MLB Thread

[mojoween]

Further proof that the training staff is not doing their job because the injury bug must have stowed away on the plane and NO ONE NOTICED.

Please be ok Luke please be ok.

Does Edwin Encarnacion play 1B?

Red Sox pitching rules.

[Bort]

11 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Does Edwin Encarnacion play 1B?

Yes. He was playing there in Seattle quite a lot this year.

ETA: Encarnacion started 45 games at 1B for Seattle in 2019.

[Bort]

Did you see the guy from the Netherlands with the huge Yankee Stadium/Babe Ruth tattoo on his back?

[mojoween]

11 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Yes. He was playing there in Seattle quite a lot this year.

ETA: Encarnacion started 45 games at 1B for Seattle in 2019.

Oh phew.  They need him.

On a related note, Voit was 4 for 4.  In the fifth inning.

[xaxat]

Who was the genius at Fox who thought they could safely schedule coverage of the Senior Open three hours after the start of a Yankees/Sox game?

[Giuseppe]

On 4/16/2019 at 5:53 AM, smittykins said:

I didn’t know Atlanta had a mascot, must be new.

On 4/16/2019 at 2:19 PM, Lantern7 said:

I'll have to read about Blooper's origins. Initial take: he's probably at least 90 percent focus groups. Also, he might be related to the weird-ass mascot of the 1996 Atlanta Games.

ETA: At least Blooper ain't Chief Nok-a-Homa. I may have misspelled the name, but I am not making that up.

We've always had a mascot, but Blooper IS new, and was introduced during the 2018 season. There was much criticism that yes, he was just a knock off of the Phanatic. He's grown on me a bit, though. Before Blooper, we had Homer the Brave for quite a number of years (probably right after they got rid of Chief Nok-a-Homa). He was just a generic big baseball head like Mr. Met, but I enjoyed him. They dumped him in favor of Blooper.

Not much Braves talk in here, but they are having a great season thus far. I wish we had more starters in the All-Star game, but Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna, Jr. definitely deserved their nods.

[Bort]

Oh, that reminds me. The Astros 1992 throwback night also extended to the mascot. Orbit donned the rainbow sleeves and headdress thing he used to wear.

[mojoween]

HOLY FUCKING HELL HOW DID TOMMY KAHNLE FORGET HOW TO BASEBALL

[twoods]

This looked like the score to a Jags-Raiders game, if both teams were lucky to score this much. At least the fans got their money’s worth. 

[smittykins]

Same score as the 1998 home opener against the A’s.

(My podiatrist was at that game.  He was telling me about the crazy game he attended against the Athletics; when I asked who won, and he said we did 17-13, I said “The ‘98 home opener!”

Him:  “How did you know that?”

Me:  “They show it on Yankees Classics all the time.”)

Edited June 29, 2019 by smittykins

[ebk57]

Told you it would be 10 hours.

Well, it felt like 10 hours...

[xaxat]

I really hope that the good people of Great Britain don't think that was a typical game.

[mojoween]

25 minutes ago, xaxat said:

I really hope that the good people of Great Britain don't think that was a typical game.

Yeah when tomorrow is like 1-0 they are going to be seriously disappointed.

[Harry24]

11 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Yeah when tomorrow is like 1-0 they are going to be seriously disappointed.

A lot of these folk are people who love soccer/football.  They may be relieved.

[ebk57]

So, how bout dem Os?!

I'm sure that tomorrow, when we're there, they will lose 26-0.  

[Bort]

Well, I’m glad the Yankee Red Sox game ended before the Astros game, also broadcasting on FOX today. I was worried for a bit... 

[Lantern7]

I thought the Mets game was at 7. If I had known, I would have recorded their ceremony for the 1969 team. I feel bad for the fans who stuck around . . . 70 minute rain delay and the bullpen shit the bed again. One of the old-timers could’ve been the one to shoot Mickey in the head after the game. I mean, I’m well aware things could and have been worse, but it should take more than firing the pitching coach and replacing him with the guy who taught Cy Young all he knew.

[theatremouse]

4 hours ago, xaxat said:

I really hope that the good people of Great Britain don't think that was a typical game.

They're used to cricket so this game probably felt short.

[ratgirlagogo]

5 hours ago, xaxat said:

I really hope that the good people of Great Britain don't think that was a typical game.

