The 2019 Baseball Thread

[Badger]

I don't know, I think the opener idea might be the way to go.  If you do let your 4/5 starters go a 3rd time through part way, better the 5-8 instead of 1-4.  I think the one weakness in in the NL the pitcher hitting messes things up a little for that.  If the NL goes DH, things change however.  

 

I know the Astros discussed using a tendem pitching rotation like you described.  Basically 4 pairs, with the alternating starts during their time up (starter goes 5 inning or 75 pitches, other guy goes 60 pitches or 4 innings).  I think the problem with that idea was probably finding 8 guys who could more than once through the order, but not be good enough to be a full-fledged starter.  One staff I think could have came close to that style would have been the 2006 Marlins (if they had traded away then ace Dontrelle Willis).  They had 4-5 young starters batting for roles, plus a couple of over-the-hill vets with injury histories. I think they also had a reliever who was a year removed from starting who might have been stretched back out enough to pull that off.  Another problem would be a short bullpen, with only 5 max relievers.  Which might hurt in extra innings.  And it would take a brave manager to have kept that 2nd guy in for a 4th inning to close out a 9th inning.  I think they also when experimenting in minors like putting in a reliever for the first guy if taken out mid-inning.

 

I think it would be doable for the 5th guy, but past that it might be stretching things (because you lose a reliever with every extra spot in the rotation you use it on, although you could probably have one or both down in the pen for emergency purposes on their expected side session day).  (It also might some sense to have your 3 true starters go say Days 1,2,4 and the tandems 3,5, so as not to have the tandems go back to back with its fragility)

 

 

 

[slikmar]

one problem I had with the starter is you need to mix up who it is. TB used it against the angels in one series and on the 2nd game, he is facing same players and they were getting a lot better swings on him.

[Badger]

Yeah, I wouldn't do it that ay either.  They did mix it up as the season wore on. (Stanek did get more than half opening appearances, but a couple of others logged a decent amount.)

 

On the tandem starter thing, you wouldn't necessarily have to go right and lefty (though preferred).   Just need different styles.  I can think of a few veteran starters over the years, who have lost their fastball, and whom often do fairly well for 3-4 innings before proceeding to struggle.  Someone like that could work well in tandem, with a young developing prospect who throws 97.

 

But, baseball has put pitchers in categories of 5-6 inning pitchers (starters) and 1 inning pitchers (relievers).  But, a some pitchers probably could fit better somewhere in between.  (starters who struggle after 4 inning, relievers who could go multiple innings on a regular basis with success if you would only give them the chance).  

[Christopher R Taylor]

Ideally a pitcher has enough stuff and control that they can adjust, later innings showing stuff and pitches that they don't early on.  Now, not a lot do this, many modern pitchers are all power all the time and burn out fast, but the smart, best ones are ready for batters to try to adjust and still beat them.

[Badger]

Wow, Sunday night baseball and it is Braves vs Bryce Harper, ESPN's 2nd favorite matchup to Red Sox vs Yankees.

 

Note: Last year instead of ESPN's Sunday night game, I watched reruns of MST3K, but they changed programming.  I'll guess I'll have to use the internet for MST3K fixes.

[Christopher R Taylor]

I do like watching Phillies/Braves more than Yankees/Red Sox, I admit.  But more variety and more teams would be a nice thing.

[Badger]

Nah, they don't care about Phillies/Braves either.  It's only because of Bryce Harper (before this year it would have been Nationals/Braves).

 

They do like showing Braves though (a remember a few years ago they played the Braves like 6-7 Sundays during the year, including 3 times in a 4 Sunday span)

 

Note: I am pretty sure an "ideal" ESPN season would be all Bos-NY series on weekends, all Harper/Braves series on weekends, neither at same time.  It would cover 12 Sundays without having to show those "others".  That would be close to half the season (I think usually 26-27 weeks)

 

Red Sox-Yankees have excitement potential I will grant them but even 4-2 games will go past 11:30.   

[Christopher R Taylor]

I'm enjoying the Mariners right now, but while they are pounding the cover off the ball, they can't seem to field.  Multiple errors every game.

[Badger]

I'm enjoying the Red Sox, right now. 

 

 

Edit: Admittedly I pull for the Yankees to an extent, but it is more of a "hate Red Sox Nation more" thing.

[Pariah]

One thing I hate about the balanced AL & NL is that we have Interleague baseball every. Single. Day.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the idea in the first place--I was just fine with AL teams playing AL teams and NL teams playing NL teams until the World Series. Call me a relic, call me what you will, but Interleague play struck me as an answer to a question nobody asked. Still, I realize the financial implications, so I see why it has to happen. Sometimes.

 

But Interleague baseball in April is just wrong.

 

(Solution: Move Houston back to the NL. There's no reason to have two AL teams in Texas.)

[Badger]

My big problem is interleague "rivalries".   Take away New York and Chicago and really no one cares.  Hell, I am not even sure of half the rivalries for each team.  If interleague is a must have every team in your division play the same opponents.

 

I did figure out a way to have every team in the division play the exact same teams, and an even amount home and away (though it would require a raise to 30 interleague games).  And MLB wouldn't get their precious Yankee-Met series but once per 3 years. (though they would get 6 games of it that year)

[Badger]

People were whining because David Hess got taken out during a no-hit outing after 6 1/3 innings.  Since, I was watching that game, they mentioned he had pitched 2 innings on opening day, so he was pitching on short rest (3 days instead of customary 4) to begin with.  I actually thought at the start of the game "even if he is throwing a no-hitter he wont be going 9, then".

