MLB 2023

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

 

[unclevlad]

Maybe not 1968.  That was a bit much.  But there's a huge middle ground between that and what we've seen the last couple years in particular.  BUT....note that runs were on par with runs scored in the early 80s.  

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/bat.shtml

 

Go to the far right...BIP.  Balls in play.  So walks and most strikeouts and home runs don't count.  THAT number's down quite a bit...because strikeouts and home runs are both well up from the early 80s.

 

Nomar was bad.  Jeter was bad.  Step back even after not swinging.  Tweak the gloves.  Regrip.  Tweak the gloves again.  On EVERY stinking pitch...or throw to first, where you don't have to consider any change in the count.  No, timing the pitchers and hitters is something I'm absolutely, 100% in favor of.

 

Speaking of that...

https://www.mlb.com/news/automatic-strike-leaves-red-sox-braves-tied

 

I'm fine with this too.  I just hope they continue to call it throughout the year, when violations occur.  We all know from basketball or football that there's calls emphasized by the leagues, that get called for the first few weeks...then might well fade away.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Why there's a pitch clock. 

 

 

[slikmar]

3 hours ago, Logan D. Hurricanes said:

Why there's a pitch clock. 

 

 

I do think this is where pitchers using pitchcom or whatever it's called to call their own pitches will make a difference

 

[unclevlad]

25 minutes ago, slikmar said:

I do think this is where pitchers using pitchcom or whatever it's called to call their own pitches will make a difference

 

 

I don't think this has anything to do with the pitch com.  It's a head game between them, each trying to rattle/rush the other.  Which was reasonably common...altho that clip is pretty extreme. 

 

Watching a preseason game yesterday, and the pitch clock was a big topic.  Apparently, many of the hitters are having more issues.  They're feeling rushed.  Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....  I get myself stuck in mental ruts from time to time, and my gut feeling is this is FAR more common than an actual, constructive thought process.  (I think it's also true with tennis players...Nadal and Djokovic are both pretty notorious for a slow pace of play.)  

[slikmar]

Ohtani commented that a lot of the time he shakes off because he wants to throw a certain pitch, so this will negate that and speed things up, which is what I meant. It looked to me like Greinke was shaking the catcher off a lot.

[unclevlad]

Mmm...maybe, I'd have to watch it again, and I'm not exactly motivated.   But pitchers brushing off catchers can happen quickly, so if that's the case?  It's still on Grienke and the catcher.

 

Be that as it may, the net result is what matters, and that is:  you gots 20 seconds.  It's YOUR problem to work out this stuff in advance, not on the mound.  

[Cygnia]

Will Baseball’s New ‘Pitch Clock’ Threaten Ballpark Beer Sales?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Asking the real questions. 

[unclevlad]

OK, but in the first 2 hours of the game, how many beers have they already downed...and do you want them to have more?  Still, it'll be interesting to follow.

 

There's a counterpoint in the article.  A minor league team's GM told WaPo that he saw fewer fans leaving early.  There's also a plausible explanation...fans have 2 different clocks, the actual time, and the baseball time, which is marked off in innings.  Shorter games means that any actual-time pressure to leave (get the kids home cuz there's school tomorrow, say) comes later in baseball time...the inning.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

 

[unclevlad]

That wasn't RJ, it was the dreaded villain Featherstorm!!!!

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

 

[slikmar]

Not sure which is worse, that he is getting paid 3.59m still OR that it is the 4th highest paid player on the current team?

[unclevlad]

7 hours ago, slikmar said:

Not sure which is worse, that he is getting paid 3.59m still OR that it is the 4th highest paid player on the current team?

 

How about the fact that they're paying Mike Moustakas, who was released earlier, more money than all the other players on the active roster *combined*?  Granted, that's because Votto is on the injured list, and also because they haven't finalized yet.  Sportrac is only showing the salaries of 9 active players right now;  there's 10 more listed as TBD, but FanGraphs estimates the total for them as about $14M.

 

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/

 

This looks to be player payroll, not quite the same as the luxury tax figures, but they're 26th.  WORSE?  Take out the $22M thrown away by releasing Moustakas, and they're 29th.  They may exceed Baltimore, but the additional roster spots are almost certainly going to be young, inexperienced players on CHEAP contracts.

 

Baltimore showed last year that you can surprise and exceed expectations, but there's a fairly strong correlation between being being at the bottom of the payroll list, and the bottom of the standings...as opposed to the much weaker correlation between being top payroll implying winning team.

 

Spring training camps are breaking up.  Today was "bring your suitcase to the park" at least for several, as the teams are heading out.  As were the fans.  Hoooooo boy...watching the Rays-Yankees, and the crowd had thinned down somewhat, to the point where one....very spirited...fan.......made his presence known for a couple innings.  It seemed fairly clear that a faster-paced game had not impeded his beer consumption meaningfully.....

