2018 Baseball Thread (MLB and whatever)

[Christopher R Taylor]

Its hard to watch what happened to the O's, they were pretty good just a few years ago and now they're historically awful

[Badger]

6 minutes ago, Christopher R Taylor said:

Its hard to watch what happened to the O's, they were pretty good just a few years ago and now they're historically awful

 

Well, my dad absolutely hates the Orioles, so he enjoys it.

 

And me being a Royal fan, I cant afford them any pity.

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

The Orioles made history today. They are now officially eliminated from postseason contention. It's the earliest elimination in the division era.

 

Royals would probably be in a day or 2, if not for being in a weak division.  (with White Sox soon after- White Sox is probably the worst team this year in reality, but they go off on KC everytime they meet)

[Badger]

With the Nationals surrendering, a couple of things to comment on.

 

1.   Over the last few years, with the exception of his turn back the clock year, the Nationals seem to get more production out of 1B, when Zimmerman makes his inevitable stay on the DL, Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds were a pretty good platoon for them (and cheaper).   The bullpen seems to have acquired a "Curse of Papelbon".  Gio Gonzalez might be the most overrated starting pitcher in the game.

 

2.  Probably will be better off when Harper leaves.  Can use the money to bolster the pitching/get a real starting catcher.  Eaton/Taylor/Soto/Robles would probably be a decent OF conglomerate (and if not comfortable with that use the Harper money for a good CF.

 

On another note, I keep hearing how a great GM they have, it is an informed ability at this point, because I haven't seen much evidence of it, definitely so since he got the rather stupid idea to bring in Papelbon, a few years ago.  THe Eaton trade was an oversell (though, it might be a loser for both teams, I guess)

[slikmar]

And Ohtani will miss 2019 - http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24588925/los-angeles-angels-says-doctors-recommended-tommy-john-surgery-pitcher-dh-shohei-ohtani

 

 

[Michael Hopcroft]

Just now, slikmar said:

And Ohtani will miss 2019

When he comes back in 2020, he may have no choice but to choose between pitching and hitting. He has the skill and talent to do either, but it has become apparent that nobody can do both. Even Babe Ruth eventually had to choose between being one of the great pitchers of his generation and being one of the great hitters in the history of the game. It sounds from the article that the Angels plan to convert him to a straight pitcher.

 

I wonder which he would choose if it were entirely up to him. He can still be a very good player at whichever he chooses, but he might not be the man who changes the game that the Angels had hoped they were getting.

[Badger]

Given the fact of him getting injured, might be better to choose hitting.  I know he played outfield in Japan, if he can even be somewhat solid defender to split between a corner and DH

[slikmar]

I read an article today suggesting if he has the surgery now, perhaps he DH's next year early in the season(since he could probably start hitting by then) while recuperating his pitching arm. Then we see what he does as a full time DH for a year and he can make decision for 2020.

By the way, all the idiots saying Angels should not have had him pitch after he had been cleared aren't really thinking. You would rather know now that he needs TJ surgery then wait until halfway through spring training and then lose him for all of 2019 and half of 2020.

[Pariah]

Trevor Story hit three home runs for the Rocks last night against the Giants.

 

One of those home runs was calculated at 505 feet.

 

His total distance on home runs was over a quarter of a mile.

 

Mother of Hades.

[Badger]

well most likely nearly any 3 HRs would total near a quarter of a mile. 400 ft x 3 is 1200 ft, which is around the 23 percent mark

[Pariah]

I concede the point.

[slikmar]

Good sign for baseball. Saw a report other day that fewer and fewer kids are playing football (mainly due to the concussion issues I believe) and are playing basketball and baseball and soccer. There have been a lot of commentary about that kids weren't really playing baseball compared to the other sports, which is why the league seems dominated more by latin american/island teams now. Not sure I agree, but there have been a lot fewer african american players it seems in the last 20 years or so, percentage wise.

[unclevlad]

Orioles won't quite have the worst season in the post-expansion era, even if we toss out the '62 Mets.  2003 Tigers darn near became the first team to lose 120.  And consider they've got the Sox, challenging for the best regular season record ever...looks like they'll miss now, but 110 or so wins is still insane.  And the Yanks will be at 100 wins.  AND the Rays may sniff at 90, which would be right in there to make the playoffs fairly often.  Last week of the season elimination, for sure.  That said, gotta figure Orioles (and Nats) are likely looking at big changes.

 

I think having Ohtani hit next year is a non-starter.  Whose spot in the lineup would he take?  DH is Pujols and he's still owed almost $90M.  And he can't play the field any more.  You can't carry 2 people on the active roster for this;  there's just not enough slots, given the HUGE pitching staffs everyone carries.  And of course, this assumes he actually *could* hit safely.  Not sure of that...but I am sure that if anything did go wrong?  Like, say, get hit on the elbow????  OY!!!!  No...the risk/benefit analysis is terrible on that alone, and the other factors make it, to me, baseball equivalent to criminally reckless.

 

My early pick to come out of the American League:  Astros.  Easier path by a wide margin.  National League...who the heck knows???   Whoever comes out there is likely a serious dog to whoever escapes the minefield of the AL.

