but they really need to have worked on swinging for contact. WAY too many strikeouts the last few years.
Ultimately, the Padres are probably the favorite to win the NL West again, but I have full confidence that the Dodgers will compete for the division and be no worse than a WC.
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After the complete fiasco that was the Giants offseason. I am not optimistic at all. More castoffs that may contribute more so than for their previous teams, but I'm not holding my breath for career years out of anyone.
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The Guardians should benefit from eliminating the shift. They swing for contact and are aggressive on the base paths. Pitching is pretty solid and they play in a weak division. Should be in the hunt for the division title all year long. I think my main concern is the outfield being a black hole offensively, but if Oscar Gonzalez can pick up from where he left off last year and Steven Kwan continues to spray the ball all over the place, they should be in good shape.
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I think the Twins will be in contention for the AL central throughout most of the season but ultimately fall short of the playoffs. Even if they do manage to squeak in, I doubt they'll go beyond the first round. But we'll see. Maybe they'll surprise me and be better.
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Brewers still have great pitching and a mediocre offense. I expect them to be around .500 but with a little luck they could make the post season.
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The NFL seems to have great success in creating parity. I think MLB needs to borrow a few tricks so that the little guys can compete, and that includes an enforced MINIMUM payroll for cheapskate owners.
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The NFL seems to have great success in creating parity. I think MLB needs to borrow a few tricks so that the little guys can compete, and that includes an enforced MINIMUM payroll for cheapskate owners.
Yup.
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Anthony Volpe just made the Yankees Opening Day roster. LFG!!!!!! :tup
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The NFL seems to have great success in creating parity. I think MLB needs to borrow a few tricks so that the little guys can compete, and that includes an enforced MINIMUM payroll for cheapskate owners.
Yup.
The Padres have proven that the whole "small market" cry is bullshit. The Padres are in the 5th smallest MLB market but had the 5th highest 2022 payroll (and it's only grown bigger). Revenue sharing is bullshit without a salary floor.
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Budgets and spending are going to be really interesting with the collapse of the RSN's. Many of these teams rely on that money and I don't see the RSN's surviving. MLB is going to have to step in and blow the whole model up and start over. The next few years might be a bit interesting financially.
I'm just looking forward to the end of the blackout model and the cord cutting solutions they are working on.
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Anthony Volpe just made the Yankees Opening Day roster. LFG!!!!!! :tup
Was very happy to see that, the kid earned it. Like the last few years I feel like the Yankees should be strong WS contenders if a bunch of "ifs" break their way (health, continued development of players). I feel like the most likely outcome this year is another second or third round playoff disappointment.
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Boston gives up 10 runs on opening day? Sounds about right.
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OK Red Sox fans...
As some of you know, my kid goes to school in New Hampshire, so I'm squaring things away for her return to school in August. I'm taking vacation the week after I drop her off and am planning to go to the Sox game on August 30 against Houston. I've been to Fenway 2-3 times before and (as best I can remember) have sat in the first base side grandstand seats (sections 14-16 or thereabouts). Looking for something a little different. I'm not paying the silly prices for Monster seats, but otherwise, money isn't much of an object. I think I probably also don't want to do the right/centerfield bleachers (but what do I know?). I was thinking maybe something out by the Pesky pole. Looks like I could actually get the front row in section 4, just past the pole. However, I've heard that the angle of the seats out there might not be so good? What do you guys think?
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Nice opening series by the Twins. Two shut-outs and a series sweep. Against the Royals, so not a reflection of being a great team, but certainly what you would expect a good team to do against a crappy one. I really wish I had a way to watch their games. I refuse to pay for cable and MLB's streaming app blacks out your local team. So I just watch highlights the next day.
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Rangers are 3-0! :metal
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OK Red Sox fans...
As some of you know, my kid goes to school in New Hampshire, so I'm squaring things away for her return to school in August. I'm taking vacation the week after I drop her off and am planning to go to the Sox game on August 30 against Houston. I've been to Fenway 2-3 times before and (as best I can remember) have sat in the first base side grandstand seats (sections 14-16 or thereabouts). Looking for something a little different. I'm not paying the silly prices for Monster seats, but otherwise, money isn't much of an object. I think I probably also don't want to do the right/centerfield bleachers (but what do I know?). I was thinking maybe something out by the Pesky pole. Looks like I could actually get the front row in section 4, just past the pole. However, I've heard that the angle of the seats out there might not be so good? What do you guys think?
I wouldn't sit anywhere near the Pesky Pole. Front row on the field is great....but you're still in the outfield.
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OK Red Sox fans...
As some of you know, my kid goes to school in New Hampshire, so I'm squaring things away for her return to school in August. I'm taking vacation the week after I drop her off and am planning to go to the Sox game on August 30 against Houston. I've been to Fenway 2-3 times before and (as best I can remember) have sat in the first base side grandstand seats (sections 14-16 or thereabouts). Looking for something a little different. I'm not paying the silly prices for Monster seats, but otherwise, money isn't much of an object. I think I probably also don't want to do the right/centerfield bleachers (but what do I know?). I was thinking maybe something out by the Pesky pole. Looks like I could actually get the front row in section 4, just past the pole. However, I've heard that the angle of the seats out there might not be so good? What do you guys think?
I wouldn't sit anywhere near the Pesky Pole. Front row on the field is great....but you're still in the outfield.
I don't necessarily mind the outfield, but I don't want to have to crane my neck to see what's happening on the field. Someone else suggested field boxes from behind the plate down the third base line because they're in the shade (which is appealing since it'll be the end of August).
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OK Red Sox fans...
As some of you know, my kid goes to school in New Hampshire, so I'm squaring things away for her return to school in August. I'm taking vacation the week after I drop her off and am planning to go to the Sox game on August 30 against Houston. I've been to Fenway 2-3 times before and (as best I can remember) have sat in the first base side grandstand seats (sections 14-16 or thereabouts). Looking for something a little different. I'm not paying the silly prices for Monster seats, but otherwise, money isn't much of an object. I think I probably also don't want to do the right/centerfield bleachers (but what do I know?). I was thinking maybe something out by the Pesky pole. Looks like I could actually get the front row in section 4, just past the pole. However, I've heard that the angle of the seats out there might not be so good? What do you guys think?
I wouldn't sit anywhere near the Pesky Pole. Front row on the field is great....but you're still in the outfield.
I don't necessarily mind the outfield, but I don't want to have to crane my neck to see what's happening on the field. Someone else suggested field boxes from behind the plate down the third base line because they're in the shade (which is appealing since it'll be the end of August).
Yes, that would be the correct seat location.
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OK Red Sox fans...
As some of you know, my kid goes to school in New Hampshire, so I'm squaring things away for her return to school in August. I'm taking vacation the week after I drop her off and am planning to go to the Sox game on August 30 against Houston. I've been to Fenway 2-3 times before and (as best I can remember) have sat in the first base side grandstand seats (sections 14-16 or thereabouts). Looking for something a little different. I'm not paying the silly prices for Monster seats, but otherwise, money isn't much of an object. I think I probably also don't want to do the right/centerfield bleachers (but what do I know?). I was thinking maybe something out by the Pesky pole. Looks like I could actually get the front row in section 4, just past the pole. However, I've heard that the angle of the seats out there might not be so good? What do you guys think?
I wouldn't sit anywhere near the Pesky Pole. Front row on the field is great....but you're still in the outfield.
I don't necessarily mind the outfield, but I don't want to have to crane my neck to see what's happening on the field. Someone else suggested field boxes from behind the plate down the third base line because they're in the shade (which is appealing since it'll be the end of August).
Yes, that would be the correct seat location.
It is done. Loge 133 on the aisle. I almost got front row of the section, but I saw some comments that there's a lot of distracting foot traffic (which probably explains why a LOT of front row seats were available for the loge).
Now, all that remains is to decide if I fill out the week with WooSox and Yard Goats games. I already bought tix for the Sea Dogs and Fisher Cats.
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Excellent seats Paul, and hell yes, the foot traffic doesn't stop.
We were in 141 for the Winter Classic.
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Since no one else did...
The Rays just missed a historical start to the season. 13 straight to start the season, tying the '82 Braves and the '87 Brewers, and missed setting the record by losing to Toronto yesterday (and then dropped another one today). Despite the impressive start, the '82 Braves BARELY won the NL west (with an 89-73 record) and lost to the eventual World Series champion Cardinals. The '87 Brewers finished with a 91-71 record but finished 7 games behind the Tigers in the AL east. We'll see how the Rays do.
In other news, the Dodgers played 8 of their first 10 games against the Diamondbacks, with the snakes winning 5 of the 8. Based on those games, I think Arizona may be the surprise team of the season. They hit for contact and are FAST as fuck. If their pitching staff can be average or a little above, they have a real chance to contend.
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Does Kershaw still have it, and how much time will he miss on account of his inevitable back issues?
So far so good. He looked like vintage Kershaw last night, notching career win #200 with 7 shutout innings and 9 strikeouts. The only time he was in any danger was one batter into the game when Jason Heyward botched a fly ball (presumably lost it in the sun or the lights) into a 3-base error. Fortunately, Kersh struck out the side. And the Dodgers thus far suspect bullpen didn't botch things in the 8th and 9th.
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Since no one else did...
The Rays just missed a historical start to the season. 13 straight to start the season, tying the '82 Braves and the '87 Brewers, and missed setting the record by losing to Toronto yesterday (and then dropped another one today). Despite the impressive start, the '82 Braves BARELY won the NL west (with an 89-73 record) and lost to the eventual World Series champion Cardinals. The '87 Brewers finished with a 91-71 record but finished 7 games behind the Tigers in the AL east. We'll see how the Rays do.
In other news, the Dodgers played 8 of their first 10 games against the Diamondbacks, with the snakes winning 5 of the 8. Based on those games, I think Arizona may be the surprise team of the season. They hit for contact and are FAST as fuck. If their pitching staff can be average or a little above, they have a real chance to contend.
Yeah; them and the Pirates.
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It looks like Oakland is moving to Vegas. I know it was one of those places that was considered for an expansion team. I guess that's taken care of now.
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It looks like Oakland is moving to Vegas. I know it was one of those places that was considered for an expansion team. I guess that's taken care of now.
Interesting. I know MLB will be adding 3 more teams over time.
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It looks like Oakland is moving to Vegas. I know it was one of those places that was considered for an expansion team. I guess that's taken care of now.
Interesting. I know MLB will be adding 3 more teams over time.
I believe Nashville was another potential location as well. Someone I work with mentioned that he heard Utah as well.
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It looks like Oakland is moving to Vegas. I know it was one of those places that was considered for an expansion team. I guess that's taken care of now.
Interesting. I know MLB will be adding 3 more teams over time.
THREE more? That would be an odd number (both literally and figuratively). Honestly, MLB has no business adding teams until they fix the situation with the "small market" teams who refuse to spend money to be competitive.
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It looks like Oakland is moving to Vegas. I know it was one of those places that was considered for an expansion team. I guess that's taken care of now.
Interesting. I know MLB will be adding 3 more teams over time.
THREE more? That would be an odd number (both literally and figuratively). Honestly, MLB has no business adding teams until they fix the situation with the "small market" teams who refuse to spend money to be competitive.
I don't think that would prevent them from adding teams to a potentially lucrative market. Though, whatever number of teams they add, I know they wanted to be certain that the AL and NL have the same number of teams.
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One-third of the league is averaging less than 20,000 for their home games:
Diamondbacks: 19,817 out of 48,519 capacity = 40.84%
Tigers: 19,634 out of 41,574 capacity = 47.23%
Orioles: 17,543 out of 45,971 capacity = 38.16%
Reds: 17,447 out of 42,319 capacity = 41.23%
Guardians: 17,050 out of 35,041 capacity = 48.66%
Royals: 15,974 out of 37,903 capacity = 42.14%
Pirates: 15,524 out of 38,000 capacity = 40.85%
Tampa Bay: 13,927 out of 42,735 = 32.59%
Miami: 11,203 out of 37,000 = 30.28
A's: 9,973 out of 47,170 = 21.14%
https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2022
Other than the Rays and A's, these teams play in some of the nicest stadiums in the MLB, and the Rays have been regular contenders with 2 WS appearances in the last 15 years. When you've got 1/3 of your teams who can't even fill their stadiums to 50% capacity, you have no business expanding.
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It looks like Oakland is moving to Vegas. I know it was one of those places that was considered for an expansion team. I guess that's taken care of now.
Interesting. I know MLB will be adding 3 more teams over time.
I believe Nashville was another potential location as well. Someone I work with mentioned that he heard Utah as well.
Nashville O's perhaps? The Angeloses are such a dysfunctional lying sack o' shit family, that I wouldn't be surprised the team ends up there, unless the state of Maryland gives them 3x more than what they need in 'improvements' to Camden Yards.
Figured Vegas would get the A's. Gee, it might mean more money in Oakland for the police, firemen, teachers, etc.......you know, people that are way more important.
Attendance: it's still early in the season, and the weather is what it is. Still, in some markets, there's nothing drawing in people. In others..... I'm basically done with leaving a venue in Baltimore after dark.
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One-third of the league is averaging less than 20,000 for their home games:
Diamondbacks: 19,817 out of 48,519 capacity = 40.84%
Tigers: 19,634 out of 41,574 capacity = 47.23%
Orioles: 17,543 out of 45,971 capacity = 38.16%
Reds: 17,447 out of 42,319 capacity = 41.23%
Guardians: 17,050 out of 35,041 capacity = 48.66%
Royals: 15,974 out of 37,903 capacity = 42.14%
Pirates: 15,524 out of 38,000 capacity = 40.85%
Tampa Bay: 13,927 out of 42,735 = 32.59%
Miami: 11,203 out of 37,000 = 30.28
A's: 9,973 out of 47,170 = 21.14%
https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2022
Other than the Rays and A's, these teams play in some of the nicest stadiums in the MLB, and the Rays have been regular contenders with 2 WS appearances in the last 15 years. When you've got 1/3 of your teams who can't even fill their stadiums to 50% capacity, you have no business expanding.
I don't disagree with your perspective. I've noticed it myself. What I think is that MLB will use that rationale for adding new teams - to add a market that would do better than some the current ones. It could be that MLB pushed for Oakland to leave the state and wouldn't approve a deal for a new stadium. It's probably no coincidence that they are moving to one of the locations that MLB was hoping to expand to in the future anyway.
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Prog Snob is on to something.
The fact is that a new team (at least in the short term) will almost always sell out even if they suck. Thus, creating revenue.
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Crappy early season weather usually plays a significant role in low attendance in April.
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I wonder if MLB team owners used to fight over who was able to host the Yankees the most. ;D
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For everyone's info, the attendance numbers I quoted were for the entire 2022 season.
The A's are moving, so that solves that one.
From an attendance perspective, baseball in south Florida has been a failure. If there are other markets that MLB wants to occupy, send the Marlins and/or Rays there. I know there was talk for a while about the Rays moving to Montreal and becoming the new Expos. Don't know if that's still happening or if it was ever serious.
The Pirates are a flagship team that needs to stay put. They're one of the worst offenders with the "we're a small market, so we can't compete" bullshit. Pittsburgh is a bigger market than San Diego, but the Padres' payroll is probably 5x that of the Pirates. St. Louis is only fractionally bigger than Pittsburgh, but the Cards have NO problem being competitive. MLB needs to stop tolerating the "small market" whining of some of its owners.
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We're either looking at a greedy team owner in Pittsburgh or someone who doesn't know how to run the business. I'm actually a Steelers fan and know quite a few Pittsburgh sports fans. The Pirates are looked at as the joke of the Pittsburgh sports teams.
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Exactly. There have been 30 full seasons since Barry Bonds failed to throw out Sid Bream from deep short (well...29 full seasons plus 1994). In those 30 seasons, the Pirates have zero division titles, 3 wild card appearances and a total of 8 postseason games played with a 3-5 record. Over that same period of time, the Steelers have made the playoffs 19 times and won two Super Bowls (with two additional SB appearances. The Penguins missed the playoffs this year for the first time in 17 years and only the fourth time in the last 30 years, during which time they've won three Stanley Cups (and appeared in one other SCF). The Pirates were a storied team from the time I was growing up through the Bonds years.
My whole point is that MLB needs to clean house and get its existing teams healthy before creating new ones.
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Speaking of, did you see the pictures of one of the Tigers and Guardians game at Comerica Park? Everyone seems to making a big deal out of it.
https://larrybrownsports.com/baseball/attendance-tigers-guardians-game-fans-embarrassing/614101
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I don't know that I'd make too much of an unscheduled early weekday game. That said, the Tigers were one of the bottom third/sub-50% teams and, aside from the run of four straight division titles in the early '10s and the '06 WS appearance, the Tigers have been generally terrible since the mid-'80s.
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I don't know that I'd make too much of an unscheduled early weekday game. That said, the Tigers were one of the bottom third/sub-50% teams and, aside from the run of four straight division titles in the early '10s and the '06 WS appearance, the Tigers have been generally terrible since the mid-'80s.
Not to mention Detroit is a dead and broke city.
