MLB 2015

[Dimitrius]

On paper, Mets should win the World Series. The Mets starting pitching is ridiculous and the Royals one isn't even close to them, though they have a superior bullpen. What should help the Royals is that their offense is all about contact and they rarely strike out.

Should be a good series with the Mets coming out on top.

[jingle.boy]

Yeah, Royals starting pitching has been very hot/cold.  When they're on, they look good; when they're off, they are very vulnerable.

[KevShmev]

https://grantland.com/features/mlb-win-percentage-added-world-series-championship-kirk-gibson-bobby-thomson-david-freese-mariano-rivera-yogi-berra/

15 should be higher.

Best Game 6 EVER.

[mrrct]

Disappointed that ESPN pulled the plug on Grantland.  It was like one-stop shopping for most of my interests, with some of my favorite columnists/podcasters anywhere (Keri, Barnwell, Shoemaker, etc.), and now I'll have to look for them individually.

1975 is the best Game 6 ever.

[KevShmev]

Nah, that game is remembered for only one play, albeit a very iconic one, thanks to the Fisk arm-waving.  But 2011 had the comebacks in the bottom of both the 9th and 10th, with the Cardinals one out from elimination in both instances, and then the epic walk-off.  I am clearly a bit biased being a Cardinals fan, but I can't remember a crazier Game 6 in any sport in my lifetime.  And there have been some pretty epic Game 6s (the Fisk one, Mets/Red Sox in '86, the Bartman game in '03, etc.).  The only one I think might be as good is Heat/Spurs in 2013.

[mrrct]

I will do my best to keep this disagreement civil, KevShmev.

Game 6 1975 also had Bernie Carbo's pinch-hit three-run job and Fred Lynn knocking himself out crashing into the centerfield wall.  I can't speak for the rest of the country, but that game (as well as the entire series) is credited around here for renewing the interest in baseball that had been falling dramatically since the advent of the Super Bowl era (ground that it has since lost).  Some could legitimately argue that the game loses points because the Sox wound up losing the Series anyway, and it may be a legit point, but I'm trying not to be Boston-centric.

My most vivid memory of Game 6 2011 was that if Nelson Cruz could field, or if the Rangers had a legitimate closer, they win the Series, despite Ron Washington's general ineptitude.  I'm not a fan of the NBA, so I didn't see Heat/Spurs (Ray Allen?).  1986 was just the greatest choke job of all-time, and I'm surprised that it didn't lead to a Houston Oilers-like exodus after they blew the big lead against Buffalo.

[Dimitrius]

The Lakers/Kings game 6 (2002) was pretty crazy as well, if not for the exact play on the court.

[lonestar]

Ok, now that that's done with, on to the 2016 season....an even year.....you all know what that means....

[Dimitrius]

You still need something else, a new Taylor Swift album, to be really sure.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I don't follow much baseball anymore, but I'm a Braves fan. Apparently Tommy Hanson just passed away, this is terrible news

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/11/09/major-league-pitcher-tommy-hanson-coma-hospital/75486454/

I think he just passed away because I saw a tweet saying that but I haven't found an article about it yet.

[gmillerdrake]

Mike Matheny just got utterly screwed and dicked over by losing the NL Manager of the Year. blah blah Joe Maddon whatever......the cubs won 97 games, three less than the Cardinals who suffered injury after injury to their starters.

It's pretty retarded that he was overlooked in favor of a Manager who really didn't do anything but manage some young healthy players all year.

[splent]

Mike Matheny just got utterly screwed and dicked over by losing the NL Manager of the Year. blah blah Joe Maddon whatever......the cubs won 97 games, three less than the Cardinals who suffered injury after injury to their starters.

It's pretty retarded that he was overlooked in favor of a Manager who really didn't do anything but manage some young healthy players all year.

Are you serious? 

Where the club was last year, no one expected them to make the playoffs, let alone win 97 games.. People were saying going .500 would have been a success. This wasn't just managing young players, this was focusing their potential to be useful. That's what a good manager does. You honestly think Ricky Renteria would have done that? I doubt it.

