MLB Thread

[rallymantis]

Eeek! I've got tickets to a Royals' spring training game!  Ridiculously expensive, to pair with my ridiculously expensive ST hat (see above).  I'm taking my nephew, who will be wearing his ridiculously expensive Moustakas jersey.

And we're so freakin' excited!!!

[Lantern7]

Finally got my copy of Sports Illustrated. They had a preseason power ranking, and the Mets finished second overall, surpassed only by the Cubs. Anybody else psyched?

[AimingforYoko]

Finally got my copy of Sports Illustrated. They had a preseason power ranking, and the Mets finished second overall, surpassed only by the Cubs. Anybody else psyched?

Heh, some would say the only thing worse than a Mets fan with expectations is a Cubs fan with expectations.

On a side note, I'm glad Jonah Keri had a soft landing. He was one of the many talented people at the late Grantland.

[King of Birds]

Finally got my copy of Sports Illustrated.

Uh huh. You got SI for the baseball pre-season power rankings. Mmm hm. Yeah. Right.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Eeek! I've got tickets to a Royals' spring training game!  Ridiculously expensive, to pair with my ridiculously expensive ST hat (see above).  I'm taking my nephew, who will be wearing his ridiculously expensive Moustakas jersey.

And we're so freakin' excited!!!

 

Have a great time!!  I went to a Royals spring game the first year I moved to Florida and while there was nothing to that team in 1995 I was super excited to see a group of players in person that I probably never would at any other time.   I remember they were playing a Cleveland split squad team and I had a very nice conversation with Jim Thome.  Then both teams moved to Arizona for spring :(

[mojoween]

According to the At Bat app, pitchers and catchers start reporting TODAY! And I know there are many of you very excited about that. Me, I'm still mourning the end of football but I'll come around, heh.

[rallymantis]

 I went to a Royals spring game the first year I moved to Florida and while there was nothing to that team in 1995 I was super excited to see a group of players in person that I probably never would at any other time.   I remember they were playing a Cleveland split squad team and I had a very nice conversation with Jim Thome.  Then both teams moved to Arizona for spring :(

What a great story!  I will report back.  I'm hoping at least that we'll get to see, close-up, all/most/some of the regular roster.  Nephew de gutette1 is already making a poster.  I am trying to lose 10 pounds.  Because I'm a girl.

[MyAimIsTrue]

According to the At Bat app, pitchers and catchers start reporting TODAY! And I know there are many of you very excited about that.

 

Yes I am, and in honor of the greatest day of the year I've already made my annual FB post of John Fogerty's "Centerfield" video.  Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today...

[Moose135]

Yes I am, and in honor of the greatest day of the year I've already made my annual FB post of John Fogerty's "Centerfield" video.  Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today...

That's cool!  Every year, before the season starts, I watch Tom Selleck's Mr. Baseball.  I think Mets pitchers and catchers report tomorrow - I'm ready!

[ebk57]

That's cool!  Every year, before the season starts, I watch Tom Selleck's Mr. Baseball.  I think Mets pitchers and catchers report tomorrow - I'm ready!

 

O's report tomorrow!  And then, 2 weeks later, I'll be in St Pete!!!!!

[ketchuplover]

Prediction...Brewers go 62-100...feel the excrement

[bosawks]

I have seen the Brewers, Braves, Phillies and Reds all predicted to loss a hundred.

I find that improbable that they all will. I think 4 years from now the Phils/Braves will be quite the battle.

[Rick Kitchen]

Leonys Martin's agent has been indicted on charges of human trafficking for smuggling Martin out of Cuba and into the country.

[MyAimIsTrue]

A friend of mine bought tickets for a spring game at Disney on March 5th.  I didn't even look at the schedule to see who's playing against the Braves so imagine my excitement to find out it's the Pirates and I'll get to see Cutch in person for the first time ever!

[King of Birds]

https://youtu.be/uPG3YMcSvzo?t=20s

 

March 5th  ... Aim and Cutch collide!

Edited February 22, 2016 by King of Birds

[MyAimIsTrue]

Oh great, I'll get blamed for killing Independent Cutch!

[bosawks]

Well, it certainly looks like Sandoval is in pennant race shape.

[xaxat]

I was kind of annoyed when some baseball types started using the euphemism "bad body type" instead of saying heavy, or fat.

 

Then I realized it actually means "fat guy who is going to get fatter" and it turned into to a pretty useful phrase.