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That's my whole point. The market there has been terrible, probably worse than Oakland. They have a shitty team and the fans have nothing to look forward to. This is Miggy's last season so next year there will even be less to watch.
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Generally not a fan of "if the playoffs started today" scenarios, but it's kinda fun in this case.
The Diamondbacks, Pirates and Rangers would be division winners.
The Yankees and Dodgers would miss the playoffs while the Orioles and Marlins would make it. In fact, if the Orioles were in almost any other division, they'd win the division.
MLB, of course, would hate the possibility of a Pittsburgh v. Tampa Bay World Series. :lol
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Generally not a fan of "if the playoffs started today" scenarios, but it's kinda fun in this case.
The Diamondbacks, Pirates and Rangers would be division winners.
The Yankees and Dodgers would miss the playoffs while the Orioles and Marlins would make it. In fact, if the Orioles were in almost any other division, they'd win the division.
MLB, of course, would hate the possibility of a Pittsburgh v. Tampa Bay World Series. :lol
Rangers just embarrassed the Yankees. Question to all that were opposed to the universal DH, how do you feel about it now?
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Question to all that were opposed to the universal DH, how do you feel about it now?
Well...here's my opinion (which has not changed recently): no DH >>>>> universal DH >>>>> one league has DH/other league doesn't.
Did something happen in a Rangers/Yankees game that led you to ask this question?
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I am a Yankees fan.
I hate the DH. I believe the only reason the game has the DH throughout MLB now is because it creates another "job" for a player and extends the life of hitters. More jobs, popular hitters batting, equals more money for everyone.
That said, if we aren't going to be traditional, I prefer the DH in both leagues as opposed to having it one one league and not the other.
The existence of the DH doesn't inhibit my enjoyment of the game, I just would prefer the pitcher hit. It increases in-game strategy, IMO.
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Question to all that were opposed to the universal DH, how do you feel about it now?
Well...here's my opinion (which has not changed recently): no DH >>>>> universal DH >>>>> one league has DH/other league doesn't.
Did something happen in a Rangers/Yankees game that led you to ask this question?
No, I was just curious. Not sure why I posted it quoting this.
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I am a Yankees fan.
I hate the DH. I believe the only reason the game has the DH throughout MLB now is because it creates another "job" for a player and extends the life of hitters. More jobs, popular hitters batting, equals more money for everyone.
That said, if we aren't going to be traditional, I prefer the DH in both leagues as opposed to having it one one league and not the other.
The existence of the DH doesn't inhibit my enjoyment of the game, I just would prefer the pitcher hit. It increases in-game strategy, IMO.
You would seriously want Cole batting in a NL park? I'm personally happy with the universal DH. But that's just me.
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I don't think of it in terms of my team. I think of it universally. I'd rather the game have the person who is pitching, to hit. Felt that way since I became a baseball fan in the late-70s/early-80s. As a kid, I never understood why it was opposite. I always thought it was dumb. Just pick one. They did. For revenue-generating reasons. But at least it's equal now. But for me, I am not an overall DH fan.
I look back at the careers of players from the 50s and 60s in the AL...and then all the guys in the NL...if the DH was an option back in the day, how many of those players would have extended their careers a ton? Mantle might not have hurt his knee, could have played 25 years. Ted Williams, etc., the list goes on and on.
For me, baseball should go both ways. But the game is predicated on offense to generate revenue, and players want the DH to extend careers and potential earnings. So it is what it is. At least it's equal now.
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As a lifelong baseball fan, other than having it the same in each league, I really don't have a preference which way they do it.
Gun to my head, I'd probably go with the DH though as opposed to the Automatic Out 8 man batting lineups, but I really don't care.
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I don't think of it in terms of my team. I think of it universally. I'd rather the game have the person who is pitching, to hit. Felt that way since I became a baseball fan in the late-70s/early-80s. As a kid, I never understood why it was opposite. I always thought it was dumb. Just pick one. They did. For revenue-generating reasons. But at least it's equal now. But for me, I am not an overall DH fan.
Once upon a time (I think it was probably in the mid- or late 90s), I was listening to one of the fill-in hosts on XTRA Sports 690, Jon Chelesnik ("the sports doctor"). For whatever reason, he was talking about the DH, and I was in my car with my new-fangled cell phone, so I decided to call him. I railed against the DH and offered an argument along the lines of: "second baseman don't hit well either, so why not have a DH for them too?" Why not have it like the NFL, with guys who are exclusively offensive and defensive?
Frankly, I don't see why pitchers have to be automatic outs.
And get off my lawn!
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Rest In Peace Vida.
(https://vintagecardprices.com/pics/1881/140635.jpg)
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It's always interesting when a name like Vida Blue comes up. He was already a big name when I started following baseball, but I'm not sure I'd heard the name in a LONG time before the announcement of his death over the weekend.
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It's always interesting when a name like Vida Blue comes up. He was already a big name when I started following baseball, but I'm not sure I'd heard the name in a LONG time before the announcement of his death over the weekend.
Agreed. I wasn't even sure he was still alive.
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It's always interesting when a name like Vida Blue comes up. He was already a big name when I started following baseball, but I'm not sure I'd heard the name in a LONG time before the announcement of his death over the weekend.
Agreed. I wasn't even sure he was still alive.
A lot of recent deaths have been like that (Gordon Lightfoot being another example).
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Glad the Dodgers had the balls to take a stand and not allow a hate group to be part of pride day.
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Early season baseball carries on....
The Dodgers pitching is a mess, but Bobby Miller has been a more-than-pleasant surprise.
(https://preview.redd.it/g3td2o4nff6b1.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=f11e784272f85fe81aa3fc2ce5f6d139b59e98e8)
The question that this was answering was "Do you pretend to be in Los Angeles?" :biggrin:
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Ohtani is just going off. What a ludicrous talent.
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Ohtani is just going off. What a ludicrous talent.
Current Angels hitting and pitching leaders:
(https://preview.redd.it/56pk6rms4e6b1.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=ef125fb434378a37b369efbd2130c4b0aceec554)
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Ohtani is just going off. What a ludicrous talent.
Current Angels hitting and pitching leaders:
(https://preview.redd.it/56pk6rms4e6b1.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=ef125fb434378a37b369efbd2130c4b0aceec554)
It's the Ohtani show over there in Anaheim. That dude is a once in a generation talent.
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It's like the Dodgers didn't even show up to today's game :lol
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It's like the Dodgers didn't even show up to today's game :lol
Just an embarrassing display. I turned it off at 9-0.
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The Giants are on a roll though. Best team in baseball for the last month. :PlaysLikeMyung:
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The Giants destroying Dodger pitching will never get old.... :biggrin:
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The Giants destroying Dodger pitching will never get old.... :biggrin:
I'm watching the game.
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This is getting to be ludicrous little league styled dominance; Ohtani with 2 more dingers and the win with 6 innings of 1 run ball and 10 Ks. Homeboy leads the majors in homers, rbi, total bases, etc. On pace for 12 WAR. I’m flabbergasted by this guy. Seems like a great dude too.
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This is getting to be ludicrous little league styled dominance; Ohtani with 2 more dingers and the win with 6 innings of 1 run ball and 10 Ks. Homeboy leads the majors in homers, rbi, total bases, etc. On pace for 12 WAR. I’m flabbergasted by this guy. Seems like a great dude too.
He's been otherworldly.
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I actually hope he doesn’t participate in the HR Derby, don’t want anything to deep-six this historic year he’s having.
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I actually hope he doesn’t participate in the HR Derby, don’t want anything to deep-six this historic year he’s having.
I get it. Aaron Judge admitted to fatigue and it messed with his swing when he did it.
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Yankees Domingo German pitches a perfect game, unsurprisingly it was against Oakland.
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Yankees Domingo German pitches a perfect game, unsurprisingly it was against Oakland.
I was there last night. About five rows up from the Yankees' dugout. It was pretty special to watch. I realized he had a no-no in the bottom of the 5th. I looked at the box score as German came out for the bottom of the 6th, and realized it was a perfect game. A number of the A's hitters in the 6th and 7th had some really walloped balls. A couple deep shots to the track (solid contact) and a few liners (one was almost fair out of Rizzo's reach), and some other ones. The A's had zeroed in on German's four seamer, so when he came out for the 7th, 8th, and 9th, he was taking something off the pitches, and that just overwhelmed them. There was no hope.
Pretty cool to have witnessed it. Took a couple pictures of German in the 9th right before he finished the game, and a few more of the celebration. Only 24 perfect games in history, and I got to see one, along with maybe 5,000 others. Mostly Yankees fans. It is really sad what is happening in Oakland. But man, to witness that gem with my family. What a night.
As for the Oakland situation...for me it sucks. I hate going to San Francisco to see the Yankees. Great ballpark, but overpriced and a PITA to get in and out of the area. I groan every single time we buy tickets (my wife is a Cubs fan so we end up there at least once a year). But losing the A's in Oakland is horrible. The whole city is falling apart. The area around the stadium, if folks are unfamiliar, is frightening. I went a back way one time, and you could see dudes shooting up in front of boarded up houses. Trash and burned out cars everywhere. It's disgusting. So yeah, I mean, I get why people haven't been going. But that said, ownership refuses to invest in the team. If the A's would have kept their talent, that fan base would show up. They are loyal. They are speaking with their wallets, and they should. But the owners should be chastised for taking the team out of Northern California. I mean, if the City of Oakland are being ass hats, just go 90 minutes northeast and go play in Sacramento. But to go to Vegas...they'll have the same problems there. Unlike Raiders fans, who are nationwide and travel to games eight times a year, the A's aren't going to travel, and they won't pack a stadium 81 times annually. This is stupid.
Anyway, my first favorite player was Reggie Jackson, when he was on the Yankees. I did some research as a young kid, and obviously found out about Reggie's history with the A's (and with the Orioles for a year before hitting up NY). I loved the old footage of Reggie with the A's. Good ole #9. That team has such a rich history. To take that team out of Northern California is WRONG. They need an owner willing to invest in the team. Go to Sacramento. Go to another spot in the Bay Area. But Las Vegas? C'mon man.
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That's rad that you were there, Brian!
What I think is funny is all the people saying that they need to leave the Athletics/A's name when they leave Oakland. Do these folks not realize that the team move (with the name) twice before? It's not like the name belongs to the city.
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That's so cool you witnessed that live! Reggie was also my first favorite player; first World Series I saw as a kind was 1977 and Reggie was larger than life.
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Awesome you witnessed that in person Brain!
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That's so cool you witnessed that live! Reggie was also my first favorite player; first World Series I saw as a kind was 1977 and Reggie was larger than life.
Almost 10-year old me was NOT happy about that one. I was raised to hate the Yankees, and it felt like Howard Cosell was so happy about Reggie's game 6 performance, and I HATED him for it.
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Thanks all. It was pretty special.
I wasn't old enough to remember the '77 series. But I do remember my grandfather telling me in the early 80s: "As a Yankees fan, we don't like the Red Sox and Dodgers." And yeah, both those teams can suck it. :lol
I went to a game in 1979 with my grandfather and father. And apparently I met Phil Rizzuto and Bill White (who were calling the games for WPIX in NY at the time) after the game. But I don't remember it. I did have a ball Phil signed for me, and like an idiot, in winter 1984, needing a ball, I used that one and lost it. IDIOT. lol. The first Yankees game I remember was at Yankee Stadium in 1984, the Tigers were in town. We were...first baseline, but way back, near a tunnel away from the action. I was all the way to the right, looking down into the gap tunnel, and there was Dave Winfield having a smoke. :lol
And no offense, P, I have no idea what you all see in Dodger Stadium. I've been there twice, was completely underwhelmed both times. Then again, old Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park were pretty rundown back when I used to go there too. So that might not mean anything. My favorite park is Safeco. Wait, T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Just a beautiful place to see a game.
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I went to a game in 1979 with my grandfather and father. And apparently I met Phil Rizzuto and Bill White (who were calling the games for WPIX in NY at the time) after the game. But I don't remember it. I did have a ball Phil signed for me, and like an idiot, in winter 1984, needing a ball, I used that one and lost it. IDIOT. lol.
When I was a kid, I used to practice "pitching" by throwing tennis balls at our wood garage door. The door has raised, decorative pieces, so the balls would sometimes ricochet at funny angles, and I'd lose the balls. My father, who was born in Brooklyn in 1921 (and who died when I was 7) had a ball signed by what I've been told was the entire 1932 Brooklyn Dodgers team. That team included HOF'ers Dazzy Vance, Al Lopez and Hack Wilson (and Japanese Baseball HOF'er Lefty O'Doul), as well as Casey Stengel as a coach. One day (I think it was after he died), I grabbed the 1932 ball and proceeded to use it for practice. Obviously, it made quite a racket, and my older brother stopped me after a few throws, but the baseball was pretty damaged. I still have that ball, though. Maybe one day I'll see if anyone can give me a value estimate.
And no offense, P, I have no idea what you all see in Dodger Stadium. I've been there twice, was completely underwhelmed both times. Then again, old Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park were pretty rundown back when I used to go there too. So that might not mean anything. My favorite park is Safeco. Wait, T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Just a beautiful place to see a game.
Well...I've had this discussion with a co-worker who's also a big Dodger fan. I have mentioned that I like whatever Anaheim Stadium is called now, including that I think it's better than Dodger Stadium. He is aghast at my sacrilege, but I go through the list of why Anaheim is better, and first on the list is that Dodger Stadium's parking lot is the stupidest thing ever designed. Even on its worst day, you'll be out of Anaheim's parking lot in 20 minutes. With Dodger Stadium, buckle in for a 90 minute wait. I challenged him to explain how Dodger Stadium is better, NOT including the team. His only answer was the "atmosphere," but he couldn't rebut my point that 90% of "atmosphere" has to do with the quality of the team on the field. The recent upgrades made Dodger Stadium nicer, but it's absolutely nothing special (outside of the fact that it's where the Dodgers play). It's the third oldest stadium, but it has NONE of the charm of Fenway and Wrigley. I've been to new Yankee (but never the old one) and thought it was bland and stale. Otherwise, I'd take pretty much ever other stadium I've been to (AT&T, Petco, Anaheim, Chase, Coors, Wrigley, Nats, Camden, Citi, Fenway (and maybe one other)) over Dodger Stadium. I do need to get up to Oakland before they move just so I can say I've been there.
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Sadly I'm starting to think Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill are actually running the A's.
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:lol :tup
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When I was a kid, I used to practice "pitching" by throwing tennis balls at our wood garage door. The door has raised, decorative pieces, so the balls would sometimes ricochet at funny angles, and I'd lose the balls. My father, who was born in Brooklyn in 1921 (and who died when I was 7) had a ball signed by what I've been told was the entire 1932 Brooklyn Dodgers team. That team included HOF'ers Dazzy Vance, Al Lopez and Hack Wilson (and Japanese Baseball HOF'er Lefty O'Doul), as well as Casey Stengel as a coach. One day (I think it was after he died), I grabbed the 1932 ball and proceeded to use it for practice. Obviously, it made quite a racket, and my older brother stopped me after a few throws, but the baseball was pretty damaged. I still have that ball, though. Maybe one day I'll see if anyone can give me a value estimate.
That's still an awesome ball to have. For kicks, you should see what it is worth. Even if damaged, it could be extremely valuable.
Well...I've had this discussion with a co-worker who's also a big Dodger fan. I have mentioned that I like whatever Anaheim Stadium is called now, including that I think it's better than Dodger Stadium. He is aghast at my sacrilege, but I go through the list of why Anaheim is better, and first on the list is that Dodger Stadium's parking lot is the stupidest thing ever designed. Even on its worst day, you'll be out of Anaheim's parking lot in 20 minutes. With Dodger Stadium, buckle in for a 90 minute wait. I challenged him to explain how Dodger Stadium is better, NOT including the team. His only answer was the "atmosphere," but he couldn't rebut my point that 90% of "atmosphere" has to do with the quality of the team on the field. The recent upgrades made Dodger Stadium nicer, but it's absolutely nothing special (outside of the fact that it's where the Dodgers play). It's the third oldest stadium, but it has NONE of the charm of Fenway and Wrigley. I've been to new Yankee (but never the old one) and thought it was bland and stale. Otherwise, I'd take pretty much ever other stadium I've been to (AT&T, Petco, Anaheim, Chase, Coors, Wrigley, Nats, Camden, Citi, Fenway (and maybe one other)) over Dodger Stadium. I do need to get up to Oakland before they move just so I can say I've been there.
I went to Opening Day 2022 in Anaheim. I liked the park. It didn't blow me away, but I liked it. Yes, much easier to get out of than Dodger Stadium. Petco Park in San Diego (do they still call it that) was cool when I went the first year it opened. I need to go back, I don't remember much except for what the left field upper deck looks like. I went to Chase Field several years ago. I hated it. Even with the retractable roof, it just seemed sterile and lifeless.
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Very cool you were there for the perfect game Samsara. I actually just went to Petco Park for the first time on Sunday, I have to say I was a fan. Nice stadium, gorgeous weather, and to say the concessions put Yankee Stadium to shame is a gross understatement.
