MLB Thread

[AimingforYoko]

Scott Boras has lost his damn mind.

“Well, certainly Harper’s bazaar has begun,” said Boras, likening Harper’s free agency to the classic women’s magazine, and he did not stop there. “It’s fashionable, it’s historical, it’s elite, global certainly. And certainly it has inspirations that deal with great shoes and great hair, inspirations on the part of Bryce.”

Nats fans are going to be salty if he ends up in Philly for not that much more money.

[smittykins]

That’s presuming that Boras had a mind to begin with...

Edited November 9, 2018 by smittykins

[prican58]

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2018/11/08/bill-james-player-not-the-game-replaceable

 

Players are Pissed!!!

[ratgirlagogo]

Although Bill James annoys me and I think the sabremetrics thing is a massive boondoggle I have enjoyed reading his books and have learned a lot about the history of baseball from him.

But as usual when dealing with baseball actuality rather than baseball history - damn he gets it wrong.  Of course there are always a world of great and potentially great players out there. But it's INSANE to not realize you HAVE to value the talent, period.

[Moose135]

I read that thing, and reportedly Bill James wrote, “If the players all retired tomorrow, we would replace them, the game would go on; in three years it would make no difference whatsoever.”

I understand players being upset, and it was probably an ill-advised comment, but to a certain degree, he's right.  Babe Ruth retired, the game went on.  Joe DiMaggio retired, the game went on.  Willie Mays retired, the game went on.  Pete Rose retired, the game went on.  Roberto Clemente died, the game went on.  Derek Jeter retired, the game went on.  In the next several years, all of today's superstars will retire, and the game will go on.

It's like Big Bill France used to tell drivers who thought they were bigger than NASCAR:  "Son, we were around before you got here, and we'll be around after you're gone."

[xaxat]

But he's saying that if all of the players retired, not an occasional star. He's saying that they could immediately reconstitute the league with AA and AAA players and not miss a beat.

And he's wrong. All sports are driven by their stars. 

Actually, I'm more offended that he said beer vendors are not vital to the game.

[Bort]

1 minute ago, xaxat said:

Actually, I'm more offended that he said beer vendors are not vital to the game.

Yeah, do you really want totally sober people at a baseball game?

[Moose135]

59 minutes ago, xaxat said:

But he's saying that if all of the players retired, not an occasional star. He's saying that they could immediately reconstitute the league with AA and AAA players and not miss a beat.

And he's wrong. All sports are driven by their stars. 

It may take a little time, but before long, the top prospects in the minors will become the new stars of the game, and it will move right along.  Heck, we may even see Tim Tebow make it to the big leagues!

[attica]

3 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

Heck, we may even see Tim Tebow make it to the big leagues!

I heard this morning that he's scheduled to start at AAA Syracuse in the spring. Fwiw. 

[Moose135]

Yes, I heard a rumor last week that we may see him at Citi Field in 2019...as a player, not a bat boy. ;-)

[xaxat]

The Mets new GM used to be his agent. Make of that what you will.

[mojoween]

The Mets GM looks exactly like I would picture a guy named Brodie.  No offense to any Brodie’s out there.

My newspaper ALREADY had a story this morning about Tebow starting in Syracuse next spring and I want to burn it all to the ground.  I’m already irritated that they are changing the name from the Chiefs to the Mets without Tebow Mania added to the mix.

[Fukui San]

50 minutes ago, xaxat said:

The Mets new GM used to be his agent. Make of that what you will.

The Mets new GM used to be the agent of a lot of Mets! Quite awkward.

"Hi Joe! How's that sore knee you hid from the manager all last year?"

[ganesh]

Tebow will play all the positions in one game and hit the winning HR and record the win. 

[mojoween]

Joe Mauer has announced he’s hanging up the glove after 15 years.

Is he the one who was a catcher and switched positions?  Or am I thinking of a different Twin?

[Bort]

2 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Joe Mauer has announced he’s hanging up the glove after 15 years.

Is he the one who was a catcher and switched positions?  Or am I thinking of a different Twin?

That's him. Too many concussions. He's the one who's wife wouldn't let him have a last inning as a catcher if the batter was going to swing.