[TAC]

GMill, you do not take losing well, do you.

[splent]

GMill, you do not take losing well, do you.

Well the Cards win everything so losing to the Cubbies is probably new to him.

[gmillerdrake]

GMill, you do not take losing well, do you.

absolutely not. I'll be the first to admit I'm a horrible loser.

Are you serious? 

Where the club was last year, no one expected them to make the playoffs, let alone win 97 games.. People were saying going .500 would have been a success. This wasn't just managing young players, this was focusing their potential to be useful. That's what a good manager does. You honestly think Ricky Renteria would have done that? I doubt it.

While that's a fine point it does nothing to address the fact that Matheny had to manage and win with replacement players of the replacement players. Use rookies (just like Maddon did) and on top of that his ace was out the entire season, Holiday, Adams, John Jay...on and on and on.

He was overlooked and penalized IMO for being the Coach of a team that was expected to win.....so when they won 100 game with a bunch of no namers it was like "Oh, whatever....they're supposed to win" Sure...the Cubs were'nt 'supposed' to win that many games but Maddon was still managing the players they put in place, not back ups and having to deal with injury after injury. But, he's the golden boy or whatever so he gets the award. It's a bummer for Matheny because once again he's looked over just because he's managing the Cardinals and not some scrub team.

[orcus116]

I feel like the Cards could win with a corpse managing the team, that's how freaking automatic they seem. They just find ways to win.

[KevShmev]

The Cardinals won 100 games despite having a zillion injuries.

The Cubs won less games than them while having the rookie of the year and the 1a or 1b winner of the Cy Young.

[gmillerdrake]

I feel like the Cards could win with a corpse managing the team, that's how freaking automatic they seem. They just find ways to win.

Matheny has set a record by making the playoffs in his first four years straight as a Manager. He's learned on the fly and as KevShmev just pointed out.....had injury after injury.....heck, even the backups of the backups we're getting injured.....and he still managed the team to 100 freakin wins.

I think Matheny gets screwed because of the prevailing attitude that even you have alluded to....the Cardinals just win and are expected to so he's not given the credit he should be (ESPECIALLY this year)

[KevShmev]

That happens in every sport. Coach/Manager of the Year, very often, goes to the coach/manager whose team greatly exceeded expectations.  Want proof?  Bill Belichick, who has been the best coach in the NFL for 15 years, has only won Coach of the Year three times.

[jingle.boy]

GMill, you do not take losing well, do you.

Head over to the NHL thread in early May... maybe late April  .  Then you'll see some god-tier rage-posting.  This is peanuts.

[lonestar]

GMill, you do not take losing well, do you.

Head over to the NHL thread in early May... maybe late April  .  Then you'll see some god-tier rage-posting.  This is peanuts.

Is it comparable to Josh's weekly Sunday Saint's rants?

[Dark Castle]

Oh yeah.

[jingle.boy]

GMill, you do not take losing well, do you.

Head over to the NHL thread in early May... maybe late April  .  Then you'll see some god-tier rage-posting.  This is peanuts.

Is it comparable to Josh's weekly Sunday Saint's rants?

Gary can make Josh as polite and patient as a suicide hotline representative.  I've been sorely disappointed in the lack of Josh rage posts - here and on FB.

[TAC]

That happens in every sport. Coach/Manager of the Year, very often, goes to the coach/manager whose team greatly exceeded expectations.  Want proof?  Bill Belichick, who has been the best coach in the NFL for 15 years, has only won Coach of the Year three times.

I was actually coming back to the thread to see Gary's response, and to post this exact same thing. It seems Coach/Manager of the Year goes to whoever is running the Most Improved team of a given year. Did Maddon do a better job than Matheny?  No probably not. They had a big free agent starter added and a kid emerge as the ROY. The team all bubbled up at the right time.

[gmillerdrake]

GMill, you do not take losing well, do you.

Head over to the NHL thread in early May... maybe late April  .  Then you'll see some god-tier rage-posting.  This is peanuts.