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Petco is gorgeous (aside from the slimy home team).
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I actually hope he doesn’t participate in the HR Derby, don’t want anything to deep-six this historic year he’s having.
I get it. Aaron Judge admitted to fatigue and it messed with his swing when he did it.
Judge was hitting HRs at a rate of 0.3571 HR/G before the '17 Derby (30 HR in 84 games). His HR/G after the Derby was 0.3099 (22 HR in 71 games). Not really much of a fall-off (although I didn't look at his other numbers pre- and post-ASG).
In fact, over the last 5 Derbies ('17 through '22), the average change in the HR/G of the final 4 contestants was +0.00536 (about 1 HR per 162 game season). The biggest boost over that time was Albert Pujols in 2022, whose HR/G rate increased by 0.2082. The biggest drop was Cody Bellinger in 2017, whose rate dropped by 0.1313, but he still had a post-ASG HR/G rate of 0.2258 (14 HR in 62 games).
It was fun watching the first round last night - especially Julio Rodriguez hitting 41 - but the whole thing is getting a bit long and boring. Three and a half minutes is just too much time (especially with some guys getting another 30 seconds on top of that for hitting 2+ 440' homers). Arozarena was just gassed by the end.
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Yup it's too long and has been for 20 years. 60 seconds or 90 seconds per round and get off the pot.
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The whole 3:00 AND everyone gets a 30 second "bonus." If EVERYONE gets it, it's not a bonus!
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Anyone know why MLB released next year's schedule today?!? Makes absolutely no sense to me to do it 6-7 months earlier than ever before. No other major N.A. sport has ever done this. Certainly takes away from being in the headlines when the snow is on the ground.
I was going to tune in for a couple of innings of the AS Game. Then I saw the dumb, ugly 'uniform' uniforms again, and instantly switched channels. :tdwn Had always enjoyed seeing the players in their team unis.
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Anyone know why MLB released next year's schedule today?!? Makes absolutely no sense to me to do it 6-7 months earlier than ever before. No other major N.A. sport has ever done this. Certainly takes away from being in the headlines when the snow is on the ground.
Does it really matter? I'm not sure I've ever cared about the MLB schedule release, and I'm pretty sure the only schedule release anyone ever cares about is the NFL. I know they did it in part because they wanted to announce the Dodgers/Padres games that will be played in South Korea.
I was going to tune in for a couple of innings of the AS Game. Then I saw the dumb, ugly 'uniform' uniforms again, and instantly switched channels. :tdwn Had always enjoyed seeing the players in their team unis.
I watched most of it because I've always done it and always will. The AL uniforms looked cool, but the NL were butt fugly. I was watching and thinking, "wait...don't they usually wear their team uniforms?" It was always cool as a kid seeing Steve Garvey in a Dodger uniform, next to Joe Morgan in a Reds uniform, next to Bill Russell/Larry Bowa in a Dodgers/Phillies uniform, next to Mike Schmidt in a Phillies uniform. It always looked so cool. I looked it up, and they started a uniform uniform in 2021, and that crap needs to stop ASAP.
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My 21yo son will occasionally emerge from his room and try to stump me with trivia. This past weekend, he challenged me to name the player at each position (other than DH) with the most homers at each position. I got one of them pretty easily and embarrassingly struggled with one, but it was pretty hard overall.
Anyone want to take a stab (without looking it up)? Hint: only one of the guys on the list is active.
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My 21yo son will occasionally emerge from his room and try to stump me with trivia. This past weekend, he challenged me to name the player at each position (other than DH) with the most homers at each position. I got one of them pretty easily and embarrassingly struggled with one, but it was pretty hard overall.
Anyone want to take a stab (without looking it up)? Hint: only one of the guys on the list is active.
Ooh, interesting. I'm assuming you mean career homers. I'll take a stab without looking...
C - Mike Piazza, I think. Could also be Carlton Fisk
1B - I'm tempted to say Mark McGwire if we are counted only games where they played first base, otherwise I think it would be Albert Pujols.
2B - I think this is Jeff Kent, unless Robinson Cano passed him. I don't remember.
3B - This one I know for sure, Mike Schmidt
SS - I'm taking a total stab in the dark here, but I think it's Cal Ripken Jr. Or does Alex Rodriguez count? I know he mostly played 3B in the second half of his career.
LF - This one is easy, Barry Bonds
CF - This one is also easy, Willie Mays
RF - Pretty sure this is Hank Aaron, again, depending if we are only counting games where they played that position.
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So who all here is playing Immaculate Grid?
https://www.immaculategrid.com/
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My 21yo son will occasionally emerge from his room and try to stump me with trivia. This past weekend, he challenged me to name the player at each position (other than DH) with the most homers at each position. I got one of them pretty easily and embarrassingly struggled with one, but it was pretty hard overall.
Anyone want to take a stab (without looking it up)? Hint: only one of the guys on the list is active.
Ooh, interesting. I'm assuming you mean career homers. I'll take a stab without looking...
C - Mike Piazza, I think. Could also be Carlton Fisk
1B - I'm tempted to say Mark McGwire if we are counted only games where they played first base, otherwise I think it would be Albert Pujols.
2B - I think this is Jeff Kent, unless Robinson Cano passed him. I don't remember.
3B - This one I know for sure, Mike Schmidt
SS - I'm taking a total stab in the dark here, but I think it's Cal Ripken Jr. Or does Alex Rodriguez count? I know he mostly played 3B in the second half of his career.
LF - This one is easy, Barry Bonds
CF - This one is also easy, Willie Mays
RF - Pretty sure this is Hank Aaron, again, depending if we are only counting games where they played that position.
Well...I'm an idiot. The challenge posed by my kid was to name the player at each position with the most HR in the 2000s. I neglected to include that little bit of information (which makes it much harder). That said, you were 7 of 8 for all-time (RF is Sosa).
With that said, you sort of got 2 of the 9: Pujols and Cano.
P: This one is tough
C: Very tough and not someone you'd expect
1B: Pujols
2B: Cano
SS: Very tough
3B: Fairly easy
LF: Totally obscure
CF: Easy (this is the one I embarrassingly struggled with)
RF: Fairly easy
Of the remaining 7, one guy is in the HOF, and two others are virtual shoe-ins. Never say never, but I don't think any of the other four have any chance of getting in the HOF.
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My 21yo son will occasionally emerge from his room and try to stump me with trivia. This past weekend, he challenged me to name the player at each position (other than DH) with the most homers at each position. I got one of them pretty easily and embarrassingly struggled with one, but it was pretty hard overall.
Anyone want to take a stab (without looking it up)? Hint: only one of the guys on the list is active.
Ooh, interesting. I'm assuming you mean career homers. I'll take a stab without looking...
C - Mike Piazza, I think. Could also be Carlton Fisk
1B - I'm tempted to say Mark McGwire if we are counted only games where they played first base, otherwise I think it would be Albert Pujols.
2B - I think this is Jeff Kent, unless Robinson Cano passed him. I don't remember.
3B - This one I know for sure, Mike Schmidt
SS - I'm taking a total stab in the dark here, but I think it's Cal Ripken Jr. Or does Alex Rodriguez count? I know he mostly played 3B in the second half of his career.
LF - This one is easy, Barry Bonds
CF - This one is also easy, Willie Mays
RF - Pretty sure this is Hank Aaron, again, depending if we are only counting games where they played that position.
Well...I'm an idiot. The challenge posed by my kid was to name the player at each position with the most HR in the 2000s. I neglected to include that little bit of information (which makes it much harder). That said, you were 7 of 8 for all-time (RF is Sosa).
With that said, you sort of got 2 of the 9: Pujols and Cano.
P: This one is tough
C: Very tough and not someone you'd expect
1B: Pujols
2B: Cano
SS: Very tough
3B: Fairly easy
LF: Totally obscure
CF: Easy (this is the one I embarrassingly struggled with)
RF: Fairly easy
Of the remaining 7, one guy is in the HOF, and two others are virtual shoe-ins. Never say never, but I don't think any of the other four have any chance of getting in the HOF.
Is this from 2000-2009 or since 2000?
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2000 to the present.
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A go at the remaining ones:
P: Shohei Ohtani :-P
SS: Miguel Tejada
3B: Alex Rodriguez (or is it Adrian Beltre?)
LF: Adam Dunn
CF: Carlos Beltran
RF: Giancarlo Stanton
DH would probably be Nelson Cruz, or maybe Edwin Encarnacion.
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A go at the remaining ones:
P: Shohei Ohtani :-P
SS: Miguel Tejada
3B: Alex Rodriguez (or is it Adrian Beltre?)
LF: Adam Dunn
CF: Carlos Beltran
RF: Giancarlo Stanton
DH would probably be Nelson Cruz, or maybe Edwin Encarnacion.
Tejada is correct for SS, and Beltre is the guy at 3B (I assume Rodriguez splitting time between the two positions kept him off the list).
The pitcher one is interesting. The guy that I was told is the correct answer had 24 career HR. Ohtani has 163 HR, but FanGraphs indicates that 153 of those have been as a DH, with "only" 8 of them being as a pitcher (and 2 as a PH).
P: This one is tough (almost all of his career with the Cubs)
C: Very tough and not someone you'd expect (spent most of his career with the Braves, but also played for two other teams)
1B: Albert Pujols
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Miguel Tejada
3B: Adrian Beltre
LF: Totally obscure (I know this player as an Astro, but he played for four other teams)
CF: Easy (this is the only active player and the one I embarrassingly struggled with)
RF: Fairly easy (HOF)
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I forgot to guess C before but it’s probably Brian McCann.
Beltran must have hit too many as a RF/DH later in his career? I guess Trout for CF then.
Is the LF Luis Gonzalez?
Stumped on RF. A current HOFer or should be future HOFer? Vlad Sr. maybe? I know he played some DH too.
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I forgot to guess C before but it’s probably Brian McCann.
Beltran must have hit too many as a RF/DH later in his career? I guess Trout for CF then.
Is the LF Luis Gonzalez?
Stumped on RF. A current HOFer or should be future HOFer? Vlad Sr. maybe? I know he played some DH too.
Without checking, these are awesome guesses and probably correct. Lance Berkman for LF was another guess for me but I think a lot of his homers were in the 90s.
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I forgot to guess C before but it’s probably Brian McCann.
Beltran must have hit too many as a RF/DH later in his career? I guess Trout for CF then.
Is the LF Luis Gonzalez?
Stumped on RF. A current HOFer or should be future HOFer? Vlad Sr. maybe? I know he played some DH too.
Without checking, these are awesome guesses and probably correct. Lance Berkman for LF was another guess for me but I think a lot of his homers were in the 90s.
Just looked up both Gonzalez and Berkman and I don’t think it’s either of them. My next guess for LF is Justin Upton.
Oh, actually I bet it’s Matt Holliday.
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P: Carlos Zambrano (I guessed Bumgarner and Greinke and had no idea Zambrano had that many HR - 6 in one season!)
C: Brian McCann (my lasting image of him is when he got butthurt about someone hitting a dinger, so he blocked the plate when the guy came around 3rd)
1B: Albert Pujols
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Miguel Tejada
3B: Adrian Beltre
LF: Carlos Lee
CF: Trout
RF: Vladimir Guerrero
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P: Carlos Zambrano (I guessed Bumgarner and Greinke and had no idea Zambrano had that many HR - 6 in one season!)
C: Brian McCann (my lasting image of him is when he got butthurt about someone hitting a dinger, so he blocked the plate when the guy came around 3rd)
1B: Albert Pujols
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Miguel Tejada
3B: Adrian Beltre
LF: Carlos Lee
CF: Trout
RF: Vladimir Guerrero
Forgot about Carlos Lee. I should have known both of those last two as a Cubs fan, really.
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Shohei with the 1-hit shutout in game 1 and two dingers in game 2. Ho hum. Looks like the Angels are going to try to retain him.
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Shohei with the 1-hit shutout in game 1 and two dingers in game 2. Ho hum. Looks like the Angels are going to try to retain him.
It's still amazing to me that the Angels have 2 once in a lifetime players in Trout and Ohtani and they haven't done anything with them. If I were the Giants GM I'd sell the entire farm to snag both of those players.
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Yeah, count me among the people absolutely flabbergasted that the Angels haven't gone balls out to win with Trout and Ohtani. I don't get it.
I'm gonna say it now. It's going to take a 10-year, 600 million deal to sign Ohtani this offseason. Mark this post.
My guess is it's gonna be one of three teams: Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, or the New York Yankees. If I had to bet, it'd be the Dodgers.
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Yeah, count me among the people absolutely flabbergasted that the Angels haven't gone balls out to win with Trout and Ohtani. I don't get it.
I'm gonna say it now. It's going to take a 10-year, 600 million deal to sign Ohtani this offseason. Mark this post.
My guess is it's gonna be one of three teams: Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, or the New York Yankees. If I had to bet, it'd be the Dodgers.
He's 29 and peaking. I have never seen a player do what he does, its freakish but those contracts are a death knell. I agree that's what it will take but will it truly be worth it? Another note, it doesn't seem like he wants a big market team so who's paying him that? Very curious to see where he lands. The Angels most likely don't make the playoffs or go deep in so I think they're insane for not trading him, they could literally get the biggest return for a rental in the history of the game. They rolled the dice, lets see if it pays off.
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Baseball does it again..
Saturday night Fox game: LA/SD
Sunday night ESPN game: LA/SD
WTF??
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Baseball does it again..
Saturday night Fox game: LA/SD
Sunday night ESPN game: LA/SD
WTF??
Interestingly (and I may be playing a bit fast and loose with that word), the regular, local Dodgers station had to give way to ESPN for the Sunday game but not to Fox for the Saturday game (I assume Fox showed a different game out here). At the end of the day, though, they're different broadcasters, and one doesn't care what game the other is showing.
By the way, while he's slowed his roll a bit during this series against the Padres, Freddie Freeman has been on an absolute tear lately, hitting .500 in the 15 games leading up to the Padres series (he's 3 for 12 in the first three games of the Padres series, and that's a "slump" by his standard).
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So, any Orioles fans want to try and explain this?
https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/orioles-announcer-suspension-struggles-rays-video-reaction
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So, any Orioles fans want to try and explain this?
https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/orioles-announcer-suspension-struggles-rays-video-reaction
Wow, that's just stupid. Someone is going to get fired and he will be back in the broadcast booth soon, I'd imagine.
Funny thing is. The Giants broadcasters always point out stuff like this for the Giants when it's relevant. Why this is any different, I haven't got a clue. As I said, I'm sure he'll be back.....unless something went on behind the scenes that we aren't privy to. :dunno:
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From what I've heard, literally everyone who has commented on this has said the O's were wrong. What's even more strange is that he was simply reading what was on the screen. Was he responsible for that content as well? Was the director of the pregame show also suspended for allowing it to happen? I'm sure the guy could have his pick of about a dozen other teams' jobs in MLB.
In other news, we actually had a real fight in an MLB game. https://www.mlb.com/news/tim-anderson-jose-ramirez-emmanuel-clase-suspended
I'm sure the Orioles guy could do a better call than what the awful Cleveland PBP guy did.
Tim Anderson sent out a series of incoherent tweets the next day. https://nypost.com/2023/08/06/white-sox-tim-anderson-breaks-silence-on-jose-ramirez-brawl/
Anderson got 6 games and Ramirez 3 games (along with a few other 1-game suspensions and fines).
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Anderson can't even form a coherent sentence. Ramirez must have hit him harder than I thought.
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So, any Orioles fans want to try and explain this?
https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/orioles-announcer-suspension-struggles-rays-video-reaction
at last night's game, chants of 'Free Kevin Brown' arose during the 7th inning. O's broadcasters said nothing, the national announcers did. Reports are that those waiving the signs were ejected. https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/free-kevin-brown-chants-erupt-at-camden-yards-fans-ejected-announcers-absence-sends-ripples-through-baseball-community/?fbclid=IwAR2L6FJ6dtmYBLvsAQBG4LOiNaOqHd8GmUncuE9vW8NpGJsHQ6z_WIn81E0
I'm not a 'fan' per se, but I've lived here since 2000, so here goes:
First of all, John Angelos is a d*ck. Just like his old man Peter Angelos (who fired Jon Miller because he wasn't enough of a homer :facepalm:) The apple didn't fall far from the tree.
Back on MLK Day, he held a presser stating he'd open up the books in a few weeks for all to see regarding negotiations on extending the O's lease at Camden Yards. Today is August 10th. The books remain closed. <cricket noises> The deadline for extending the lease years came and went, but the team will stay in Baltimore 'as long as Fort McHenry'. A new agreement before the All Star break came and went.
Much more from Ken Rosenthal and Angelos' desire for a beaucoup corporate welfare amount.
https://theathletic.com/4760624/2023/08/09/baltimore-orioles-camden-yards-john-angelos-lease/
Just out today is a leaked note that John Angelos was going to wait for Wes Moore to take office as governor. Well, that was in January. Supposedly Mr. A would settle for a two year extension.