 

Opening day is Thursday.

EDIT...holy cow, ESPN is practically pulling out of MLB.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/television

 

If they don't add more games, and that doesn't feel likely...they have Sunday Night Baseball consistently *only* through June 25th...and then just 1 more game the rest of the season.  NONE in July.  NONE in September...well, OK, for some of that, they'd be competing with SNF, and well, we know who'd win that battle.  I can't see a reason offhand for July (other than the All Star break but that's just one particular Sunday) or August, tho.  I suspect it may be the RSNs refusing to give up anything.  It looks like Fox is doing predominately regional coverage on Saturdays, meaning they can have a game in the slot...it just won't be your local team.  Well...local, loosely speaking, but I'm pretty sure I did that rant last year.  And the year before.  And the year before.

 

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Pitch clock shaved 26 minutes off MLB spring training games

[unclevlad]

Aaron Judge shows no early letdown.  2nd pitch of first AB, he nails a ball, driving it out in dead center.  First HR of the season.

[slikmar]

After last season, stop pitching to him until every one around him proves they can beat you. Baseball 101 going back to the beginning. Don't let the best player on the other team beat you.

[unclevlad]

In the 1st inning?  With no one on?

 

Tidbit:  opening day, and all 30 teams are playing...no staggered startups, no overseas games that forced an early start to accommodate the travel.  Granted, that latter has only happened a couple times, IIRC.  But the staggered start has been around a while;  this is the first year everyone's season started on the same day since......

 

.....1968.

 

One thing hasn't changed.  OK, opening day, so barring injury, everyone's going with their #1 starter.  5 innings just complete.  Webb for the Giants has 11 Ks;  Cole has 10 for the Yankees.  30 outs, 21 Ks.

[slikmar]

3 hours ago, unclevlad said:

In the 1st inning?  With no one on?

 

Tidbit:  opening day, and all 30 teams are playing...no staggered startups, no overseas games that forced an early start to accommodate the travel.  Granted, that latter has only happened a couple times, IIRC.  But the staggered start has been around a while;  this is the first year everyone's season started on the same day since......

 

.....1968.

 

One thing hasn't changed.  OK, opening day, so barring injury, everyone's going with their #1 starter.  5 innings just complete.  Webb for the Giants has 11 Ks;  Cole has 10 for the Yankees.  30 outs, 21 Ks.

Given it gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead, maybe. 

[unclevlad]

The run expectation for 1 out, runner on first, with the 3 and 4 hitters coming up...is probably a lot higher than the probability Judge will hit a dinger.  

[slikmar]

Honestly, I don't disagree and if was my team, would pitch to him in those situations. this is probably more a comment on last season, when, despite the stats saying that most the guys around him were having close to the worst seasons of their careers, teams continued to let him beat them.

[unclevlad]

Oh, if it's a tie ball game late, you've got a better argument.  If it's later in the season, you may have a better argument.  But, if you walk Judge intentionally, now your starting pitcher, on opening day, is going to have a harder inning.  As it was, Webb went 6 full, with 12 Ks, on 92 pitches.  Pretty good for 12 Ks.  2 homers was the big problem, and probably going out for the 7th (he walked the lead-off man, who later scored) was a mistake.  

 

Also, Rizzo followed Judge's 1st inning HR with a single, which would've meant 1st and 3rd with 1 out had you walked Judge.  NOW you've got a stress inning for sure, and that's likely to cost you later.

 

I agree with the maxim, but it's also tossed out far too often.  Probably fallen prey to that myself.  It's in-the-moment thinking.  

 

First truly CRINGEWORTHY moment of the year.  Astros leading White Sox 2-0.  8th inning, none out.  Yoan Moncada for the WS grounds to first, it's botched by the first baseman.  Error.  Goes well into RF.  Moncada has second...but does he stop there????  NO OUTS!  DOWN 2!!!  NO!!!!!!  Continues on, trying to make 3rd...and gets thrown out.  Far as I'm concerned, the team should fine him his game check.

[Cancer]

Seattle defeats Cleveland last night 3-0 on a 3-run shot in the bottom of the eighth.  Game duration: 2 hr 14 min.

[unclevlad]

To the TV viewing audience, there is, in fact, a downside to these faster ball games.

 

More time for the MORONIC postgame coverage.  NO ONE does postgame well, IMO.  Local stations pretty consistently rate around a 2.  YES, NESN, the other big "local outlets" and Fox get a 3...unless Ortiz is part of the Fox coverage, in which case it's a -1.  ESPN probably gets a 4...?  MLB Network cuts away to the studio, for the most part.

 

Disclaimer:  I loathe chummy-chummy feel-good type stories, which is what local postgame *is* for the most part.  I know I have to be a Vulcan because the vast majority of 'human interest' stories are drivel, as far as I'm concerned.  Or maybe they're just massively overplayed, much of the time.