1 hour ago, theatremouse said:

They're used to cricket so this game probably felt short.

How and where did they find this many people in England to go to a baseball game?  American ex-pats? Europeans who've lived in the US?

Also I was hoping to find out if Duchess Meghan is a baseball fan or just attending as part of her official duties.  Would be shocked if she were a fan of the Yankees or the Red Sox in any case, it would have to be the Dodgers or Angels.

Honestly when it was 6-6 at the end of the first inning I almost bailed.

Edited June 30, 2019 by ratgirlagogo

[smittykins]

I’m seriously considering leaving my phone at home so I’m not tempted to look at it while I’m in church.(At least I’ll get to watch this game when I get home.)

[Bort]

2 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

In the Sox/Yankees game, some dude in a blue (track suit/full body swimsuit?) between innings lost in a race he was running in with some other dude who was given a huge head start.

I think it was Freddie Mercury who beat out the Lochness Monster among others in another race.   I guess there weren't any Beatles allowed, at least I didn't see any.  I was surprised that old Nessy didn't stick out his tale and trip his competitors.

That's The Freeze, from the Atlanta Braves. Here's the origin story.

They did four Twitter polls to pick the mascots for the race. Freddie Mercury beat out John Lennon.

[mojoween]

I hate baseball and London and the entire state of Massachusetts.  

W

T

F

[Bort]

2 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

That said, there really needs to be a mercy rule for fans.  That game was too damn long.

My personal mercy rule has always been to leave/turn it off. That's my solution for a game that's running past the time I can allot to attend/watch it.

[Bort]

4 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

Once I start something, I like to watch it until it is finished.   I have sat through some truly horrible movies as well.  I am a glutton for punishment.

This is my favorite Astro uniform.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19758858/the-full-story-houston-iconic-rainbow-uniforms

I liked the old school Padre uniforms as well.

https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/9198/padres-uniform-history-the-1970s

Sometimes I just can't. For instance, every other Wednesday, I have to get up at 4am for work and if I'm attending a home game the night before, I absolutely cannot stay late. I usually will leave that game somewhere around the 7th inning. If they're away and playing on the west coast, I can only watch the first few innings on TV before I have to turn it off.

The rainbow jerseys are definitely the most popular ones. The local broadcasters Twitter feed did a poll the other day asking fans which uniforms were the favorites and the rainbows won by a landslide.

I personally like the shooting star ones the best.

The Padres are bringing back the brown uniforms as their primaries in 2020.

[Ohwell]

Ok so we're playing baseball in London just a few days from our own Independence Day?  Was the purpose to show the British how independent from them we are?  I don't get it. 

[ebk57]

50 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

My personal mercy rule has always been to leave/turn it off. That's my solution for a game that's running past the time I can allot to attend/watch it.

My rule is that I start yelling "I have dinner reservations" when it seems like the game will run into said dinner reservation.  Usually that works 😉  If it doesn't, depending on where we're going, we either leave, or call and push the reservation back... 

[smittykins]

I don’t even bother with the 10 pm ET games on the West Coast.  This Auld Phart can’t stay up that late no more.

[mojoween]

1 hour ago, icemiser69 said:

I actually liked the game being played in London.  In fact, it is the only reason I watched the whole game.   That said, there really needs to be a mercy rule for fans.  That game was too damn long.   Of course it would have been a heckuva  lot shorter if players would stop: tugging, picking, scratching, and adjusting themselves after every single damn pitch.

Oh yesterday’s game was perfectly groovy, even if a 17-13 game still gave me heart failure.  I was referring to today’s terrible first inning.  

And if they aren’t going to get going, can someone PLEASE just hit a home run to keep the streak going.

[theatremouse]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Ok so we're playing baseball in London just a few days from our own Independence Day? 

My personal theory which probably holds zero water is that Wimbledon is about to start which means tons of people coming from all over the place, which possibly means extra Americans on vacation there anyway. Although they're claiming most of the ticket sales were local. And there are probably not as many baseball-and-tennis fans in the general population as in my family...and it's probably mostly that the stadium was available then.

[Bort]

Also, this is the sunniest time of year in London. Less risk of a rainout.

[Ohwell]

I can understand all that, but still........😞

[nilyank]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

And if they aren’t going to get going, can someone PLEASE just hit a home run to keep the streak going.