Here's a good one that I learned this week. Radio station 105.7 The Fan, which carried O's games for many years until 2023, is not allowed to play any audio highlights from the O's MASN TV or radio broadcasts. Instead, they have to resort to using recordings from their opponents. :facepalm: And there's still the matter of the Angelos family's continuing lawsuit and appeals against the Nationals as to MASN revenue sharing.
I wouldn't put it past this pathetically run organization, that the 'Nashville Sounds' is a wish they want to come true in the next few years.
On a brighter note going back a few weeks...... thank gawd former MLB commissioners didn't push for bufuggly AS 'uniform' uniforms back in the day
(https://isteam.wsimg.com/ip/cf02a9f0-ecf2-11e3-bb43-14feb5d40a06/ols/510_original/:/rs=w:600,h:600)
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Yeah, this whole Orioles/Kevin Brown thing is bizarre. It's like the ownership is intentionally trying to piss off the entire baseball world and turn them against them.
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Man what a legendary photo. 10,000 hits and 1,700 homers standing there.
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Dragon...FYI, the Athletic article is paywalled.
Imagine fielding an outfield of Aaron (LF), Mays (CF) and Clemente (RF)!
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^
Sorry....I've been a subscriber for a couple of years, and that fact never crossed my mind. Best dollar a month I've spent in that time.
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Imagine fielding an outfield of Aaron (LF), Mays (CF) and Clemente (RF)!
That would have been an absolute nightmare for the opposition.
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This could put a big dent in the Rays' post-season hopes.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/08/14/wander-franco-tampa-bay-rays-shortstop-mlb-investigation/70586327007/
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This could put a big dent in the Rays' post-season hopes.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/08/14/wander-franco-tampa-bay-rays-shortstop-mlb-investigation/70586327007/
And not to mention the rest of Wanders life. Why? Just.... Why?
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This could put a big dent in the Rays' post-season hopes.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/08/14/wander-franco-tampa-bay-rays-shortstop-mlb-investigation/70586327007/
And not to mention the rest of Wanders life. Why? Just.... Why?
Eager to see how this pans out. He's a tremendous talent.
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This could put a big dent in the Rays' post-season hopes.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/08/14/wander-franco-tampa-bay-rays-shortstop-mlb-investigation/70586327007/
And not to mention the rest of Wanders life. Why? Just.... Why?
Eager to see how this pans out. He's a tremendous talent.
Its getting worse for him. Apparently another girl, age 17 came forward and allegedly the 14 year old came out with this because of lack of "hush money".
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The Yankees are a game under 500 now. They look lost.
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Ohtani with a torn UCL. That SUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKS . . . .
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Ohtani with a torn UCL. That SUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKS . . . .
When he homered against the Rangers last week, at the Rangers home field, the crowd roared and gave him a standing ovation. THAT's how much of a stud he is and if you're a fan of baseball it's well deserved.
It sucks about the injury. :tdwn
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It's hilarious that the 2 biggest payrolls in baseball are both in last place right now. Even more so that they're both NY teams.
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As a Mets fan I'm impressed they cut their losses and took advantage of the trade deadline. Cohen saw his investment wasn't working and changed direction.
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As a Mets fan I'm impressed they cut their losses and took advantage of the trade deadline. Cohen saw his investment wasn't working and changed direction.
I'm a Met fan as well and I agree with this, painful as it might be for this season and probably the next 1 or 2.
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As a Mets fan I'm impressed they cut their losses and took advantage of the trade deadline. Cohen saw his investment wasn't working and changed direction.
I'm a Met fan as well and I agree with this, painful as it might be for this season and probably the next 1 or 2.
I think he was following the advice of that Kenny Rogers song.
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Ha! One of the most expensive hands of poker ever played.
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Not Major League Baseball, but I got to go see the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats last night (Mets @ Blue Jays AA affiliates). The Cats were down 8-3 in the bottom of the 6th and then proceeded to score NINE unanswered runs to win the game 12-8. Mets fans: if this game was any indication, you have no decent pitching at the AA level.
As an added bonus, it was "hockey night in Manchester," so they were celebrating the former LA Kings AHL affiliate (and, briefly, ECHL) Manchester Monarchs.
(https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/369972781_10225365685429679_8519143511637731704_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=LI0tjgxbq7YAX8mGeVr&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBCt6NaaE9V6qkCFwPDotC5Ttk7RLPDgnIrGoZc7B0ZbQ&oe=64EE9C4D)
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/369872100_10225365788952267_5785224872082719187_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=X9seNUG3z5MAX_ULgLK&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDVSpEXR9NRq8gUAyLL3OelhI7QBS5EhFhQy5aP-0MpVw&oe=64EFDC2A)
(https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/370362234_10225369281479578_5887578106857455126_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=2TWOaKMF6W8AX_v3L5R&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfADiOzGciaWd0CkTZCpdOojSQxiCyP4lYBpePweyXYPww&oe=64EFF232)
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Just bumping because GO MARINERS!! ;D ;D :rollin :rollin :rollin
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First of all, kudos to whomever recommended the 130s Field Boxes at Fenway (I think it was Tim). My view from Wednesday's debacle against the Cheatstros:
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/371976052_10225392964471638_8398864147921638834_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=52f669&_nc_ohc=W5URKXl0Y9EAX-bQ8CQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqy1qOQ4dEKpJl-2bhyt-a-dAbjdt8BQiwIOiz2cVFMA&oe=64F6DA31)
Second, I'm looking forward to flying home tomorrow. I haven't seen a Dodger game since last Tuesday. The TV at our AirBnB in New Hampshire didn't have access when the Dodgers were in Boston (and I was otherwise occupied for two of the three games), and all of the games this week have been on at 10:10 eastern time and not on any channel out here anyway!
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First of all, kudos to whomever recommended the 130s Field Boxes at Fenway (I think it was Tim). My view from Wednesday's debacle against the Cheatstros:
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/371976052_10225392964471638_8398864147921638834_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=52f669&_nc_ohc=W5URKXl0Y9EAX-bQ8CQ&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqy1qOQ4dEKpJl-2bhyt-a-dAbjdt8BQiwIOiz2cVFMA&oe=64F6DA31)
Second, I'm looking forward to flying home tomorrow. I haven't seen a Dodger game since last Tuesday. The TV at our AirBnB in New Hampshire didn't have access when the Dodgers were in Boston (and I was otherwise occupied for two of the three games), and all of the games this week have been on at 10:10 eastern time and not on any channel out here anyway!
I don't think I can take credit, but yeah, those are great seats.
Look at how sparse the crowd is. The Sox are fucking sad. the owner doesn't care, the GM has no clue about baseball, they won't spend money.
Even though I think he knew what the Dodgers were offering ahead of time, it was still nice to watch Mookie come back and shake his ass back at them.
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It's the 1st of September, and the Mariners are in 1st place in their division. Fans haven't felt this optimistic about baseball this late in the summer for 2 decades. The only current team to never make a series appearance is a badge this franchise that has been pathetic for most of my lifetime needs to shed. LET'S GO MARINERS!
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It's the 1st of September, and the Mariners are in 1st place in their division. Fans haven't felt this optimistic about baseball this late in the summer for 2 decades. The only current team to never make a series appearance is a badge this franchise that has been pathetic for most of my lifetime needs to shed. LET'S GO MARINERS!
Although im a Yankee fan I would love to see the M's get to a WS!
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Yeah that would be cool.
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It's the 1st of September, and the Mariners are in 1st place in their division. Fans haven't felt this optimistic about baseball this late in the summer for 2 decades. The only current team to never make a series appearance is a badge this franchise that has been pathetic for most of my lifetime needs to shed. LET'S GO MARINERS!
Although im a Yankee fan I would love to see the M's get to a WS!
27-0 in championships, but we'll always have 1995!
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It's the 1st of September, and the Mariners are in 1st place in their division. Fans haven't felt this optimistic about baseball this late in the summer for 2 decades. The only current team to never make a series appearance is a badge this franchise that has been pathetic for most of my lifetime needs to shed. LET'S GO MARINERS!
Although im a Yankee fan I would love to see the M's get to a WS!
27-0 in championships, but we'll always have 1995!
Ouch! .I wanted to see Mattingly in the postseason. They look good! Mets need to lose tonight and the Yanks are holding on to slim lead over the Astros.
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If the Yankees win that series there's a good chance we aren't even talking about the Seattle Mariners as an entity in 2023.
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I don't think I can take credit, but yeah, those are great seats.
Look at how sparse the crowd is. The Sox are fucking sad. the owner doesn't care, the GM has no clue about baseball, they won't spend money.
Well...you can have credit anyway. Also, that shot was about 30 minutes before the game started. Eventually, the only open seats (aside from a few scattered seats) were in the last rows of the bleachers, a few rows in the sun beyond the Pesky Pole, and in the last sections on the top deck. It was a VERY solid crowd for a team that was languishing and didn't put on a great performance (save for one half inning).
Also, I got a heads up about Sedanne Rafaelo from the usher at the Portland Sea Dogs game the night before. You got a good one there.
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Attendance is actually down, and there's a lot of out of towners going. Shit, I'd go if I was vacationing in Boston. We always catch a game in the local cities that we visit.
The owner doesn't give a shit. Doesn't want to spend any money.
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This is a couple days old, but WTF, Dodgers?!
First we had Trevor Bauer, and now Julio Urias has been arrested on felony domestic violence charges. It's his second such arrest in four years, although the first one did not result in charges being filed, but only because Urias completed a year-long DV counseling program. We'll see how the process plays out, but I'm guessing his MLB career is over.
Aside from the obvious, this is just another kick to the nuts of a pitching staff that's been plagued all season. In theory, we should have had Kershaw, Urias, Buehler, May and Gonsolin. Kershaw has mostly been Kershaw, but he's having his usual struggles with injuries. Buehler might come back from Tommy John surgery in the next 7-10 days, but I suspect he'll be on no more than a 3-4 inning limit. May is made of bone China, and Gonsolin won't pitch again this season. Fortunately, Bobby Miller has stepped up in a huge way, and Lance Lynn has been mostly very good since being acquired from the White Sox. The Dodgers will win the Division, but I'm very nervous going into the postseason, and that sucks given how well the lineup (especially Betts and Freeman) have been.
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This is a couple days old, but WTF, Dodgers?!
First we had Trevor Bauer, and now Julio Urias has been arrested on felony domestic violence charges. It's his second such arrest in four years, although the first one did not result in charges being filed, but only because Urias completed a year-long DV counseling program. We'll see how the process plays out, but I'm guessing his MLB career is over.
Aside from the obvious, this is just another kick to the nuts of a pitching staff that's been plagued all season. In theory, we should have had Kershaw, Urias, Buehler, May and Gonsolin. Kershaw has mostly been Kershaw, but he's having his usual struggles with injuries. Buehler might come back from Tommy John surgery in the next 7-10 days, but I suspect he'll be on no more than a 3-4 inning limit. May is made of bone China, and Gonsolin won't pitch again this season. Fortunately, Bobby Miller has stepped up in a huge way, and Lance Lynn has been mostly very good since being acquired from the White Sox. The Dodgers will win the Division, but I'm very nervous going into the postseason, and that sucks given how well the lineup (especially Betts and Freeman) have been.
The Dodgers will find a way. Buehler will definitely be on a pitch limit but having him back should fill the Urias void and I think the pen will get it done. I understand your concerns but they are too good to not a make a deep run.
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Hope you're right. I'd love to see Kershaw get another ring in a full season.
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Hope you're right. I'd love to see Kershaw get another ring in a full season.
I don't think any AL team will stand in their way. Getting past the Braves may be their only issue.
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The Braves are beasts. Their starting pitching seems to be much better than any other team.
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The Astros will be a tough out.
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Orioles have been a juggernaut.
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O's have a GREAT young core.
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Brewers close to wrapping up the NL Central, still not convinced they can win a playoff series though.
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As things stand right now, the NL Central winner will play the Diamondbacks, Marlins, Reds or Giants. On the other hand, the Central runner up will play the Phillies. Of the four potential WC3 teams, the Marlins are the only one that I think has the potential to win the series. If the MIL/CHC series to close the season still means something, those should be some great games.
Dodgers' magic number down to 7.
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Brewers pitching threw 10 innings of no hit ball against the Yankees but ending up losing 4-3 in 13.
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Brewers pitching threw 10 innings of no hit ball against the Yankees but ending up losing 4-3 in 13.
That's just painful.
Reminds me of when Rich Hill had a no hitter or perfect game through 9 against the Pirates a few years ago and then gave up a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 10th.
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Yanks Jasson Dominguez with a torn UCL. Unreal man. I feel awful for him.
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Yanks Jasson Dominguez with a torn UCL. Unreal man. I feel awful for him.
Don't know who that is, but that sucks.
It's interesting. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, but it always seemed to me like these "xCL" ligaments didn't exist before the late '80s or early '90s. Or maybe it was just that the media used "bum knee" or "bum elbow" rather than specific terms.
I thought the Dodgers were getting Walker Buehler back. He had a really good rehab start in AAA Oklahoma City a couple weeks ago. Afterwards, he said he felt good, but the Dodgers issued a press release late last week that he wouldn't pitch again this season (no other information). I'm just hoping there wasn't a medical setback and that Buehler will actually return in 2024.
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Dodgers clinched the NL west yesterday for the 10th time in 11 years! But I'm still not confident in the pitching - especially against the Braves.
Now, the Dodgers have a magic number of 6 to clinch a first round bye (the Dodgers have the tiebreaker against Milwaukee).
The Orioles have clinched their first playoff birth since 2016 and are on pace for the team's first 100 win season since 1980.
Both the O's and the Rays have clinched playoff births, with the O's holding a 2-game lead in the AL east.
We're almost certain to have only the second MLB postseason in the wild card era without either the Red Sox or the Yankees (the only other WC-era year in which neither team made the playoffs was 2014). It's going to be a huge fight to avoid being the odd man out in the AL wild card race, and there will be two teams outside lookin in in the NL.
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Despite having one of the worst offenses for most of the season, the Brewers clinch the NL Central!
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Despite having one of the worst offenses for most of the season, the Brewers clinch the NL Central!
Despite having one of the best offenses for most of the season, the Sox are in last place in the AL East.. :lol
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Despite having one of the worst offenses for most of the season, the Brewers clinch the NL Central!
Despite having one of the best offenses for most of the season, the Sox are in last place in the AL East.. :lol
They will likely be the only team among the top 10 in runs scored that won't make the playoffs.
Also, RIP Brooks Robinson. THE quintessential defensive third baseman of the '60s and '70s. His career was close to being over when I started watching baseball, but his exploits were legendary. I also remember his batting helmet with the really short bill.
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^
Yeah, I'll never understand that short bill on the batting helmet.
As to Brooks:
Growing up a die hard Tiger fan in Michigan, I was ten when they won the ’68 WS. My first truly great moment as a sports fan, especially after falling one game short of the AL pennant the prior year. They would have won the AL East in ’69 and ’71 if not for Brooks and Frank Robinson and those despicable Orioles. One grows older and wiser, and hate turns into respect and admiration.
After moving here, I heard many a story of my wife and her father occasionally bumping into Brooks as they walked their dogs in the Lutherville community, or of him and his wife taking in a Little League game at the nearby elementary school. One of Susan’s fellow teachers babysat the Robinson’s kids. Him and his wife would stop and chat at someone’s bake sale, garage sale, etc etc.
I remember going to an Ollie’s where he was signing autographs. The line was long, so I didn’t get one (stupid me since they’d also get a picture with him) but I
wanted to get close enough just to see him in person. The pictures of various people with him on Fbook and other outlets that are popping up are a joy to see.
Just an incredibly gifted athlete, legend, and even better person.
The first image I think of when Brooks is mentioned, from the ’70 WS. Wish they would put this at the base of his statue. Heck, I wish his statue was this pose.
(https://i.imgur.com/wTEKVPi.jpg)
There’s thousands of homes, garages, and bars throughout Maryland that have this photo from the ’66 WS clincher over the Dodgers hanging on a wall
(https://i.imgur.com/64FqAnJ.jpg)
A nice little fan story from last year, including the Norman Rockwell drawing.
https://trustyourstuff.com/2022/08/14/meeting-orioles-legends-the-time-brooks-robinson-argued-with-me/
(https://imageio.forbes.com/blogs-images/davidseideman/files/2015/10/norman-rockwell-resized.jpg?format=jpg&width=1200)
Sports writer R. Gordon Beard once said that, unlike Reggie Jackson, legendary Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson “never asked anyone to name a candy bar after him. In Baltimore, people named their children after him.”
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That's some MAD air in that second picture!
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What dirt does Angel Hernandez have on MLB? The man is a disgrace. He trends so often on social media and there's never a doubt how wrong he was. I just watched the checked swing strike 3 he called on Bryce Harper. There is no excuse for just how horribly bad that was. I don't even like Harper and think he is a violent, angry blowhard but, just wow. Business as usual for the blindest ump in baseball.
Watch until the end to see just how bad this was.
https://sports.yahoo.com/phillies-star-bryce-harper-ejected-launches-helmet-into-stands-after-charging-at-umpire-angel-hernandez-233959469.html
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That was a pathetic call for sure.