[unclevlad]

18 hours ago, Badger said:

well most likely nearly any 3 HRs would total near a quarter of a mile. 400 ft x 3 is 1200 ft, which is around the 23 percent mark

 

1/4 mile is 1320 feet, so you need 3 averaging 440.  440's a LONG dinger.  Remember shots down the line might only be 380...even 350 in some parks.

[Badger]

5 hours ago, unclevlad said:

 

1/4 mile is 1320 feet, so you need 3 averaging 440.  440's a LONG dinger.  Remember shots down the line might only be 380...even 350 in some parks.

 

True, but I was saying in general it approaches a quarter of a mile,  and 1200 is about the distance from home to 2nd from a quarter mile.  (true enough about the fence grazers down the line, though.  Although, on TV, it does seem the recorded distance of a HR will almost always eek out to 400+)

 

On the other hand, I've never really cared about HR distance, as much as many others.  It all counts the same.

[unclevlad]

True nuff.  3 HR game is impressive if it's 1100 feet or 1300.  But those mammoth drives are cool to watch.  And special shots...splashdowns in McCovey Cove, completely *clearing* any stadium....those are just IMPRESSIVE.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Dodgers have the best park organist in the game.  That is all.

[Pariah]

The Rockies have now qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive year. It's the first time in their history that's happened.

 

Now they travel to Los Angeles for Game 163, in an attempt to win the NL West for the first time in their history.

 

Go Rocks!

[slikmar]

Mike Scioscia announced he is stepping down as Manager of the Angels. Everyone could see this coming, but as an Angel fan, I am somewhat sorry to see him go. He went out with a lot of class, some tears and a few laughs in the press conference. Apparently the next will come from within:

"The Angels have three internal candidates who will likely be in the mix to succeed Scioscia: bench coach Josh Paul, former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and former Major League third baseman Eric Chavez. Ausmus and Chavez are currently special assistants to general manager Billy Eppler."

Though to be honest, before they decide on anyone, they better have a long conversation with Mike Trout about who he prefers, also maybe Ohtani, because the next manager (and winning hopefully) will go a long way toward keeping Trout in Red.

On a side note, there was a mention earlier about baseball needing to do something about keeping star players in small markets. I think each team should be able to designate 1 or 2(negotiable, maybe 1 position and 1 pitcher) players as a franchise player and have their salary only count half toward luxury tax. Caveat must be that player must have been with team for at least 1 full season (sort of the Bird rule from NBA).

[Cancer]

I can sympathize with that, but baseball establishment and baseball fandom all tend to spit on the small franchises.  I cannot count the times I have read stuff like "Felix Hernandez wasted his career in Seattle."

[Badger]

1 hour ago, slikmar said:

Mike Scioscia announced he is stepping down as Manager of the Angels. Everyone could see this coming, but as an Angel fan, I am somewhat sorry to see him go. He went out with a lot of class, some tears and a few laughs in the press conference. Apparently the next will come from within:

"The Angels have three internal candidates who will likely be in the mix to succeed Scioscia: bench coach Josh Paul, former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and former Major League third baseman Eric Chavez. Ausmus and Chavez are currently special assistants to general manager Billy Eppler."

Though to be honest, before they decide on anyone, they better have a long conversation with Mike Trout about who he prefers, also maybe Ohtani, because the next manager (and winning hopefully) will go a long way toward keeping Trout in Red.

On a side note, there was a mention earlier about baseball needing to do something about keeping star players in small markets. I think each team should be able to designate 1 or 2(negotiable, maybe 1 position and 1 pitcher) players as a franchise player and have their salary only count half toward luxury tax. Caveat must be that player must have been with team for at least 1 full season (sort of the Bird rule from NBA).

 

As long as it is nothing like the NFL franchise player rule (AKA taking hostages, looking at you Washinton and how you treated Cousins)

[Badger]

47 minutes ago, Cancer said:

I can sympathize with that, but baseball establishment and baseball fandom all tend to spit on the small franchises.  I cannot count the times I have read stuff like "Felix Hernandez wasted his career in Seattle."

 

He had the option of waiting and go his own way as a free agent instead of signing contracts. Unlike (going back to Kirk Cousins) being forced to stick around with a team he probably hated and who obviously hated him because the team was too lazy or scared to look for replacement for 2 years.

 

Note: If the franchise tag is necessary for NFL, it should be a cant franchise a player in consecutive years.  

 

2nd Note: And just because you never make the playoffs or championships doesn't equal wasted career.   While, people often sympathize with Ernie Banks no one calls his career a waste, that I know of.  I doubt Hernandez or Banks has spent much time wailing in the night over a miserable life. (at least not due to baseball)

[Cancer]

Banks wasn't in a small franchise, just one that never won a Series while he was there.

 

Probably more comparable would be Edgar Martinez, whom I will bet money will never reach the HOF* because his 18 years, 309 HR, .309 career BA were all in a little ****hole called Seattle.  With a side helping of the NL sneers about DH.

 

*Well, once he turns old-timers eligible, maybe.

[slikmar]

I would want one that is closer to NBA, where the current team can simply offer more anyone else, but it would have to be something that doesn't kill a smaller markets luxury tax threshold. That's why I say the franchise player contract should only hit tax halfway. The player still has the option of signing somewhere else, just for less.

[Pariah]

Rocks at Dodgers today in Game 163 for the NL West crown. Game starts at 2:09 p.m. local, which means I'll miss most of it because I'll be in a Belgium faculty meeting.