Didi

[Bort]

6 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

My favorite part was when balls would be hit into the stands.   The people in the stands ddn't seem to really know what to do.

In cricket, they have to give the ball back. They tried to counteract this by making many, many announcements in an effort to let them know it was okay to keep the baseball.

[mojoween]

I am incredibly disgruntled with the ASG reserves.  NO additional Yankees?

I think it would have been better if they had the all-star game over there.   They could have sold all sorts of merchandise from the various teams, and perhaps generated more interest in the games.   They could have played two all-star games.  It wouldn't be that big of a deal, plus no team would lose home games.   In most all star games, most players don't play a full game anyway.   They could always expand the all-star game rosters for those games if need be.

For better or worse, this series is not going away.  MLB rented a storage locker close to the stadium so next year when the Cubs and Cardinals play they already have the equipment that they are taking down tonight.

Somehow I feel, even with pitching changes, that series won’t be going ten hours.

Edited June 30, 2019 by mojoween

[ebk57]

2 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

If only you had yelled yesterday, perhaps that game wouldn't have gone on for four hours and forty plus minutes.

Or sometimes, like today, I was yelling "I have dinner reservations in an hour and a half, so take your time!!!"  Fortunately, the restaurant opened at 4:30, so I could change my 5:15 res and have a lovely dinner.  At least something was lovely today.  (although at least it wasn't 26-0)

[Bort]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

I am incredibly disgruntled with the ASG reserves.  NO additional Yankees?

Do you mean position players? Because I saw Chapman on the list for pitchers.

[mojoween]

Yeah I was mostly sad for Torres and Voit.

But also Ottavino, because I don’t hold yesterday against him.

Jayson Stark did make me feel a little better with an explanation that five of six available slots had to go to a team that had no other players.

[Lantern7]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

I am incredibly disgruntled with the ASG reserves.  NO additional Yankees?

Just checking , . . three Yankees? If that’s the case, I don’t blame you. The same number as the Mets would be worth getting pissed off about.

[Bort]

I myself was hoping Chirinos would get in as a catcher reserve because he’s never gotten to go but yeah, they needed to fill slots to get all the teams repped. Six total Astros going, the most of any team, I guess there’s no need to be greedy. 

[Lantern7]

Mets with five runs in the eighth. Edwin Diaz is in the bullpen, all, “Okay, how will I piss everyone off today?”

If the Mets were to deal him, he’d go back to being a quality reliever. Brodie probably saw the 51 saves, and he gambled that whatever curse clinging to the team couldn’t neutralize that completely.

ETA: One-two-three ninth for the win. Miracle!!

Edited July 1, 2019 by Lantern7

[attica]

English baseball fans are adorable.

(And why can't US stadiums sell beer in those neat plastic cups with stein-like handles?) 

[mojoween]

27 year old pitcher Tyler Skaggs of the Angels has passed away in his home; the Rangers and Angels game for tonight has been postponed.

How incredibly sad.

[Sew Sumi]

I was just coming her to post that. Tragic.

[smittykins]

RIP, Tyler. 😢

[Bort]

6 minutes ago, mojoween said:

27 year old pitcher Tyler Skaggs of the Angels has passed away in his home; the Rangers and Angels game for tonight has been postponed.

How incredibly sad.

He wasn't at home, the team was in Arlington to play the Rangers. That's weird, though. Wonder what happened.

[Court]

Pitcher Tyler Skaggs passed away today. 

https://1053thefan.radio.com/articles/report-rangers-game-cancelled-after-angles-pitcher-tyler-skaggs-died-today

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, kariyaki said:

He wasn't at home, the team was in Arlington to play the Rangers. That's weird, though. Wonder what happened.

According to NBC News, he was found dead in his hotel room in Arlington this afternoon.  No signs of foul play according to the police, no other information available yet.  Tragic.

[Bort]

The only thing I can think of that will make an otherwise healthy 27 year old suddenly die is brain aneurysm. That happened years ago with a friend of mine. I went away on vacation and came back to news that she'd died. (This was before cell phones)

[Calvada]

Aneurysm, embolism, heart defect, allergic reaction, stroke - there are many things that can cause sudden death.  I hope for his family's sake it wasn't an overdose or suicide.  

[Sew Sumi]

They've ruled out suicide.