MLB Thread

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, Mittengirl said:

Is there some reason that MLB won’t allow them to change the name?  Las Vegas Slots?  Cactus?  Shrimp Cocktails?  Gangsters?  Gamblers?  Haboobs?  

They've been the Athletics in 3 cities. May as well see it out in Vegas. *sob* 

[Mittengirl]

On 4/21/2023 at 11:19 PM, Salacious Kitty said:

hey've been the Athletics in 3 cities. May as well see it out in Vegas.

Three strikes and you’re out.  Time for a change. 

[cleo]

I think I read the stadium is close to the Vegas strip. They could be the Las Vegas Strippers.

[smittykins]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who hears “Jhony Burrito.”

[Lantern7]

My game is in a week. I looked up ESPN to see who'd be pitching for the Mets. If the rotation holds, I'll be witnessing the Ghost Forkball of Kodai Senga. Bad news: it might rain this weekend, so I"m looking at potentially no game or a doubleheader. Seriously, why is there a day game on Monday? I don't get it.

Anyone else watch Family Guy? They savaged the A's . . . and that's an animated series, so the part where it aired after the announcement of the move was unintentional insult to injury. I can't imagine what diehard A's fans in Oakland are going through. And saying "At least you got the Giants" is like saying "At least you have the Yankees" after the Giants and Dodgers moved out of New York.

[Salacious Kitty]

15 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

My game is in a week. I looked up ESPN to see who'd be pitching for the Mets. If the rotation holds, I'll be witnessing the Ghost Forkball of Kodai Senga. Bad news: it might rain this weekend, so I"m looking at potentially no game or a doubleheader. Seriously, why is there a day game on Monday? I don't get it.

Anyone else watch Family Guy? They savaged the A's . . . and that's an animated series, so the part where it aired after the announcement of the move was unintentional insult to injury. I can't imagine what diehard A's fans in Oakland are going through. And saying "At least you got the Giants" is like saying "At least you have the Yankees" after the Giants and Dodgers moved out of New York.

At least someone gets it. You couldn't pay me to root for the Giants. 

[grommit2]

So the Oakland Athletics are getting ready to relocate elsewhere.
Reason seems to be that they are a struggling franchise.  Indeed, they are.
But, let us hark back to the movie "Money Ball" in which Brad Pitt plays the Athletics GM. The message is that statistics should rule your player decisions.  And you should ignore, or at least minimize, choosing players who just look good.
It worked in the movie...and it seems to have worked for several teams.  But has it worked for the A's in the last decade?  Hmm...😜

[Salacious Kitty]

4 hours ago, grommit2 said:

So the Oakland Athletics are getting ready to relocate elsewhere.
Reason seems to be that they are a struggling franchise.  Indeed, they are.
But, let us hark back to the movie "Money Ball" in which Brad Pitt plays the Athletics GM. The message is that statistics should rule your player decisions.  And you should ignore, or at least minimize, choosing players who just look good.
It worked in the movie...and it seems to have worked for several teams.  But has it worked for the A's in the last decade?  Hmm...😜

The A's ownership isn't even trying to field a competitive team any longer. They were in the playoffs just a few years ago before management sold off anyone with a modicum of talent. They're a AA team these days. They'll be lucky to win 40 games.

[mojoween]

Me, watching birthday boy Aaron Judge’s 280 pound body come down onto his right arm … 

[Lantern7]

11 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Me, watching birthday boy Aaron Judge’s 280 pound body come down onto his right arm … 

Geez. Is he out?

[mojoween]

He went in to the tunnel but now he is back in the dugout.  Three batters to go before we can see if he is able to swing a bat.

Edit - He made his next at bat (walked) and looks like he’s going to be ok.  Phew.

Edited April 26, 2023 by mojoween

[smittykins]

Figures, I can’t watch the game(I’m at a medical appointment), and the Yankees are kicking butt.

[mojoween]

Just now, smittykins said:

Figures, I can’t watch the game(I’m at a medical appointment), and the Yankees are kicking butt.

No YES app?  The doc would understand, heh.

Also, if that’s the case, you can’t watch the Texas series either.  😛

[smittykins]

I have the DirecTV app,but I forgot my earbuds. :(

[Lantern7]

I’m having doubts about Monday. The weather has still been wet. Today’s game was postponed. Also, thanks to MLB, Max won’t be able to pitch on Monday. I thought that I’d be watching ghost forkballs, but now the Mets are undecided.