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That's some MAD air in that second picture!
Damn! He's up there. :lol
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What dirt does Angel Hernandez have on MLB? The man is a disgrace. He trends so often on social media and there's never a doubt how wrong he was. I just watched the checked swing strike 3 he called on Bryce Harper. There is no excuse for just how horribly bad that was. I don't even like Harper and think he is a violent, angry blowhard but, just wow. Business as usual for the blindest ump in baseball.
Watch until the end to see just how bad this was.
https://sports.yahoo.com/phillies-star-bryce-harper-ejected-launches-helmet-into-stands-after-charging-at-umpire-angel-hernandez-233959469.html
My observations:
1. Harper is a hothead. Call it competitiveness if you want, but he's a whiny, little bitch.
2. Anyone notice how little urgency the coach chasing after Harper had? And the 3rd base coach didn't even attempt to get in between Harper and Hernandez until Harper got within 3 feet of Hernandez. Of course, by that point, he'd already been tossed.
3. Angel Hernandez is one of the two worst umpires in the MLB (along with C.B. Buckner). The ONLY reason he still has a job is because his union (like all professional sports unions) protects mediocrity. Dude could toss a bomb into a dugout (on camera) and still only be suspended (with pay) while an investigation happens.
I don't know if you've ever seen the umpire scorecards that circulate every day. They show everyone having 97+% accuracy. The problem is that my cat could call a strike down the middle. They need to re-vamp the system so that they look at the close calls: pitches called strikes that are out of the zone and pitches that are in the zone and within the width of the ball from the edges. That would show some separation.
Also, in case you don't know, back in 2017, Hernandez sued MLB, alleging that, because of racial discrimination, he had not been assigned to work a World Series since 2005 and had been passed over for a crew-chief position (although Hernandez had worked as an "interim crew chief" at times), despite being a highly graded umpire. Hernandez also alleged that Joe Torre, who made key decisions about umpires, had animosity toward Hernandez from back when Torre was the Yankees manager. Unfortunately, instead of defending the case on the basis that Hernandez is a shitty umpire, MLB got the case dismissed on summary judgment on the basis that there was no statistically significant difference in playoff assignments and crew-chief promotions between "white" and "non-white" umpires. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision.
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With only 2 games left in the season, we began the night with decent odds of a wild card birth, and a small chance of winning the west and getting the rest of a 2nd seed.
We ended the night being eliminated entirely.
There is a lot of talent on this team. I hope they just make the necessary adjustments and don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.
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RIP Tim Wakefield.
Damn. 57 years old. This was one of the good guys. He did a ton in the community and for charity, and was a 2x World Series Champion on top of it.
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Amen, Tim. The most humble pro sport athlete I ever met.
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Amen, Tim. The most humble pro sport athlete I ever met.
Yeah, around 97-98, he shopped in the store I worked at in Chestnut Hill. He was fucking humongous, but totally low key.
This was the first thing I thought of. I cried when it was happening live. Kills me everytime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yPUcDoQpJc
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Breaks my heart, man. And as you know, I'm emotional now about cancer.
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I know.
BUT....you're emotional anyway! :lol
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I'm a softy.
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I'm a softy.
Especially in the NFL thread.
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Listen to you Felger. So full of shit. Put a napkin on your feet. Lol
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Listen to you Felger. So full of shit. Put a napkin on your feet. Lol
Guess who's in the game!!
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RIP Tim Wakefield.
Damn. 57 years old. This was one of the good guys. He did a ton in the community and for charity, and was a 2x World Series Champion on top of it.
As a long-time Sox fan, he was one of my all-time favorite players. Back in '07 when my daughter was born, had she been a boy, her name was going to be Tim because of Wake. What's crazy is I had watched multiple Sox games this year with him in the booth. He looked and sounded totally fine. And, his wife currently has pancreatic cancer. Absolutely horrible.
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Listen to you Felger. So full of shit. Put a napkin on your feet. Lol
Guess who's in the game!!
And running for his life. The Hoodie is to blame.
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Damn...Wakefield was a big part of the Pirates team that should've won the 1992 World Series (but for Barry Bonds failing to head Andy Van Slyke's recommendation, which resulted in Bonds being unable to throw out Sid Bream from deep shortstop). I was surprised to hear he was 57.
The playoffs are now set.
The first round:
- Minnesota (3) v. Toronto (6)
- Tampa Bay (4) v. Texas (5)
- Brewers (3) v. Arizona (6)
- Philadelphia (4) v. Miami (5)
After going 49-32 in the first half of the season, the Rangers put up a 41-40 record in the second half, including a 2-4 mark in the final six games with a chance to win the division. It really seemed like no one wanted to win the AL West. Despite Bruce Bochy's substantial playoff pedigree, it wouldn't surprise me if the Rays sweep the Rangers out of the playoffs. I honestly think the two NL series could go either way.
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Last MLB games today for:
- Terry Francona
- Miguel Cabrera
- Adam Wainwright
- Joey Votto (maybe)
Francona and Cabrera are locks for the HOF. Not sure about the other two. Wainwright just barely got his 200th win. Only 2,200 K. Mediocre ERA, no CYA, only 3 ASG, and his postseason numbers are pretty pedestrian. Votto is somewhat the same. Despite a strong, 17-year career, he isn't really close to any of the traditional milestone numbers, and no significant postseason numbers (in limited opportunities). If either of them were close, though, I'd give them a bump for playing their entire careers with the same teams (especially Votto for sticking with a mostly bad team).
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Last MLB games today for:
- Terry Francona
- Miguel Cabrera
- Adam Wainwright
- Joey Votto (maybe)
Francona and Cabrera are locks for the HOF. Not sure about the other two. Wainwright just barely got his 200th win. Only 2,200 K. Mediocre ERA, no CYA, only 3 ASG, and his postseason numbers are pretty pedestrian. Votto is somewhat the same. Despite a strong, 17-year career, he isn't really close to any of the traditional milestone numbers, and no significant postseason numbers (in limited opportunities). If either of them were close, though, I'd give them a bump for playing their entire careers with the same teams (especially Votto for sticking with a mostly bad team).
Yeah, Votto and Wainwright both fall into that "good, but not great" camp for me. Cabrera is a lock for HOF though. As is Francona.
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The only Ms game I watched was the one we lost.
I’m going to get a complex with incidents like that.
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Here's hoping the Twins break their 18 game playoff losing streak! I think they have a very good chance. They've been playing good ball the last couple months.
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Go Brewers!
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Yeah, Votto and Wainwright both fall into that "good, but not great" camp for me.
Wainwright's numbers surprised me when I looked them up. I had the sense that he had been more dominant, but maybe that's shellshock from the several years when the Cards spanked the Dodgers in the playoffs. He was basically a non-contributing rookie when the Cards won the Series in '06, and he didn't play in '11, when they won again.
Here's hoping the Twins break their 18 game playoff losing streak! I think they have a very good chance. They've been playing good ball the last couple months.
The Twins are the team I know the least about. They were very much under the radar in the worst division in baseball. I don't have any rooting interest between the Twins and Jays; I just hope whomever wins that series sweeps the Cheatros out of the playoffs.
I'll be curious to see how the lower seeds do in the divisional round. Last year, both lower seeds won in the NL, but the higher seeds won in the AL. Last year, I think the layoff hurt the Dodgers, but I think it'll help them this year.
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Yeah, Votto and Wainwright both fall into that "good, but not great" camp for me.
Wainwright's numbers surprised me when I looked them up. I had the sense that he had been more dominant, but maybe that's shellshock from the several years when the Cards spanked the Dodgers in the playoffs. He was basically a non-contributing rookie when the Cards won the Series in '06, and he didn't play in '11, when they won again.
Here's hoping the Twins break their 18 game playoff losing streak! I think they have a very good chance. They've been playing good ball the last couple months.
The Twins are the team I know the least about. They were very much under the radar in the worst division in baseball. I don't have any rooting interest between the Twins and Jays; I just hope whomever wins that series sweeps the Cheatros out of the playoffs.
I'll be curious to see how the lower seeds do in the divisional round. Last year, both lower seeds won in the NL, but the higher seeds won in the AL. Last year, I think the layoff hurt the Dodgers, but I think it'll help them this year.
I'll pull for Geddy Lee's team of choice in that matchup. Go Jays!
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Here's hoping the Twins break their 18 game playoff losing streak! I think they have a very good chance. They've been playing good ball the last couple months.
The Twins are the team I know the least about. They were very much under the radar in the worst division in baseball. I don't have any rooting interest between the Twins and Jays; I just hope whomever wins that series sweeps the Cheatros out of the playoffs.
The Twins have great starting pitching, so-so bullpen, and streaky offense lead by a lot of really young guys. They've got a few key injuries at the moment, so depending on how well those guys bounce back from their injuries and play in the playoffs, they could either make a run or lose two quick games and be out. They've been playing way better in recent months, actually looking deserving of winning a division instead of just being the default team that manages to win a horrible division. It'll be a fun series. Being at home will certainly help the Twins.
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I just looked at the Twins roster. I knew more names than I expected, but pretty much all of them from other teams. Two names I didn't see that I expected to see, though: Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. What happened to them?
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I just looked at the Twins roster. I knew more names than I expected, but pretty much all of them from other teams. Two names I didn't see that I expected to see, though: Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. What happened to them?
Injuries. I thought Correa was supposed to be ready for the playoffs. Not sure if final rosters are set yet.
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Go Brewers!
…and the Brewers just announced Brandon Woodruff, quite possibly their best starter this year, is out with a shoulder injury.
I’m sad.
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I just looked at the Twins roster. I knew more names than I expected, but pretty much all of them from other teams. Two names I didn't see that I expected to see, though: Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. What happened to them?
Injuries. I thought Correa was supposed to be ready for the playoffs. Not sure if final rosters are set yet.
I read an article at lunch. Apparently, for the WC round, teams can do either a 15/11 or 14/12 split of position players and pitchers. In 2022, none of the WC teams used more than 10, but the Twins are apparently projected (by a couple guys with The Athletic) to do the 14/12 split, with Correa on the roster, but not Buxton. Not sure when final rosters have to be submitted.
Go Brewers!
…and the Brewers just announced Brandon Woodruff, quite possibly their best starter this year, is out with a shoulder injury.
I’m sad.
I'm not. :)
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There is a lot of talent on this team. I hope they just make the necessary adjustments and don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.
This is a confounding team. They can be so good, the nucleus is there, the rotation is solid. They seem to be generally likable guys. They could probably be formidable in a postseason series. And yet they just cannot get over the hump, and they don't have faith the front office will help them get there.
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I just looked at the Twins roster. I knew more names than I expected, but pretty much all of them from other teams. Two names I didn't see that I expected to see, though: Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. What happened to them?
Injuries. I thought Correa was supposed to be ready for the playoffs. Not sure if final rosters are set yet.
I read an article at lunch. Apparently, for the WC round, teams can do either a 15/11 or 14/12 split of position players and pitchers. In 2022, none of the WC teams used more than 10, but the Twins are apparently projected (by a couple guys with The Athletic) to do the 14/12 split, with Correa on the roster, but not Buxton. Not sure when final rosters have to be submitted.
I'm hearing the same regarding Correa and Buxton. Buxton is so damn frustrating as a player. He can be brilliant. Then he gets hurt and is a shell of himself. Another lost season for him. Correa's been playing hurt much of the season and hasn't been his normal self either. I'm actually most concerned about Royce Lewis, who has been carrying the team offensively the last couple months until tweaking a hamstring a couple weeks ago. I'd take him back over Correa.
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Looks like Lewis and Correa are on the roster; Buxton is not.
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What'd I tell ya. Royce Lewis. 2 home runs.
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I can see why you wanted him in the lineup! Can the bullpen hold it?
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I can see why you wanted him in the lineup! Can the bullpen hold it?
we'll see. They're pretty spotty at times. Hopefully the offense can put another run or two on the board
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The Mariners were established in 1977. They have been to the playoffs 5 times. They are the only existing franchise to never make the World Series.
The general manager just stated "...So we're actually doing the fan base a favor in asking for their patience to win the World Series while we continue to build a sustainably good roster."
The general manager of a team that has never made the World Series in nearly a half century of existence is asking their fans to be patient.
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Brewers two All-Star pitchers combined to give up all 6 runs in their 6-3 loss. Not ideal.
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Brewers two All-Star pitchers combined to give up all 6 runs in their 6-3 loss. Not ideal.
You guys are in big trouble with Zac Gallen going today.
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Speaking of big trouble, I hope no one put any money on the Rays. Shutout 4-0 yesterday and down 7-0 in the 6th today. Ouch.
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Bye-bye Rays. At least they scored a run.
Rangers v. Orioles in the ALDS.
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And...the Jays are gone too. Another team that barely showed up offensively. Bummer for Geddy Lee, but great for Twins fans. First series win in 21 years! I and all Dodgers fans will be Twins fans for at least the next 10 days.
Also pulling for the Brewers today.
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Well...the Wild Card series were a bit of a formality this year.
I only saw highlights from the two AL series and paid more attention to the MIL/AZ games when I got home, but it looks like the Rays, Jays and Marlins didn't even show up, and the Brewers scored a grand total of 0 runs in innings 3-9 in both games.
I like the Dodgers v. Arizona match-up. The snakes won 5 of 8 games in the first 10 days of the season, but the Dodgers won all 5 games in August. An obvious key will be keeping Corbin Carroll off the bases and controlling the running game when runners do get on base. I say Dodgers in 4.
For the divisional round, I think things will be much more competitive, with on the Dodgers series not going the full 5 games:
- Baltimore (1) v. Texas (5)
- Houston (2) v. Minnesota (3)
- Atlanta (1) v. Philadelphia (4)
- Los Angeles (2) v. Arizona (6)
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Brewers still have great pitching and a mediocre offense. I expect them to be around .500 but with a little luck they could make the post season.
My preseason prediction on the Brewers. Guess I know my team pretty well.
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Brewers still have great pitching and a mediocre offense. I expect them to be around .500 but with a little luck they could make the post season.
My preseason prediction on the Brewers. Guess I know my team pretty well.
I'd say 92-70 is a bit better than predicted.
I can't remember a guy who spiked as high as Yelich did in 2018 & 19 and has been pretty mediocre. Dude should have had two consecutive MVPs. What happened?
On a completely separate issue, does it seem to anyone else like the big power players aren't driving in as many runs as they used to? When I was growing up, guys would hit 30 HR and drive in 125 runs. Nowadays, you're seeing guys hit 40-45 HR but only driving in 90 runs.
Has anyone else noticed this? Is it just a product of everyone trying to hit HRs and, as a result, not getting on base as much in front of the power hitters? Or am I just imagining all this?
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lot of solo homers and bullpen moves. Managers will tell their staff to give power hitters pitches when nobody's on base.
I'm a happy Twins fan, and actually could have gone to the game yesterday, but passed on it due to not being able to get out of work (and my wife would have not stopped reminding me about it had I).
And I'm still baffled as to why Toronto pulled Berrios in the 4th inning after 47? pitches and a walk? :huh:
However, I'm not convinced yet they will be able to beat the Astros based on recent playoff experience. However, at least the Twins pitching staff is better than it was on those teams that were dismissed so easily in the playoffs in the past.
Part of me would rather play The Yankees, per the real monkey to get off the Twins back would be defeating them (6 straight times facing them, and 10 consecutive games), but the Astros are 2nd, who they lost to in 2020.
https://www.mlb.com/twins/history/postseason-results
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The cheaters aren't as good this year as they have been over the past half dozen years. If the Dodgers can make it to the Series (and that's a big-ass "if"), part of me would like revenge, and part of me is terrified about another loss in a Series in which they might not be cheating.
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It’s definitely because more guys are hitting homeruns and driving in themselves, plus more K’s and worse on-base percentages across the board.
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Is this an atypical game for Pablo Lopez? This kid has looked amazing.
And his back story - being fluent in four languages, graduating high school with a 19.8 GPA (on a scale of 1-20) and being accepted to medical school, all at the age of 16 - is wild.
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Nice bounce back win for the Twins last night. They needed to take at least one of two in Houston, which they did. Back to Minneapolis now with a chance to clinch at home. Gotta say that despite a disappointing regular season, Correa has been earning his paycheck is postseason.
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@#!@%!!
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:jamaritard:
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Interesting factoid, teams who beat the Brewers in the playoffs seem to do well….
1981 - Yankees over Brewers in ALDS. Yankees lose WS to LA.
1982 - Cardinals over Brewers in WS.
2008 - Phillies over Brewers in NLDS. Phillies win WS against Tampa Bay.
2011 - Cardinals over Brewers in NLCS. Cardinals win WS against Texas.
2018 - Dodgers over Brewers in NLCS. Dodgers lose WS to Boston.
2019 - Nationals over Brewers in NLWC. Nationals win WS against Houston.
2020 - Dodgers over Brewers in NLWC series. Dodgers win WS against Tampa Bay.
2021 - Braves beat Brewers in NLDS series. Braves win WS against Houston.
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1981 - Yankees over Brewers in ALDS. Yankees lose WS to LA.