 

I was a little surprised he didn't finish the 7th inning, though.  But, in today's game no manager is going to allow a young pitcher to go 9 innings on 3 days rest, no damn matter what.  As, if that pitcher came up with arm woes in the next 3 years that performance will be brought up, and the fans will come out with torches and pitchforks, and they will all be going to that manager's place of residence.

 

Besides, he wasn't going to pitch a no-hitter for one reason only.  I was watching.  Fate has decreed that I will never be allowed to see a no-hitter.  (I sort of saw the Arrieta hitter a couple years ago, but I spent most of the time doing a project on my computer and didn't really pay attention till bottom of the 8th, so asterisk at best)

[Badger]

Chris Davis supposedly season start 0 for 14 8 Ks

 

Dear Orioles,

 

For the love of St. Peter what are you doing?  If you cant muster up the courage to eat that contract-and who else on that team can possibly be eating up a big contract to make it matter?  Could you at least glue him to the bench and never let him play.  Or make him a late-inning defensive sub, if you are comfortable enough with his fielding.  But sweet Jimminy Cricket don't let him bat anymore

 

                                                                                                                                                                      Sincerely,

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                     A baseball fan who just cant deal with it anymore

 

P.S. Are you trying to humiliate him into retirement?  I could understand this strategy if you were.  But, it isn't working.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Quote

I'm not a huge fan of the idea in the first place--I was just fine with AL teams playing AL teams and NL teams playing NL teams until the World Series.

 

Yeah, never liked it either and I think its a mistake but there's money in it and you'll never get the owners to stop.

[Badger]

oh and trying to figure out interleague rivalries (?-marks my attempt to create one

 

East

Yankee-Mets

Ray-Marlins 

Bal-Was

Bos-Phi?  (the battle of 1776, I guess)

Tor-Atl ?  (the last 2 left, I guess you could make it Bos-Atl, a former Boston team but Tor-Phi sounds awful too)

 

Central

Cubs-WS 

Cin-Cle (Ohio

KC-SL (Missouri)

Mil-Det or Min (regional somewhat)

Pit-whoever is left? (doesn't fit well, maybe Det is a little better with both teams being original/1901 teams who haven't left the city)

 

West

Oak-SF (Bay Area)

LA-LA

SD-Sea? (hot vs cold? 2 teams they never amount to anything?)

Az-Hou?

Col-Tex?  (flip a coin on the last 2.  The battle of the retractable roofs.  The battle of 2 teams with high offense rep?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Badger]

2 hours ago, Christopher R Taylor said:

 

Yeah, never liked it either and I think its a mistake but there's money in it and you'll never get the owners to stop.

 

Not sure where that money come from, but ok.

[Badger]

THrough the first week and a half, Chris Davis and me have identical batting averages.  

[archer]

I get zero, count them, zero TV channels on my satellite service which have MLB games. No local channels, no satellite channels. And before someone asks, I don't get even basic ESPN.

 

Does anyone know of anyplace to get free 2019 TV coverage?

[Christopher R Taylor]

Some phone carriers automatically carry MLB's Extra Innings, Tmobile does, I think

[Badger]

Well, one minor good thing about unemployment, is the baseball season.  First time I can really watch baseball during the week in 15 years (thanks to having 2nd shift all that time).  In that time I was mostly left with watching Baltimore or Washington replay games on MASN.   That is painful.  I can watch whatever gets shown on MLB network now at night.  

 

I wish WGN and TBS still showed games. (well you know Cubs/Braves games and not just postseason games-TBS).  I guess WGN doesn't anymore, it is up in some obscure numbering  locally and I tend to forget about them.

[Badger]

Course, one thing that drives me crazy

 

Runner on 3rd, less than 2 outs:

 

Offense: Go on contact.

 

 

Defense: Thank you for the free out at home plate on the groundball.

 

 

Happens, way, way too often, for this to be advisable.  Yet coaches preach it.

 

 

[slikmar]

Problem is, they are so afraid of missing the run if ball is hit in hole somewhere and defender makes a play to stop it but really only play should be at 1st if runner was going. What is missing in baseball now are aggressive runners who understand you can go 1/4 of the way and force hesitation in defender, perhaps resulting in safe at first or take off home as soon as they throw to 1st.

[slikmar]

In a "why didn't the manager of the opposing team (rangers) not walk up at exchange of lineups and say Trout will be intentionally walked when ever he bats" wonderment. His Stats for the 4 games against the rangers (angels won 3):

In the four-game series, Trout batted .545 (6-for-11) with five homers, nine RBIs, six walks and a hit by pitch. He reached base safely in 13 of his 18 plate appearances.

As an Angel fan, please keep pitching to him, but as a baseball enthusiast, this is a quick way to show you shouldn't be managing, as most the time the guy batting behind Trout has less then 5 hits so far.

[Christopher R Taylor]

They kept pitching to Bonds as he stroked 72 home runs.  Pitchers are sure they are the one that can get him out (and they should have that attitude or shouldn't be up there) and managers hate to give up a free runner.

[Badger]

Yeah, well, other than when Jeff Kent was there, that was a bit stupid.  I remember in 2005 or so, I saw a list of people who had hit the most behind Bonds, after kent, #2 on the list was Jose "friggin" Lind (back when he was with the Pirates).  But, other than Kent is a rather forgettable list. 

 

And by that time, it was an even smarter strategy to walk him,  with his gimpy knees, make him run the bases, and the manager would likely sit him the next game.