That whole scenario made it a total non-surprise that Mauer announced his retirement.

[prican58]

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

The Mets GM looks exactly like I would picture a guy named Brodie.  No offense to any Brodie’s out there.

My newspaper ALREADY had a story this morning about Tebow starting in Syracuse next spring and I want to burn it all to the ground.  I’m already irritated that they are changing the name from the Chiefs to the Mets without Tebow Mania added to the mix.

I remember when Syracuse was the Yankees AAA team back in the 70s and even further back I think.

I would love to have absolutely no baseball speculation and such until there are actually trades. Only actual news. 

[ganesh]

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

Joe Mauer has announced he’s hanging up the glove after 15 years.

He's got to be 67 years old. 

[mojoween]

ESPN has a 30 for 30 short about Hideo Nomo and one of the blurbs on the ads is someone (sounds like Christine Brennan but I have no idea) saying that Nomo saved baseball in the United States and can that be true?

I mean, I vaguely remember hearing about him, but saved baseball?  That seems a little hyperbolic.

(I could listen to the podcast for the answer but I'm not shelling out five bucks)

[ratgirlagogo]

15 hours ago, mojoween said:

 That seems a little hyperbolic.

More than a little.

[xaxat]

23 hours ago, mojoween said:

ESPN has a 30 for 30 short about Hideo Nomo and one of the blurbs on the ads is someone (sounds like Christine Brennan but I have no idea) saying that Nomo saved baseball in the United States and can that be true?

I mean, I vaguely remember hearing about him, but saved baseball?  That seems a little hyperbolic.

(I could listen to the podcast for the answer but I'm not shelling out five bucks)

You can listen to it free on their website. It's actually pretty boring outside of how Nomo got out of his contract in Japan.

The "saved baseball" is in reference to the excitement he generated coming out of the owner/labor mess back then (the season after the canceled World Series). 

[Bort]

Last night's MLB vs. Japan game was played in Hiroshima at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium. I can't decide if the stadium name is the most idiotic stadium name I've ever heard or the most awesome. It cracks me up, I can tell you that...

[MVFrostsMyPie]

I think it might be one of the most awesome!

[mojoween]

4 hours ago, xaxat said:

You can listen to it free on their website. It's actually pretty boring outside of how Nomo got out of his contract in Japan.

The "saved baseball" is in reference to the excitement he generated coming out of the owner/labor mess back then (the season after the canceled World Series). 

Heh, thank you for your service.

Ok so it does sound like it helped baseball, but I feel like baseball would have been ok regardless.  I mean the strike was annoying, but no matter what Bill James thinks, there would have been another player who brought eyes to the stadiums.

[Mean Machine]

I thought Cal Ripken breaking the record for playing in a bunch of games in a row supposedly saved baseball.

[xaxat]

I think it was steroids that got the sport back on track. Even if fans don't remember anything else from nineties baseball, everybody remembers Sosa, McGuire and "Chicks dig the long ball."

[ebk57]

So tomorrow evening I'm going to the Babe Ruth Museum's reunion of the 1983 Os.  Because I have nothing else going on in my life.  And my sister works for one of the event sponsors, so I don't have to pay.  

It'll be fun... Brooks will be there.  It has to be fun. 

[Lantern7]

11 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

So tomorrow evening I'm going to the Babe Ruth Museum's reunion of the 1983 Os.

I've been there twice. Nice small place to visit. Pairs nicely with the Baltimore Sports Hall of Fame.

[ebk57]

13 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

I've been there twice. Nice small place to visit. Pairs nicely with the Baltimore Sports Hall of Fame.

It's a lovely place.  I was going to pay actual money to go to this thing (I'm a member of the museum), but since it's on a Wednesday and I'm incredibly lazy, I decided not to.  Then sis came to the rescue! 

I feel ignorant, but where is the Baltimore Sports Hall of Fame?  I should go there... 

[Lantern7]

6 hours ago, ebk57 said:

I feel ignorant, but where is the Baltimore Sports Hall of Fame?  I should go there... 

Turns out they are closed.

[attica]

Melvin and Snitker are Managers of the year. And here I was thinking that 'snitker' was a sound you make when you sneeze...