Who were the 8 playoff teams in 1981? is an absolute KILLER trivia question, in no small part because two of the 8 teams switched leagues.
ALE: Yankees > Brewers
ALW: A's > Royals
NLE: Expos > Phillies
NLW: Dodgers > Astros
Here's another good one: Why are the Brewers colors blue and gold, and what were they intended to be (and why)?
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@#!@%!!
Dodgers?
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@#!@%!!
Dodgers?
Yep.
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@#!@%!!
Dodgers?
Yep.
Its puzzling to me. I guess Freeman was looking dead red on that third strike. Huge at bat.
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@#!@%!!
Dodgers?
Yep.
Its puzzling to me. I guess Freeman was looking dead red on that third strike. Huge at bat.
I have no idea how a guy with as good an eye as he has just looks at that pitch, but.... Playoff Dodgers....
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@#!@%!!
Dodgers?
Yep.
Its puzzling to me. I guess Freeman was looking dead red on that third strike. Huge at bat.
I have no idea how a guy with as good an eye as he has just looks at that pitch, but.... Playoff Dodgers....
I'm going to make a bold prediction here. The Dodgers reverse sweep. If the Dbacks lose tomorrow it will unnerve them, lack of postseason experience will do them in.
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1981 - Yankees over Brewers in ALDS. Yankees lose WS to LA.
Who were the 8 playoff teams in 1981? is an absolute KILLER trivia question, in no small part because two of the 8 teams switched leagues.
ALE: Yankees > Brewers
ALW: A's > Royals
NLE: Expos > Phillies
NLW: Dodgers > Astros
Here's another good one: Why are the Brewers colors blue and gold, and what were they intended to be (and why)?
I assume it’s because that’s what the Seattle Pilots colors were. No idea what they were intended to be.
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I'm going to make a bold prediction here. The Dodgers reverse sweep. If the Dbacks lose tomorrow it will unnerve them, lack of postseason experience will do them in.
I hope you're right. As I mentioned about a month ago, the Dodgers are bereft of starting pitching. Even if game 1 was an aberration, Kershaw is a shell of what he once was. Bobby Miller seemed to be solid going into the playoffs, but he couldn't find the zone. And now we're counting on a game 3 starter who gave up more HR in 2023 than anyone else. It's weird to think that the starting rotation should be Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Dustin May, Trevor Bauer and Clayton Kershaw. All that being said, if we can't score more than 2 runs per game, we ain't going anywhere.
I assume it’s because that’s what the Seattle Pilots colors were. No idea what they were intended to be.
The move of the Pilots from Seattle to Milwaukee didn't receive final approval until a week before the start of the 1970 season, so the Brewers simply took Pilots uniforms, removed the references to "Pilots" and "Seattle" and stitched on "Brewers." Apparently, for at least part of the 1970 season, the outline of the Pilots logo remained visible on the unis. Bud Selig had intended to use navy blue and red to honor the minor league Milwaukee Brewers that existed during the first half of the 20th century. At some point during the 1970 season, they decided simply to keep the Pilots colors.
Also...RIP Baltimore. The Rangers look HOT. I didn't see the Twins/cheaters game. If the Twins don't pull it out, I'll be a Rangers fan for a while.
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Let's go Rangers!
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Let's go Rangers!
I second that! I can't stand the Asstros.
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At this point, it's basically a bunch of teams about which I have no strong feelings and the cheaters. I'd probably rather not have Arizona win since they beat (destroyed) the Dodgers, but there's part of me that thinks AZ winning would make me feel slightly better about that awful series. And for a division opponent, AZ hasn't hit the level of hatred that I have for the Giants and Padres.
In a situation like this, I typically default to rooting for the team that has never before won it all.
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At this point, it's basically a bunch of teams about which I have no strong feelings and the cheaters. I'd probably rather not have Arizona win since they beat (destroyed) the Dodgers, but there's part of me that thinks AZ winning would make me feel slightly better about that awful series. And for a division opponent, AZ hasn't hit the level of hatred that I have for the Giants and Padres.
In a situation like this, I typically default to rooting for the team that has never before won it all.
Honestly the way the Phillies are playing I don't see them going away. The Braves ran out of gas and I think it ends tonight. Yes, seeing the Rangers win it all would be awesome. The Dbacks don't seem to be a bunch of hot shot douche bags so I have no issue with them, but the Astros are like herpes! :censored
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Dodgers fail again ::) 10 out of last 11 postseasons end in failure. I'm not even mad anymore. It is what it is and it just keeps happening.
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Dodgers fail again ::) 10 out of last 11 postseasons end in failure. I'm not even mad anymore. It is what it is and it just keeps happening.
I don't so much mind that - primarily because EVERY MLB team (except for the Red Sox and the cheaters) has failed to win the World Series in 10 or 11 of the last 11 postseasons.
This season is weird, too, because the Dodgers overperformed in the regular season (the preseason over/under was around 92 wins). Going into the postseason with a starting rotation of Clayton "I'm Much Older Than My Age Suggests and Am Probably Hiding an Injury" Kershaw, Lance Lynn, and Band-Aids was a recipe for disaster, but the fucking lineup scoring only 6 runs in 27 innings was ridiculous.
The Dodgers' starters flamed out spectacularly - 13 earned runs in 4.2 innings for a 25.07 ERA.
The bullpen, on the other hand, delivered 22.1 innings and gave up 6 earned runs for a 2.44 ERA.
Meanwhile, the offense was 17 for 96 for a .177 BA, with an OBP of .248 (26/105) and an SLG of .490.
Even worse, the team's two MVP candidates had a combined BA of .048 and OBP of .167 (1 for 21 with 3 BB and 4 K). When you add in the other two 100 RBI guys, it's a BA of .119 and OBP of .229 (5 for 42 with 6 BB and 11 K). PATHETIC!
Taking it back even further, since the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, Betts has hit 17 for 72 with 9 walks - .236/.321/.306/.627 with only 6 RBI.
It's infuriating, but you can't fire the players. I don't really blame Dave Roberts for anyone, and I feel like whomever they might hire in his place would still have to tow the company line, but it really might be time for a change of face. The change that really needs to happen is in the GM chair, but that ain't happening.
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I hear Gabe Kapler is looking for a job. :biggrin:
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FUCK NO! I'd rather bring back Jim Tracy or Grady Little.
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Let's go Rangers!
I'll second that! :metal
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Let's go Rangers!
I'll second that! :metal
Out of the teams left, I'll third that.
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The Astros are approaching the the hate level I have for The Yankees, although I don't find their fans as repulsive still.
I am basically rooting for every team to beat them.
Why if the stars would have alligned, The Twins would have made the playoffs and no chance of facing The Yankees and Astros. Maybe in 2024.
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The Astros are approaching the the hate level I have for The Yankees, although I don't find their fans as repulsive still.
I am basically rooting for every team to beat them.
Why if the stars would have alligned, The Twins would have made the playoffs and no chance of facing The Yankees and Astros. Maybe in 2024.
I'm a Yankee fan but I fully despise the organization as in the front office and I cannot stand going to a game. The employees of the stadium are miserable human beings. I grew up loving the team and now they're a joke but I can't just change my allegiance.
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Harper goes off again. He is a legendary post season performer at this point, top 5 all time in post season OPS (min 150 plate appearances) with guys like Ruth and Gehrig.
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Harper goes off again. He is a legendary post season performer at this point, top 5 all time in post season OPS (min 150 plate appearances) with guys like Ruth and Gehrig.
Virtually all of that is from this year and last year. He had a great NLDS in 2014 but was, at best, mediocre in his other pre-2022 playoff appearances (NLDS in 2012, 2016 and 2017). He also was a no-show in the World Series last year.
Seeing Texas take two from Houston - in Houston - has been great!
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Hoping Max airs it out tomorrow but I have a feeling he's on a pitch count. A win tomorrow puts the Astros away. I hope.
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Holy shit...this Texas/cheaters series has been nuts. Six games played and the road team has won all of them (let's hope it's a copy of the 2019 World Series). The near brawl in game 5.
By the way...and I'm sure I've gotten on this soapbox before...why does MLB allow dugouts and bullpens to empty for brawls? Could you imagine if the NHL allowed everyone on the bench (including coaches) to jump on the ice every time there's a dust up? If the batter wants to fight the catcher or pitcher, let him. However, if anyone leaves the dugout or bullpen or any defensive player leaves his position to join in, then he gets automatically ejected and suspended for one game. It'll save us a helluva lot of time.
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Agreed on the bench clearing brawls.
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An X game suspension automatically for leaving the dugout for a scuffle of that kind would end them real quick. I can also see that they're relatively rare, don't typically end with anything more than yelling and shoving, and they're exciting for fans and draw eyes to the game. So I can see why they're "allowed".
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An X game suspension automatically for leaving the dugout for a scuffle of that kind would end them real quick. I can also see that they're relatively rare, don't typically end with anything more than yelling and shoving, and they're exciting for fans and draw eyes to the game. So I can see why they're "allowed".
Exactly. And the fact that, often, nothing really happens is all the more reason to eliminate them. They typically do nothing other than waste time. You can even add a couple security guys whose entire job is to break up any one-on-one fights that might happen (akin to what NHL linesmen do, but without the real officiating aspect).
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WOW!
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Amazing performance by the Rangers - and specifically Adolis Garcia - last night. It was so gratifying to see the cheaters and their fans be humiliated on their home field. Good riddance!
By the way, the trash-hos were 1-5 at home in the playoffs this year. LOL!
The NLCS game was over before I left the office yesterday. I was kinda surprised the Diamondbacks nutted up. Hoping the game tonight is epic since I really don't care either way who wins.
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At this point I'd rather see the D'Backs make it to the World Series over the Phillies, but I'm rooting for the Rangers all the way.
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At this point I'd rather see the D'Backs make it to the World Series over the Phillies, but I'm rooting for the Rangers all the way.
I feel the same on both points!.
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Interesting factoid, teams who beat the Brewers in the playoffs seem to do well….
1981 - Yankees over Brewers in ALDS. Yankees lose WS to LA.
1982 - Cardinals over Brewers in WS.
2008 - Phillies over Brewers in NLDS. Phillies win WS against Tampa Bay.
2011 - Cardinals over Brewers in NLCS. Cardinals win WS against Texas.
2018 - Dodgers over Brewers in NLCS. Dodgers lose WS to Boston.
2019 - Nationals over Brewers in NLWC. Nationals win WS against Houston.
2020 - Dodgers over Brewers in NLWC series. Dodgers win WS against Tampa Bay.
2021 - Braves beat Brewers in NLDS series. Braves win WS against Houston.
The streak continues with Arizona.
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In other news, the Dodgers played 8 of their first 10 games against the Diamondbacks, with the snakes winning 5 of the 8. Based on those games, I think Arizona may be the surprise team of the season. They hit for contact and are FAST as fuck. If their pitching staff can be average or a little above, they have a real chance to contend.
I think this counts as calling my shot!
They fell off quite a bit in the regular season. I don't think they qualified for the playoffs until the last or second to last day. I'm really surprised that they shut down the Phillies the way they did...especially with Brandon Pfaadt on the mound for game 7. After one of the most epic NLDS series against Atlanta, Bryce Harper was basically a no show for this series, and Schwarber couldn't get it done all by himself.
The World Series should be an interesting battle between slug and old-school, make contact and steal bases baseball. Go Rangers (but I won't be unhappy if AZ wins)!
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I don't care who wins, I'm just happy for some new blood in there finally.
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I don't care who wins, I'm just happy for some new blood in there finally.
You said it perfect! Would be cool to see Texas get their first but the Dbacks beat what appeared to be an invincible Phillies team so good for them.
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I would typically root against a division rival - especially one that beat the Dodgers to get there - but the D-backs and their fans are relatively inoffensive. As a result, I don't really have a rooting interest.
In such a situation, I default to the team that has never won or, if there is no such team, the team with the longest drought. Therefore, go Rangers (I also like Corey Seager and came to like Adolis Garcia in the last series)! But a competitive, well-played series will be more important, regardless of who wins.
Interesting factoid, teams who beat the Brewers in the playoffs seem to do well….
1981 - Yankees over Brewers in ALDS. Yankees lose WS to LA.
1982 - Cardinals over Brewers in WS.
2008 - Phillies over Brewers in NLDS. Phillies win WS against Tampa Bay.
2011 - Cardinals over Brewers in NLCS. Cardinals win WS against Texas.
2018 - Dodgers over Brewers in NLCS. Dodgers lose WS to Boston.
2019 - Nationals over Brewers in NLWC. Nationals win WS against Houston.
2020 - Dodgers over Brewers in NLWC series. Dodgers win WS against Tampa Bay.
2021 - Braves beat Brewers in NLDS series. Braves win WS against Houston.
The streak continues with Arizona.
I went out at lunch and heard about 10 minutes of local sports talk radio, and one of the guys mentioned this! It's really pretty impressive - every time (9/9) the Brewers made the playoffs, the team that beat them made the WS (and, in 6/8 prior seasons, won it)!
By the way, in the last two games of the NLCS, Philly's big names put up these numbers:
Schwarber: 1-5, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3K
Turner: 0-8, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1K
Harper: 0-7, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3K
Realmuto: 2-8, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3K
Castellanos: 0-8, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 4K
That's a combined 3-36 (.083) with 14K (and ZERO production from more than half the lineup).
In fact, for the entire series, Turner and Castellanos were a combined 6-49 (.122), 2 HR, 4 RBI, 15K (with one of the RBI coming on a bases loaded walk)
Makes me feel a LITTLE better about Betts and Freeman.
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My problem with Adolis Garcia is he needs to stop admiring his doubles that fall short of home runs. A lot of these "star" players have little to no hustle or respect for the game.
I always think back to players like Hunter Pence, who gave 110% no matter what. Even those supposed easy groundouts he would run out as fast as possible. Sometimes good things happen when you force the defense to speed up a little bit. They make more mistakes or you have the potential to beat out close plays. Besides which, it's just the right way to play the game.
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Well, that was a hell of a way to start the World Series. :corn
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Well, that was a hell of a way to start the World Series. :corn
Yes indeed! Go Rangers.
Regarding pg1067’s post, you can’t keep it going forever. Very rarely does the same hitter stay super-hot through 3 or 4 playoff series of good pitching although it has happened. Regression to the mean.
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My problem with Adolis Garcia is he needs to stop admiring his doubles that fall short of home runs. A lot of these "star" players have little to no hustle or respect for the game.
I always think back to players like Hunter Pence, who gave 110% no matter what. Even those supposed easy groundouts he would run out as fast as possible. Sometimes good things happen when you force the defense to speed up a little bit. They make more mistakes or you have the potential to beat out close plays. Besides which, it's just the right way to play the game.
Yeah...I don't disagree with any of that, although I'm hesitant to say anything positive about Hunter Pence.
Great game last night. I'll be at a tribute band show tonight, so I won't see game 2, but I hope it's equally as exciting.
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This World Series has been really hit and miss.
Game 1 was really fun, and game 3 was an excellent pitchers' duel. However, games 2 and 4 were total messes. Last night's game was a total blowout until some sloppy pitching decisions by Bruce Bochy allowed the Diamondbacks to creep back within grand-slam distance.
The average length of the first four games has been 3:17 (a number that drops to 3:07 per 9 innings when you adjust for the extra inning game 1). By contrast:
2022 - 3:36 (3:32 adjusted) average game length
2021 - 3:38
2020 - 3:34
2019 - 3:45
2018 - 4:16 (3:34 adjusted)
2017 - 3:42 (3:32 adjusted)
2018 featured an 18-inning game 3, and 2017 featured a 2:28 game 1, which is the shortest World Series game by time since game 4 of the 1992 Series). 2023 is the first year since 2010 to feature two sub-3:00 games.
Given what the Diamondbacks did in Philadelphia in the NLCS, I think the Rangers need to have some urgency to close things out tonight with Nate Eovaldi on the mound.
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Go Rangers! :metal
What they did was nothing sort of amazing. Boche was brilliant in this series in taking one of the worst teams in baseball World Champs in a dominating fashion. :metal
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Yeah he's an amazing manager. Lost Garcia and Scherzer and it just didn't matter. Congrats to this long-suffering fan base.
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The average length of the first four games has been 3:17 (a number that drops to 3:07 per 9 innings when you adjust for the extra inning game 1). By contrast:
2022 - 3:36 (3:32 adjusted) average game length
2021 - 3:38
2020 - 3:34
2019 - 3:45
2018 - 4:16 (3:34 adjusted)
2017 - 3:42 (3:32 adjusted)
2018 featured an 18-inning game 3, and 2017 featured a 2:28 game 1, which is the shortest World Series game by time since game 4 of the 1992 Series). 2023 is the first year since 2010 to feature two sub-3:00 games.
Just to tie this up...last night's game was 2:54, which means the average game length was 3:13 (3:05 per 9 innings - adjusted for the one extra inning game). It's the first World Series since 2006 to feature three sub-3:00 games (the average game length in 2006 was 3:05 (with no extra inning games).