[King of Birds]

Krukow on Sandoval

While the Red Sox have publicly supported Sandoval, with GM Dave Dombrowski telling the Herald and Globe on Monday that Sandoval arrived in shape and “will never be svelte,” Krukow said these battles are nothing new.

 

“When he was the Giants, they fought it every day,” Krukow said. “They challenged him every day. They were in his grill every day. They never let up on him. And when he left San Francisco, he had some ill feelings because of it.

 

“Now, those things are going to happen to him again, unless he can get the weight off and keep it off and maximize his talents. I just wish him the best. I just want him to do well and be the best that he can be. And unfortunately, he’s kind of getting in the way of himself.”

As a middle-aged man with a gut, I feel bad for the guy.

 

I was hoping that he'd shape up a bit, and 3B would get better this year, and only have the "Hanley at 1B" as the probable blow-up.

 

eta:

Reading back a bit- I see Aim, ebk57 and gutette1 all spring training bound. Anyone else?

 

And I know I posted it on the previous page but in my email today I got the NOTICE TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASED MLB EXTRA INNINGS FROM COMCAST OR DIRECTV OR PURCHASED MLB.TV  notice. Any of you get it too?

Edited February 23, 2016 by King of Birds

[jennifer6973]

Well, I may go to a game or 2, since I'm an hour from Disney, an hour from Kissimmee and about 40 minutes from Viera.

[AimingforYoko]

Krukow on Sandoval

As a middle-aged man with a gut, I feel bad for the guy.

 

I was hoping that he'd shape up a bit, and 3B would get better this year, and only have the "Hanley at 1B" as the probable blow-up.

As Bomani Jones pointed out, nobody will care about his weight if he hits, but if is OBP is .290 again, then everyone will care.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Well, I may go to a game or 2, since I'm an hour from Disney, an hour from Kissimmee and about 40 minutes from Viera.

 

I'm thinking about heading to Viera this year (it's less than an hour from me) but I still really, really want to make it to McKechnie Field in Bradenton (about three hours away.)  Parking issues at the field have kept me from going.

[attica]

“Now, those things are going to happen to him again, unless he can get the weight off and keep it off and maximize his talents. I just wish him the best. I just want him to do well and be the best that he can be. And unfortunately, he’s kind of getting in the way of himself.”

 

This kind of statement makes me itch. The equation that svelte=talent maximum. As the song goes, It Ain't Necessarily So. Look at Sabathia, who had a very bad year the year he was comparatively thin. His body needed the weight to function to his maximum talent. And Colon, whose weight doesn't limit his effectiveness. Maybe Panda needs the ballast, is my point. And the implicit assumption that fat always =unhealthy is wrong, however common it is.

[Rick Kitchen]

Yoenis Cespedes showed up at Mets camp driving this:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14829340/yoenis-cespedes-shows-new-york-mets-camp-tricked-motorcycle-car

[jennifer6973]

****coughdouchebagcough*****

[mojoween]

I've always wanted to drive a Slingshot but that one is even a little much for me.

In other Mets news - Mets to host Pride Night. Good on ya, NY.

Edited February 23, 2016 by mojoween

[Lantern7]

I'm guessing it was either the Slingshot or the car Corbin Bernsen was driving at the start of Major League.

 

Any Mets fans want to set up a get-together? I'm thinking the Yankees games and Mike Piazza's number getting retired are probably out of the question.

[Moose135]

Any Mets fans want to set up a get-together? I'm thinking the Yankees games and Mike Piazza's number getting retired are probably out of the question.

 

When I'm back up in New York this summer, I'd be interested.

Jose Reyes has been suspended with pay until his domestic violence case is resolved:

 

 

Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been placed on paid leave by Major League Baseball pending completion of his domestic violence case in Hawaii.  Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement Tuesday. MLB said in its statement that Section III.C.2 of its domestic violence policy permits the commissioner "to impose a paid suspension pending resolution of the legal proceedings or an investigation."

 

Upon completion of Reyes' criminal case, Manfred will decide whether to impose discipline. MLB said it will have no further comment until Reyes' case is resolved.

 

[attica]

Big Papi wants Yankee Stadium to give him a farewell standing O. Which just goes to show you that wherever you play, the only fans that count are Yankees fans.

 

Yeah, I  said it. Come at me! :)

[King of Birds]

Papi probably just wants acknowledgement that he's destroyed millions of Yankee lives. THAT'S what he means.

[xaxat]

Oh, you mean he's like Conan?

[King of Birds]

Yup! Pretty much!