[smittykins]

Gesundheit!

[Lantern7]

Waiting for the Cy Young announcement. If deGrom gets it, Mets fans will use that for warmth for a few months. Bonus: I don’t think the Mets would deal him like R.A. Dickey.

[smittykins]

My picks are DeGrom and Snell.

[shoregirl]

 As a Phillies fan I would love for it to be Nola but I think it will be deGrom.

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler lost his home in Malibu from the Woolsey fire . he was in Philadelphia and his exwife and two sons had evacuated. https://theathletic.com/650084/2018/11/12/after-losing-home-in-fires-gabe-kapler-wants-to-raise-awareness-about-calif-disaster-keep-talking-about-it/

Edited November 14, 2018 by shoregirl

[Moose135]

6 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Waiting for the Cy Young announcement. If deGrom gets it, Mets fans will use that for warmth for a few months.

Boom:

Mets' Jacob deGrom, Rays' Blake Snell capture 2018 Cy Young Awards

[Lamb18]

On 11/13/2018 at 6:26 AM, xaxat said:

The "saved baseball" is in reference to the excitement he generated coming out of the owner/labor mess back then (the season after the canceled World Series). 

I was bummed because I think the World Series that year would have been Cleveland vs. Montreal. I wanted to watch that one.

[AimingforYoko]

23 hours ago, Moose135 said:

Mets' Jacob deGrom, Rays' Blake Snell capture 2018 Cy Young Awards

"Receiving more support from the writers than his teammates..." LOL

[xaxat]

Does Michael Wilbon know how foolish his "I want wins!" rant against deGrom is? I don't have a problem with people who disagree with the selection, but to dismiss, out of hand, his case because you only like wins and ERA is ridiculous.

It also tells me that he didn't actually watch deGrom pitch this year.

[ratgirlagogo]

7 hours ago, xaxat said:

It also tells me that he didn't actually watch deGrom pitch this year.

It kind of suggests he didn't actually watch the rest of the Mets play and lose  baseball games this year.

[Lantern7]

Mike said that? Damn. In my head, the voters thought deGrom was the best pitcher, and they thought he might have gotten more wins had the Mets’ offense and bullpen  not been mediocre on a good day. Thinking about it, I can see how Mike might think those were pity votes . . . but deGrom got all but one first-place vote, and he got the only first-place vote in the MVP voting that didn’t go to Yelich.

I’m probably biased, but I can see where Wilbon would see a big city bias. Did he shout “Defend your boy!!” to Kornheiser at any time during PTI?

Thor is up on the trade block? Dang. I’d think the Mets would keep him because an airplane is mostly guaranteed to plunge straight down and land on deGrom.

[Bort]

Marlins unveil new logo, colors.

[prican58]

If I recall correctly, Snell made his MLB debut vs the Yanks and I think he won. He pitched very well tht game. He was young and he looked like a kid. He was good.  

[mojoween]

The HOF ballot was released today.

I’ll be the first to say Welcome to Cooperstown, Mo!  

It’s the only time I feel as if I will perish if I don’t get to the ceremony.

[smittykins]

And Jeter in 2020(I wish either he or Mo would be unanimous, but I'm not holding my breath).

[mojoween]

I sure hope James Paxton wins the Cy Young next year.

[prican58]

Michael Kay said that in giving up Sheffield the teams traded 2 young left handers. I cry foul because Pax just turned 30 this month. I wonder just how much the NYY actually liked Justus. It took them a while to bring him up and I think that was during Sept call ups if at all.  CC was  mentor to him and they seemed to be friends so it will be sad to not see his development here.  

[doodlebug]

The Cleveland Indians have officially removed Chief Wahoo from their uniforms for 2019:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/cleveland-indians-fully-phase-out-chief-wahoo-logo-unveil-new-uniforms-for-2019/

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Well, better late than never.

[prican58]

23 hours ago, mojoween said:

I sure hope James Paxton wins the Cy Young next year.

Maybe not but he seems like a good guy and may just fit in with NY.  

http://web.yesnetwork.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=2519780183

 

http://web.yesnetwork.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=2519780583