I didn't watch yesterday's game carefully because I did pub trivia with a friend and only caught the game, with no sound, on one of the TVs. However, it looked like one helluva pitching duel for the first 8 innings. Gallen pitched his ass off, and it's a shame that he had to take the loss in that game.
Congrats to the Rangers and their fans, and big congrats to Corey ("not Pete and not Bob") for becoming only the second player ever to win World Series MVP with two different teams.
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I don't watch or follow baseball anymore, but as a longtime Cardinals fan who remembers 2011, I am glad the Rangers fans finally got their World Series victory. Losing the way they did in 2011 was beyond brutal.
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I don't watch or follow baseball anymore, but as a longtime Cardinals fan who remembers 2011, I am glad the Rangers fans finally got their World Series victory. Losing the way they did in 2011 was beyond brutal.
Man...I don't know what the actual stats are, but I gotta believe that 8 out of 10 rightfielders catch that Freese triple and end the series (or, at the very least, if he didn't misplay it, the tying run likely doesn't score). Then they get another 2-run lead right away and give it right back. It's kind of a meaningless statement, but it really seemed like the Cards just WANTED it more.
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Kind of wild that Nelson Cruz just now retired in the same year the Rangers finally won the WS. And that he crammed what would be a near hall of fame career (if not for PEDs) in between those dates (358 HRs).
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I just found a good trivia question.
Josh Jung (Rangers 3B) became only the third rookie to start the All-Star Game and win the World Series in the same year. Who were the other two?
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I just found a good trivia question.
Josh Jung (Rangers 3B) became only the third rookie to start the All-Star Game and win the World Series in the same year. Who were the other two?
I can't remember if Buster Posey started the Allstar game in 2010...
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Maybe Andruw Jones?
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Nope and nope. One of them happened in one of the earliest ASGs. The other was from the '80s.
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Fernando Valenzuela was one of them.
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I don't watch or follow baseball anymore, but as a longtime Cardinals fan who remembers 2011, I am glad the Rangers fans finally got their World Series victory. Losing the way they did in 2011 was beyond brutal.
Man...I don't know what the actual stats are, but I gotta believe that 8 out of 10 rightfielders catch that Freese triple and end the series (or, at the very least, if he didn't misplay it, the tying run likely doesn't score). Then they get another 2-run lead right away and give it right back. It's kind of a meaningless statement, but it really seemed like the Cards just WANTED it more.
I think the tying run scores easily even if Cruz doesn't missplay it (there were two out, so the runner was going on contact), but he still should have caught it. I don't usually buy "team of destiny" narratives, but it sure seemed like the Cardinals were destiny's darlings that October.
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Fernando Valenzuela was one of them.
Ding ding ding. The other was a Yankee (shocking, I know).
I don't watch or follow baseball anymore, but as a longtime Cardinals fan who remembers 2011, I am glad the Rangers fans finally got their World Series victory. Losing the way they did in 2011 was beyond brutal.
Man...I don't know what the actual stats are, but I gotta believe that 8 out of 10 rightfielders catch that Freese triple and end the series (or, at the very least, if he didn't misplay it, the tying run likely doesn't score). Then they get another 2-run lead right away and give it right back. It's kind of a meaningless statement, but it really seemed like the Cards just WANTED it more.
I think the tying run scores easily even if Cruz doesn't missplay it (there were two out, so the runner was going on contact), but he still should have caught it. I don't usually buy "team of destiny" narratives, but it sure seemed like the Cardinals were destiny's darlings that October.
Had he been playing appropriately deep, he should have caught the ball. There's also an argument that, having played so shallow, he should have stopped short and played the ball off the wall. Lance Berkman was hardly a speed burner, so he may have been held at third. Who knows what happens after that? But yeah, that was definitely a "team of destiny" situation.
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Craig Counsell says good bye to Milwaukee and hello to the Cubs. Brewers fans are aghast.
Money talks.
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Craig Counsell says good bye to Milwaukee and hello to the Cubs. Brewers fans are aghast.
Money talks.
Interesting...that seems like a lateral move, at best. Or was it a mutual parting of the ways in Milwaukee?
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Craig Counsell says good bye to Milwaukee and hello to the Cubs. Brewers fans are aghast.
Money talks.
Interesting...that seems like a lateral move, at best. Or was it a mutual parting of the ways in Milwaukee?
His contract was up at the end of the season and there was a lot of speculation he was either going to take a couple years off to watch his kids play baseball (one’s at Minnesota the other at Michigan) or follow former Brewers GM David Stearns to the Mets. Brewers offered him $5.5M/year to stay, which would have made him the highest paid manager in MLB, but the Cubs offered him $8M to come to Chicago.
Brewers ownership is pretty tight with money so it’s possible he felt like he didn’t want to keep dealing with the limitations in Milwaukee and wanted a chance elsewhere. But to go to Chicago is quite a decision considering he basically grew up in Milwaukee.
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As a Cubs fan, I both hate this and love it. Love it because I do think Counsell is on the short list of best managers in the game. Hate it because he’s been a thorn in the Cubs’ side since 2017 and because I genuinely like David Ross and hate to see him go. Going from a franchise hero to a villain. But it bodes well for the Cubs’ future I think.
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How did the Brewers let him get to the end of his contract? Did Counsell not want to sign an extension? A "free agent" manager is a weird thing. They typically either get fired, or sign extensions.
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I just found a good trivia question.
Josh Jung (Rangers 3B) became only the third rookie to start the All-Star Game and win the World Series in the same year. Who were the other two?
Fernando Valenzuela was one of them.
Ding ding ding. The other was a Yankee (shocking, I know).
Your hint of the 80s gave it away.
Since it's been a few days, DiMaggio was the other. I would have guessed him or Mantle, but Mickey didn't make the AS game until his second season.
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From yesterday’s ‘The Athletic’
"How Canadian rock star Geddy Lee of Rush became an unlikely archivist of America’s pastime"
https://theathletic.com/5022106/2023/11/06/geddy-lee-rush-baseball-collection/
The article and picture are in the Rush v. Dirk, Pratt, & Lerxst thread https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=33827.6825
During the Orioles first trip to Toronto this year, someone posted a pic from a Sunday game with Geddy in the first row behind home plate.
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Craig Counsell says good bye to Milwaukee and hello to the Cubs. Brewers fans are aghast.
Money talks.
Interesting...that seems like a lateral move, at best. Or was it a mutual parting of the ways in Milwaukee?
His contract was up at the end of the season and there was a lot of speculation he was either going to take a couple years off to watch his kids play baseball (one’s at Minnesota the other at Michigan) or follow former Brewers GM David Stearns to the Mets. Brewers offered him $5.5M/year to stay, which would have made him the highest paid manager in MLB, but the Cubs offered him $8M to come to Chicago.
Brewers ownership is pretty tight with money so it’s possible he felt like he didn’t want to keep dealing with the limitations in Milwaukee and wanted a chance elsewhere. But to go to Chicago is quite a decision considering he basically grew up in Milwaukee.
I thought it might be that he was feeling like he had done all he could do in Milly-wah-kay-uh.
If the Dodgers ever cut Dave Roberts loose, I wouldn't mind seeing David Ross on the bench.
Your hint of the 80s gave it away.
Since it's been a few days, DiMaggio was the other. I would have guessed him or Mantle, but Mickey didn't make the AS game until his second season.
It's a good trivia question in the sense that it's really difficult unless one has a good sense of the entirety of baseball history. I didn't want to let it drag too long here, and obviously dropping a decade makes it easy to think through who won those Series.
From yesterday’s ‘The Athletic’
"How Canadian rock star Geddy Lee of Rush became an unlikely archivist of America’s pastime"
If I ever got a chance to sit down and talk with Geddy, I'm not sure whether we'd spend more time talking about bass playing or baseball. I love the story about how, when he'd wake up while on tour, the only things on TV were soap operas and the Cubs/Braves on WGN/TBS. If anyone hasn't seen his "Big Interview with Dan Rather," I highly recommend it.
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How did the Brewers let him get to the end of his contract? Did Counsell not want to sign an extension? A "free agent" manager is a weird thing. They typically either get fired, or sign extensions.
He wanted a chance to be a free agent and set the market for manager contracts. So once his contract was up, he wasn’t going to stay in Milwaukee unless they outbid the field. But he also apparently wanted to stay close by which is why he chose the Cubs over the Mets.
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The Winter Meetings are here and it sure seems like the Giants will sort of try and ultimately fail at signing any star free agents. :facepalm:
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The Winter Meetings are here and it sure seems like the Giants will sort of try and ultimately fail at signing any star free agents. :facepalm:
A colleague walked into my office about 30 minutes ago and said he's "hearing" Ohtani to the Dodgers and Yamamoto to the Giants (for what that's worth).
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And I just heard Ohtani to the Blue Jays and Yamamoto to the Yankees. So who knows? :lol
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Yeah, Ohtani's camp doesn't want any info leaked, good luck with that. Cashman is a fucking moron with a big mouth, so as a Yankee fan I'm not happy with him, Randy Levine or Hal.... When George died, so did the Yankees. Clueless idiots.
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I think the Giants are making a mistake by sitting on their hands waiting to see where Ohtani will sign. If they want a better chance of signing him, they need to go out and get 1 or 2 other bigger name free agents to show they mean business.
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Yanks get Verdugo for 1 season and now Juan Soto trade looking likely.. For 1 season. I think a trade is a mistake being the Padres want some major pieces in return. I would wait and try to sign him in free agency.
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So apparently, it's official. Shohei Ohtani has signed with the Dodgers for $700 million dollars and this contract lasts for 10 years. That's a lot of money. To put it to context, it's an average of $70M a year. Fudge, the NHL's salary cap is currently at around $83.5M to spend on up to 23 players per team. He makes around 85% of that on average now and yes, I know MLB makes more revenue than the NHL by a wide margin, but still.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39076745/shohei-ohtani-join-dodgers-10-year-700m-deal
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$WOW$
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Such a joke....it really is. Add that to the list of reasons I've fallen away from giving a crap about the MLB. Yeah....dude is good but he'll be lucky to be 90% of the pitcher he was before he was hurt and I'd bet anyone $50 right now he won't hit with the same success in the NL as he did in the AL. It's LA's money to do with what they please but this is just dumb. Good luck when in 4 or 5 years when he's a shell of his former glory and spending extended time on the DL
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The Dodgers are morons.
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He's gonna make more than the entire Oakland A's team :rollin
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108 grand per at bat. If Ohtani shits during a game he earns 15 grand.
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My dad's comment- "Thankfully he's staying in California, we'll be needing that tax revenue in the face of our budget shortfall" :lol
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The Brewers principal owner has a net worth of $700 million.
Seems fair.
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HOOOOLY FFUUUUUUUU.... SHHIIIIIII.....!!!!!
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Well, assuming last season wasn't an anomaly for Bellinger, the Giants should scoop him up and make a very hard push for Yamamoto.
This will be now, what, 5 years in a row where the top free agent on the market fell through the fingers of the Giants because they were massively outbid? The Giants badly need new upper management. They are a big market team spending money like the A's the last 5 years. Farhan Zaidi is kind of a joke now. And the team owners wonder why attendance has fallen and they aren't getting to the playoffs....
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Call me crazy but I don’t see that ‘missing out’ on having to pay a player that much money is a bad thing. There’s no world where any player comes close to ‘earning’ that type of money or being worth it.
Ohtani is 29 years old. He’s got limited ‘prime’ years left and that’s after a second surgery. This is just insane that he was handed a contract like this. It SO dumb…..this is just cringeworthy
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Call me crazy but I don’t see that ‘missing out’ on having to pay a player that much money is a bad thing. There’s no world where any player comes close to ‘earning’ that type of money or being worth it.
Ohtani is 29 years old. He’s got limited ‘prime’ years left and that’s after a second surgery. This is just insane that he was handed a contract like this. It SO dumb…..this is just cringeworthy
Oh, for sure. The $700 Million contract is insane. I thought the $500 Million everyone was throwing around was crazy too, but more palatable and reasonable than what he got.
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In the end, the Giants will probably sign a bunch of castoffs again and limp to another barely .500 season. The Giants haven't signed a true superstar free agent since Barry Bonds in '92...
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Over/under of 3.5 years before Dodger fans view this contract as a terrible thing.
Hopefully, that's also the over/under on World Series we win in the next 10 years.
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So apparently, Ohtani is doing the Dodgers a favor in deferring $680.00M of the $700M contract where the Dodgers are only paying him $2M a year for the length of the contract. Then, the Dodgers will pay out the $68M a year for 10 years after the contract is over? With no interest? I see that the Dodgers can do that, but how does that help both parties? I get Ohtani wants to win and is willing to sacrifice getting the money now so that the Dodgers can round out their roster. I guess paying $680M over 10 years from 2034-2043 is better than paying that money from 2024-2033 for the Dodgers?
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So apparently, Ohtani is doing the Dodgers a favor in deferring $680.00M of the $700M contract where the Dodgers are only paying him $2M a year for the length of the contract. Then, the Dodgers will pay out the $68M a year for 10 years after the contract is over? With no interest? I see that the Dodgers can do that, but how does that help both parties? I get Ohtani wants to win and is willing to sacrifice getting the money now so that the Dodgers can round out their roster. I guess paying $680M over 10 years from 2034-2043 is better than paying that money from 2024-2033 for the Dodgers?
This smells like a Bobby Bonilla situation :lol
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So apparently, Ohtani is doing the Dodgers a favor in deferring $680.00M of the $700M contract where the Dodgers are only paying him $2M a year for the length of the contract. Then, the Dodgers will pay out the $68M a year for 10 years after the contract is over? With no interest? I see that the Dodgers can do that, but how does that help both parties? I get Ohtani wants to win and is willing to sacrifice getting the money now so that the Dodgers can round out their roster. I guess paying $680M over 10 years from 2034-2043 is better than paying that money from 2024-2033 for the Dodgers?
But he'll still count against their luxury tax after the 10 years, right?
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I have no idea, since i have no idea how payroll works in the MLB, but I find these details fascinating to read.
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He went to J.G. Wentworth and sang, "I HAVE A DEFERRED SALARY CONTRACT, BUT I NEED CASH NOW!!"
The "cap hit" for luxury tax purposes for 2024-33 is $46M, and I suspect that's the present value of $70M per year 10 years from now. If that's correct, then the interest is built in already. I also suspect that, without the deferrals, it'd have been a much lower annual number.
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He went to J.G. Wentworth and sang, "I HAVE A DEFERRED SALARY CONTRACT, BUT I NEED CASH NOW!!"
The "cap hit" for luxury tax purposes for 2024-33 is $46M, and I suspect that's the present value of $70M per year 10 years from now. If that's correct, then the interest is built in already. I also suspect that, without the deferrals, it'd have been a much lower annual number.
:rollin
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This is kind of genius on Ohtani's part. The Dodgers will have plenty of money to pay other players while he's a Dodger, increasing their chances of multiple WS runs. Once his contract is done, the Dodger get slammed with huge payments that will make it difficult for them to pay other marquee free agents.
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Baseball has been treading in dangerous territory for a while now. I am wondering if the Ohtani contract seal's the sports fate. Not right away, but the contract that sends the game spiraling.
I'm sorry, but MLB needs a cap. A hard cap. I'm a Yankees fan. We're just as guilty as anyone of spending like mad. But it isn't right. There needs to be a hard cap (with exceptions for homegrown talent) and a hard basement. (So teams like the ones the Ohtani contract's AAV is more than their entire payroll actually are forced to spend money.)
There comes a point where the business of a game just ruins it all. This sucks. Yes, Ohtani is compared to Ruth (he's not, not by long shot). But where does this spending end?
I don't know. I just think it's out of control. Good for him and his family to secure their financial futures for generations to come. But at what cost?
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I'm sorry, but MLB needs a cap. A hard cap. I'm a Yankees fan. We're just as guilty as anyone of spending like mad. But it isn't right. There needs to be a hard cap (with exceptions for homegrown talent) and a hard basement. (So teams like the ones the Ohtani contract's AAV is more than their entire payroll actually are forced to spend money.)
I could not agree more.
Yes, Ohtani is compared to Ruth (he's not, not by long shot).
Well...Ruth was a full-time starting pitcher only from 1915-19. During those years, he started 140 games (more than half of which were in 1916 and 1917) and put up an 87-45 record and a 2.16 ERA. He was elite in 1916, but he was otherwise unremarkable by the standards of the day. The thing is that he wasn't an elite hitter yet. He didn't start hitting home runs until 1918, when he led MLB with 11. He did the same with 29 in 1919. During those two seasons, he pitched half and less than half as many innings (116.1 and 113.1) as he had in 1916 and 1917 (323.2 and 326.1). Ruth pitched THEN hit, while Ohtani is doing both, at an elite level, at the same time. The big concern for me is that he'll have more arm problems and eventually stop pitching, which means the Dodgers will be paying shitloads of money for a DH. Both players were/are mega-celebrities, but Ohtani's international standing dwarfs what Ruth was. At least one publication estimated Ohtani's annual net economic impact for the Dodgers to be in excess of $400M.
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It took 100 years for Babe Ruth comparisons. There will be more "Ohtani's" in a lot less time. Ohtani is special but lets see how long that lasts.