Is it comparable to Josh's weekly Sunday Saint's rants?

Gary can make Josh as polite and patient as a suicide hotline representative.  I've been sorely disappointed in the lack of Josh rage posts - here and on FB.

Awww.....that's so sweet of you to say Chad      To be fair though.....and you feel my pain.....I root for a hockey team who seems more interested in gut punching and nut stomping their fan base than actually winning a Stanley Cup.

That happens in every sport. Coach/Manager of the Year, very often, goes to the coach/manager whose team greatly exceeded expectations.  Want proof?  Bill Belichick, who has been the best coach in the NFL for 15 years, has only won Coach of the Year three times.

I get this point and it really IS the reason why Maddon won and Matheny didn't. To be clear, I'm not trying to discredit anything Maddon did with the Cubs.....I just think what Matheny did was more impressive and deserving.

[splent]

3 for 3...

Arrieta got the Cy young 😊😊😊

[gmillerdrake]

3 for 3...

Arrieta got the Cy young 😊😊😊

Must have been hard to manage with a Cy young pitcher, top free agent pitcher, and the rookie of the year. 

[Dimitrius]

And the saltiness continues!



Just to throw some logs on the fire for fun, Mike Scioscia currently manages a team that, for a few years had, a RoY winner (and clear-cut best player in the league) and two former MVPs (one of them a once-in-a-generation player) and still can barely win any games!

[splent]

And the saltiness continues!

Yep. Cards fans don't want the cubbies to be relevant.

[gmillerdrake]

And the saltiness continues!

Yep. Cards fans don't want the cubbies to be relevant.

This isn't true from my point of view. You can check my comments on the Cubs in this thread....I'm happy they didnt suck last year. What bothered me wasn't the fact that they played good last year.....it's the way they've been coronated kings of the decade after one good season. Show me two or three winning, successful,seasons then we can start the ultimate praise. Let's make sure that wasnt lightning in a bottle first.

The Manager of the year thing did bug me though.

[425]

As a Rays fan I can confirm that Uncle Joe is excellent. Played in integral role in taking a small-market team with one of the bottom payrolls in the league from absolutely nothing to a perennial contender. And he knows how to run a clubhouse—though his players this year have been a bit unruly for my liking. I'll always have a soft spot for Joe, though I didn't appreciate the way he left us. I'm patiently awaiting the Rays-Maddon face-off, which I guess probably won't come until 2017.

[TAC]

Red Sox in agreement with David Price..7 @ 217??!!  WTF?

[gmillerdrake]

Red Sox in agreement with David Price..7 @ 217??!!  WTF?

WOW!

[TAC]

Details are coming in. What a joke!

So you don't want to pay Lester, who has a proven track record here in Boston, pitching big games, but you'll pay Price 100M more who shits his pants in the playoffs and seems to be a pansy.

Don't get me wrong, Price is excellent. But 31 Million excellent? He's gonna cry like a baby about Boston as Carl Crawford did.

[mrrct]

Details are coming in. What a joke!

So you don't want to pay Lester, who has a proven track record here in Boston, pitching big games, but you'll pay Price 100M more who shits his pants in the playoffs and seems to be a pansy.

Don't get me wrong, Price is excellent. But 31 Million excellent? He's gonna cry like a baby about Boston as Carl Crawford did.

The offer that Lucchino made to Lester, 4 years and $75M, was an absolute insult for a guy who had helped win two World Series.  I know he never won 20 games or a Cy Young award, but much lesser pitchers were being offered far more.  Losing Lester and then not adequately replacing him is why Lucchino was put out to pasture.

I agree that Price is probably too thin-skinned for Boston.  It's the toughest market in the country to play for, because the scrutiny is very high and the city isn't big enough to hide in, unlike LA, where you can pretty much disappear.  The good news is that he has an opt-out clause after the first 3 years, which he will almost certainly use, a la Zack Greinke, in order to milk some other team for even more money.  Of course, with the Sox's luck, he'll probably blow out his elbow in year 3 and sit out a year, then not exercise the clause.