[King of Birds]

So the Cubs pulled the ole switcheroo - signed Fowler, and traded Coghlan for some magic beans from Billy.  (See what I did there! Come on, it's spring training...)

 

All the teams have reported, you meet all the teammates, do exercises to "bond" etc- so it's gotta be weird to pack up and leave camp Cubs and mosey on over to the A's camp, right?

 

The Jay Bruce trade really does look dead. So ya know, he must be having a ball in camp. All the Reds players probably already gave him "going away" fist bumps, he was all packed up.  I sorta want to see some camera following him where he can't get anyone to play catch with him.

Edited February 26, 2016 by King of Birds

[MyAimIsTrue]

I love watching Dexter Fowler play.  The Cubbies are shaping up to have a pretty damn good outfield what with Fowler and Heyward.

 

I'm on the verge of an epic stretch of live sports with a hockey game tonight, the Harlem Globetrotters early tomorrow afternoon, another hockey game tomorrow night, a spring training game next Saturday, and hopefully a spring training game on the 11th (my birthday :) .

[cherrypj]

Papi probably just wants acknowledgement that he's destroyed millions of Yankee lives. THAT'S what he means.

 

Required viewing every morning. Still get chills. 

[ebk57]

We're going to 3 in the top five ... starting Friday!!!  Of this week!  Can you tell I can't wait?

 

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/165369734/best-spring-training-stadiums-destinations

 

 

It's been a long time since we did spring training in Arizona, so I was surprised that the Giants' facility in Scottsdale got such high marks.  It wasn't that great 20 years ago.  But then I read it's mostly because of location.  I don't recall the location being that great either.

[bosawks]

The Phils beat University Of Tampa 8-3 this year!

2016 is already looking up from 2015!

[MyAimIsTrue]

Aim high, Phillies!

[prican58]

I am very excited about the NY Yankee season. I don't know if they will be as good or better this season. If they suck big time I will be bummed but not brokenhearted.

 

I am curious to watch  Didi and Starlin turn dp's and to see how the big Refsnyder project turns out. A little 3B, some 2B...we will see.

Who will emerge from the shadows of Dellin, Miller and Chapman (assuming he plays)? I really liked Jacob Lindgren before he was shut down.

Aaron Hicks is the real wild card for me. If the Yankee brass is right about him putting it all together we could see him a lot, especially since Gardner has the wrist issue.

 

Then there's the Texeira, CC, Headley, Ellsbury questions. I am anxious to see how it all goes.

 

 

Let the Mets have the back page most of the season. They deserve it. 

[ebk57]

Baseball on the radio right now!!!  (It should be my game, but for some reason, XM isn't carrying that one.  The Pirates-Tigers will do, though)

[smittykins]

My team doesn't play until tomorrow, but I'm happy to watch Blue Jays-Phillies.

[MyAimIsTrue]

My team is losing to ebk's team.  It's going to be a long year.

[shoregirl]

My team doesn't play until tomorrow, but I'm happy to watch Blue Jays-Phillies.

The Phillies may not be great this year but I am so happy that they are back. I'm pretty excited to see the young guys really get a chance (a few years to late, thanks Amaro) to play and see what we have in them.

[MyAimIsTrue]

I'll see your Phillies on the 11th when they play the Braves at Disney.  Not to rag on your team or mine but ticket prices for that game are probably the least expensive of all the spring games at that park, which is still pricey by other stadium standards.

[King of Birds]

My team is losing to ebk's team.  It's going to be a long year.

LOL - It's spring training. Don't go out buying rope for the noose yet. I mean come on, the ROYALS just won a world series.

[MyAimIsTrue]

I'm going to revel in our shittitude this year.  Loveable losers?  Maybe not but we can't get much worse so things can only look up.  Eventually.

[King of Birds]

Aim- it's karma for the stadium crap the Braves are pulling.

 

Also: Chapman suspended 30 games.

While Chapman had previously said he would appeal any suspension, he has changed his mind and has agreed not to do so.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Aim- it's karma for the stadium crap the Braves are pulling.

 

Makes sense to me.

[jennifer6973]

Makes sense to me.

 

 

Are we talking about them wanting a new Spring Training Stadium, because after next year, they won't have anyone close?  I mean they have a point, those poor millionaires having to take very long bus rides everyday could be bad for the ego.  

 

But in all seriousness, I'd be sad (even though it's the Braves) if they move away from Central Florida, because then there would not be any team close to me.

[Rick Kitchen]

Kissimmee isn't close enough?