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It took 100 years for Babe Ruth comparisons. There will be more "Ohtani's" in a lot less time. Ohtani is special but lets see how long that lasts.
So, apparently the Yankees didn't sign Ohtani? ;D
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OK, that's cool. The Giants signed Jung Hoo Lee. Glad they didn't take the Bellinger bait. I'm not convinced he won't revert back to his crappy seasons with the Dodgers, especially when you look at his hard hit rate from last year being near the bottom of the league.
Now they just need to sign Yamamoto.
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It took 100 years for Babe Ruth comparisons. There will be more "Ohtani's" in a lot less time. Ohtani is special but lets see how long that lasts.
So, apparently the Yankees didn't sign Ohtani? ;D
Haha! He was never coming to the East Coast and he made that clear.
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Looks like the Dodgers will be getting Glasnow. Seems they are trying to build an unstoppable dynasty in one offseason. There's also talk that the Dodgers are the frontrunner to land Yamamoto....
Meanwhile, the Giants sit on their hands and do practically nothing. If the Giants don't take out all the stops to land Yamamoto, I'm disowning this team until they kick Zaidi and his lackeys to the curb.
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Samsara, I remember these grumblings back when ARod signed that contract with the Rangers, which I believe was $252M. That was big news up here obviously. They said these contracts weren't sustainable. They said the fans wouldn't come back after the 1994 strike (which was caused in part by the owners demand for a salary cap). And here we are now. The NFL has taken over as the #1 sport in America. But MLB is still here, and apparently doing well enough to offer $800M contracts to players.
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Looks like the Dodgers will be getting Glasnow. Seems they are trying to build an unstoppable dynasty in one offseason.
I don't get this one. Glasnow has been in the bigs for parts of 8 seasons. Only once has he started more than 14 games. Only twice has he pitched more than 100 innings. His career is a mediocre 3.89. He's had 6 seasons with an ERA greater than 4.00. Never an all-star. Never got votes for any awards. So...he's not very good and doesn't eat innings. And for that, we gave up a top-flight prospect like Ryan Pepiot?
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Looks like the Dodgers will be getting Glasnow. Seems they are trying to build an unstoppable dynasty in one offseason.
I don't get this one. Glasnow has been in the bigs for parts of 8 seasons. Only once has he started more than 14 games. Only twice has he pitched more than 100 innings. His career is a mediocre 3.89. He's had 6 seasons with an ERA greater than 4.00. Never an all-star. Never got votes for any awards. So...he's not very good and doesn't eat innings. And for that, we gave up a top-flight prospect like Ryan Pepiot?
Gee, I really feel bad for you.. :lol
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Looks like the Dodgers will be getting Glasnow. Seems they are trying to build an unstoppable dynasty in one offseason.
I don't get this one. Glasnow has been in the bigs for parts of 8 seasons. Only once has he started more than 14 games. Only twice has he pitched more than 100 innings. His career is a mediocre 3.89. He's had 6 seasons with an ERA greater than 4.00. Never an all-star. Never got votes for any awards. So...he's not very good and doesn't eat innings. And for that, we gave up a top-flight prospect like Ryan Pepiot?
Glasnow can be a top of the line starter if he can just stay healthy. Granted his past seems to indicate that may not go well for the Dodgers.
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Wow. Yamamoto signs with the Dodgers....good grief.
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Wow. Yamamoto signs with the Dodgers....good grief.
I was really confident the Yankees would get him. They need another starter badly.
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13 years $375 million is what I think I saw? Insane for a player who has never played in the MLB. If the best players are going to get these kinds of contracts, there are only maybe 5 teams that can compete for the best free agents. This can't be good for baseball.
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That's a lot of money to spend to be bounced out of the first round of the playoffs every year like usual.
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That's a lot of money to spend to be bounced out of the first round of the playoffs every year like usual.
:neverusethis:
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That's a lot of money to spend to be bounced out of the first round of the playoffs every year like usual.
Except for 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.
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That's a lot of money to spend to be bounced out of the first round of the playoffs every year like usual.
Except for 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.
Eh, they were still bounced out of playoffs in '21, and lost the World Series in '17 and '18.
If they don't get to the World Series in '24 with Ohtani and Yamamoto, that's a lot of wasted money.
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Sox trade Chris Sale to Atlanta, but are still paying $17m of his $27m salary for this year.
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I see that tonight, the baseball writers are having their Annual Stupidity Party.
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I think the writers need to come up with some strict guidelines to weed out the dinosaurs who only vote for one, two, or even no players or who have that "no one is a first round Hall of Fame" mentality. Voting rights should have term limits unless the writer happens to be well respected in the field.
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That's a lot of money to spend to be bounced out of the first round of the playoffs every year like usual.
Except for 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.
Eh, they were still bounced out of playoffs in '21, and lost the World Series in '17 and '18.
If they don't get to the World Series in '24 with Ohtani and Yamamoto, that's a lot of wasted money.
Every year, 29 teams either are "bounced out of the playoffs" in some manner or don't make them at all. Does that mean the ~9 billion in combined salary of those 29 teams is "wasted money"? I don't get that reasoning.
I see that tonight, the baseball writers are having their Annual Stupidity Party.
Meaning?
By my estimation, the three guys who got in probably should be in. Beltre's a no-brainer. Mauer was one of two elite catchers in his era, an MVP, and a multi-time top-10 MVP candidate. Helton is more iffy. He has the Coors Field thing working against him, and, despite playing at that park, he didn't hit any of the "magic" numbers. Ten straight full seasons with a BA between .302 and .372 means something, regardless of where you play.
Looking at the names of guys who didn't get in, I think Sheffield and Beltran should have made it (and I think at least Sheffield will when his "era" comes up in whatever they're calling the Veteran's Committee now). I think the same about Rodriguez and Ramirez, but I don't give a crap about steroids/PEDs. I'm on the fence about Wagner.
What truly baffles me is that guys like David Wright and Torii Hunter not only got votes, but they got enough votes to stay on the ballot for next year. One guy even voted for Brandon Phillips! I'd love to hear that guy explain why he thought Brandon Phillips belongs in the HOF.
I think the writers need to come up with some strict guidelines to weed out the dinosaurs who only vote for one, two, or even no players or who have that "no one is a first round Hall of Fame" mentality. Voting rights should have term limits unless the writer happens to be well respected in the field.
How could that possibly work? Which of these guys ( https://bbwaa.com/24-hof-voters/ ) isn't "well respected in the field"? I'll start: Rob Parker is a complete idiot, but I probably only recognize maybe a dozen names on the list.
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I see that tonight, the baseball writers are having their Annual Stupidity Party.
Meaning?
By my estimation, the three guys who got in probably should be in. Beltre's a no-brainer. Mauer was one of two elite catchers in his era, an MVP, and a multi-time top-10 MVP candidate. Helton is more iffy. He has the Coors Field thing working against him, and, despite playing at that park, he didn't hit any of the "magic" numbers. Ten straight full seasons with a BA between .302 and .372 means something, regardless of where you play.
Looking at the names of guys who didn't get in, I think Sheffield and Beltran should have made it (and I think at least Sheffield will when his "era" comes up in whatever they're calling the Veteran's Committee now). I think the same about Rodriguez and Ramirez, but I don't give a crap about steroids/PEDs. I'm on the fence about Wagner.
Beltre a no brainer? I guess. I liked him, but how he's in before A-Rod is embarrassing. At least he was better than Scott Rolen.
Mauer...I don't really have an issue with.
Helton....that's a joke. Roids/Colorado air? That's like Bagwell and Biggio getting in but not A-Rod or Manny.
How on earth does Billy Wagner even get a sniff but Clemens is not in? It's a joke.
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The elite of the elite should only get in. These 3 are very good players but could you give a defining moment for either of them? I can't.
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Beltre a no brainer? I guess. I liked him, but how he's in before A-Rod is embarrassing. At least he was better than Scott Rolen.
Mauer...I don't really have an issue with.
Helton....that's a joke. Roids/Colorado air? That's like Bagwell and Biggio getting in but not A-Rod or Manny.
How on earth does Billy Wagner even get a sniff but Clemens is not in? It's a joke.
Well...you're sort of preaching to the choir. The HOF will lack legitimacy until guys like Joe Jackson, Rose, Bonds, Clemens, Rodriguez, etc. get in OR they go back and remove everyone else who "cheated" (e.g., Gaylord Perry, who not only cheated but wore it as a badge of honor). However, I don't hold those ridiculous exclusions against other guys. Also, my left testicle was more deserving of induction than Scott Rolen (to say nothing of possibly the single least-deserving HOF'er, Phil Rizzuto).
The elite of the elite should only get in. These 3 are very good players but could you give a defining moment for either of them? I can't.
Part of the problem with that is that Beltre, Mauer and Helton only played a combined 53 playoff games in their careers, and Mauer's team never got past the divisional round. Also, had Neftali Feliz, Nelson Cruz and Ron Washington not self-torpedoed the Rangers in game 6 of the 2011 World Series, Beltre would very likely have a WS MVP on his resume. Beltre would also have an NL MVP if he didn't have the misfortune of playing for the Dodgers during the height of Barry Bonds' career (in 2004, Beltre hit 3 more HR and had 20 more RBI than Bonds).
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Beltre would also have an NL MVP if he didn't have the misfortune of playing for the Dodgers during the height of Barry Bonds' career (in 2004, Beltre hit 3 more HR and had 20 more RBI than Bonds).
He also didn't get his roids from Balco either.
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Pg, that should be an indictment on them making the hall.
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The elite of the elite should only get in. These 3 are very good players but could you give a defining moment for either of them? I can't.
to me you put in guys that are the best or maybe top 3 of their era at their position. Its hard to hold against a player that their team didnt make it far into the playoffs of win a series. I also feel like if they're not an obvious first ballot HOFer that maybe means they're not good enough to get in.
And I think that the steroid Era guys should be in the hall.
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Pg, that should be an indictment on them making the hall.
I get what you're saying, but I don't agree. It's not like the NHL back in the day when 16 of the 23 teams made the playoffs. MLB still has the lowest percentage of teams make the playoffs. It's 14 of 30 teams now, but it was only 8-10 of 30 when Beltre, Mauer and Helton played. After all, we don't hold it against Ernie Banks that he never played a postseason game. And all three guys put up postseason numbers consistent with their regular season numbers.
I also feel like if they're not an obvious first ballot HOFer that maybe means they're not good enough to get in.
In a perfect world, I agree, but unless we're going to go back and purge guys like Rizzuto, I don't think you can start now to impose such a lofty standard.
I love this quote about Rizzuto being in the HOF: "Many undeserving men are in the Baseball Hall of Fame mostly for having the good sense to be New York Yankees between 1920 and 1960. Rizzuto is a prime example, a below-average hitter who once won an MVP he didn't have any place winning, and who wedged his way into the Hall mostly on that basis."
Even Rizzuto agreed: "I never thought I deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is for the big guys, pitchers with 100 mph fastballs and hitters who sock homers and drive in a lot of runs. That's the way it always has been, and the way it should be."
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Facebook has a thing called "Memories," which is simply a collection of shit you posted on the same day in prior years. My post from this day in 2022: "The legitimacy of the baseball HOF is pretty much nil at this point." That was the year that David Ortiz got elected and Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling fell off the ballot.
Anyway...I think looked at what next year's HOF election will look like. It'll be Billy Wagner's last year of eligibility. He got 73.8% of the vote this year, so I'll bet $5 he makes it next year. I don't think any other repeat candidate will make it. Ichiro Suzuki will be a first-ballot election next year. C.C. Sabathia has an outside shot, but I don't think any of the other first-year candidates next year have any chance at all.
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TBH, I think the voters need to stop evaluating people via position. If you put Mauer in, why isn't Mattingly in? The latter was the better player at the plate, and is just, if not more decorated, at his position. I personally think both do NOT deserve it. But if you put in Mauer, Mattingly should be in. period. And there are plenty of other comparisons that could be made.
It's ridiculous that "he's a catcher, so he goes in because he was over .300, and had some gold gloves." Really?
I know I made that very generic and simple, but bottom line, players should be evaluated REGARDLESS of position. A view of whether their achievements as a major league baseball player were some of the best of all-time. If there's doubt, it's no. Simple as that.
Baseball HOF is a money-maker, which is why it is the Hall of Very Good now.
Really sad.
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TBH, I think the voters need to stop evaluating people via position. If you put Mauer in, why isn't Mattingly in? The latter was the better player at the plate, and is just, if not more decorated, at his position. I personally think both do NOT deserve it. But if you put in Mauer, Mattingly should be in. period. And there are plenty of other comparisons that could be made.
It's ridiculous that "he's a catcher, so he goes in because he was over .300, and had some gold gloves." Really?
I know I made that very generic and simple, but bottom line, players should be evaluated REGARDLESS of position. A view of whether their achievements as a major league baseball player were some of the best of all-time. If there's doubt, it's no. Simple as that.
Baseball HOF is a money-maker, which is why it is the Hall of Very Good now.
Really sad.
I disagree. I think players qualifications should be compared against other players at the same position. Elite catchers are different types of players than elite outfielders or elite second basemen.
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TBH, I think the voters need to stop evaluating people via position. If you put Mauer in, why isn't Mattingly in? The latter was the better player at the plate, and is just, if not more decorated, at his position. I personally think both do NOT deserve it. But if you put in Mauer, Mattingly should be in. period. And there are plenty of other comparisons that could be made.
I think position has to be part of the calculus (as does the era in which they played), but the Mattingly comparison is going to haunt the HOF until he gets in. If you look at Mattingly in a vacuum, I think the argument that he shouldn't be in is stronger than the argument that he should be in. However, they've put in so many marginal guys like Rolen and Baines that it's now much harder to argue against Mattingly (and guys like Fred McGriff)
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What the heck, I'll chime in. I'm neither a "small-Hall" guy or "big-Hall" guy, but more medium Hall. So I'm in the mindset that 2 of the 3 are deserving.
Helton I feel is the least deserving; a really good player but his home-road splits are significant just like every other Coors Field phenomenon. People might not realize how good Beltre was but modern analytics have highlighted what a dominant defender he was in addition to being a really solid hitter for a long time. As far as Mauer goes, catchers generally have much shorter careers and Mauer packed a lot of great into his. Not a lot of catchers make the Hall so he seems like a good addition.
As others have stated, it's all kind of farce until some of the greatest players we've ever seen get elected. The steroids baloney has been played out, the guys under suspicion have paid a price by having to wait this long. Time to put them in. Bonds & Clemens next year, A-Rod and whoever the following year, etc.
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Probably time for a new thread....
The 2024 MLB season began this morning. Did anyone notice?
The Dodgers apparently beat the Padres 5-2 in Seoul, South Korea. The game was over before I got in my car to drive to work. The Dodgers station is repeating the game at noon. Don't really think it's going to be interesting to listen to a radio broadcast of a game where I know the outcome.
I'm honestly not sure what the point of these games is. Baseball is already huge in countries like Japan and South Korea. Dodger fans are barking at each other on social media, with those who got up to watch/listen to a 3am game telling those of us who like sleep that we're not "real" fans. I'm really not sure what benefit MLB gets that justifies the massive cost (economic and otherwise).
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Americas Pastime. So of course they’ll start the season in Korea. :facepalm:
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I just looked and saw that they did a bunch of games in Japan in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2019. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks did games in Sydney, Australia in 2014. They've also done a bunch of games in Mexico and, more recently, London. Sydney and London make sense in that they're trying to drum up interest in non-traditional markets, and Mexico isn't a big deal since it shares time zones with the U.S.
The Dodgers played their last Cactus League game on March 13, then played exhibition games against Korean teams on the 16th and 18th. The games this morning and tomorrow morning are regular season games, and then they're playing the traditional Freeway Series exhibition games next Sunday through Monday before playing regular season games starting next Thursday. I assume the Padres have a similarly stupid schedule. Makes ZERO sense.
Frankly, I don't know why MLB abandoned the traditional opening day game in Cincinnati.
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So, Ohtani is at the least implicated in placing bets with an illegal bookie, and at worst had his interpreter take the fall for him…
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39768770/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-interpreter-fired-theft
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Glad to see Ohtani cleared.
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I am not sure he's totally cleared, and I still wonder if there is more to it that will come out later, but it looks like the theft angle is being taken seriously by authorities, which would go a long ways towards clearing him I'm sure.
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This seems pretty clear cut to me.
https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-interpreter-charges-bebb6049a43ba1a498856663301bcb51
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This seems pretty clear cut to me.
https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-interpreter-charges-bebb6049a43ba1a498856663301bcb51
They definitely have plenty to pin on the interpreter (and he’s pleading guilty of course), but then there are things like the bookie thinking Ohtani was involved that make me wonder. But obviously the interpreter was fooling a lot of people.
https://twitter.com/jeffpassan/status/1778498360565014574?s=46&t=fZEL_VJFXNecsfY2bM-KNA
I am more inclined to believe this was all done without Ohtani’s knowledge than I was before. But of course legal filings may not tell the whole story either.