*sigh* I’m taking the day off no matter what, rain or shine. I just figured it was funny the Mets would face the same team they did forty years ago, and that it’d be a day game to boot. I should probably check the Mets’ policy for rainouts, though.

[mojoween]

How awful, to be playing in your first start, and before you even get an at-bat, the outfield wall breaks your patella.  Great catch, tragic outcome.

[Moose135]

Met fans know how this story goes...

Jacob deGrom injury update: Rangers ace lands on injured list with elbow inflammation after leaving mid-start

Quote

Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom has been placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in this throwing elbow, the team announced Saturday. To take deGrom's spot on the active roster, right-hander Yerry Rodríguez has been recalled from Triple-A. 

deGrom was removed from his Friday night start in Arlington after working three perfect innings against the Yankees. He needed just 28 pitches to record those nine consecutive outs. With two outs and two runners on in the fourth inning, however, there was a conference on the mound with an athletic trainer, pitching coach Mike Maddux and then manager Bruce Bochy before deGrom was removed from the game. 

 

[Lantern7]

9 hours ago, Moose135 said:

Met fans know how this story goes...

Jacob deGrom injury update: Rangers ace lands on injured list with elbow inflammation after leaving mid-start

 

FTR, I wasn’t rooting for that. He might have left New York, but I didn’t hate him for it. It did help that he went to another division.

[Lantern7]

Update: today’s game has been postponed. I thought it wasn’t raining that hard, but MLB pulled the plug anyway. Apparently, tomorrow will be a doubleheader. That sounds great, but I have to work on Tuesday. I’ll probably see one game and bail out.

I would’ve thought there would be another home series to staple a day/night doubleheader, but I don’t think that was considered. On the bright side, both teams will be able to fly out quickly for their respective next stops. 

ETA: They’ll be starting at 1 p.m. as planned. I would’ve thought 12 would be better, but I don’t work at MLB. With my luck, I’ll bail on the second game, and they’ll have a no-hitter. Possibly a perfect game. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

ETA2: Am I wrong for being okay with seven-inning doubleheader games? Just this one time?

Edited April 30, 2023 by Lantern7

[Mittengirl]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Am I wrong for being okay with seven-inning doubleheader games?

I actually like the idea, as long as they are the old-fashioned kind, not the split type.

[mojoween]

Having an All-Star caliber roster on the IL doesn’t mean jack if the pitching is shit.  “It’s only April” is my new mantra.

[Lantern7]

No rain in the forecast today. On my way to see if the Mets and Crackers still know how to play baseball.

[Lantern7]

Ever have a ball whiz about twenty feet over your head? I just did. And natch, it was a home run for the Crackers. 🙄🙄🙄

[Salacious Kitty]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Ever have a ball whiz about twenty feet over your head? I just did. And natch, it was a home run for the Crackers. 🙄🙄🙄

The home run at the end of Moneyball landed a row behind us. They used real footage, and you can see my hubby and me in the movie. 😃

Edited May 1, 2023 by Salacious Kitty

[Lantern7]

Got home just in time to see the Mets win Game 2. Game 1 was a great game if you wanted to be a cynical Mets fan. They fell behind, rallied to get closer, gave up a few more runs, and so on. The hope was there . . . but the Mets couldn’t cash in on opportunities to tie or take the lead.

It was a trip, though. I can’t judge distances, so I might have been wrong about the ball being twenty feet above me. All I know is that the ball got hit, it got closer, I got up in case the improbable happened . . . and the ball landed above me with a thud. Hell, I might have gotten on TV. I’ll have to catch the highlights then they get posted.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Lantern7

[Lantern7]

Here's the home run from Acuna. I cued up the clip to that moment.  I can actually see myself when the camera zooms out from the guy that caught it . . . well, barely. I'm a bit camera-shy, so I don't mind the lack of focus. I need a full screen shot for that to happen.

Like I said . . .  I saw the ball coming, it went way over my head and I heard it land in the deck above me Total distance 448 feet.

Edited May 2, 2023 by Lantern7

[Salacious Kitty]

You should have stuck around for both games. Nothing like a good old fashioned double header. 😀

[Lantern7]

7 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

You should have stuck around for both games. Nothing like a good old fashioned double header. 😀

I would have liked that, but I have to go to work today. If the DH started at 12, maybe I would’ve hung around. Game 2 ended around 7 p.m., so I would’ve been home around 9. Not good.

[mojoween]

My newspaper keeps including AP articles about Trevor Bauer and it’s gross and puzzling.

Unless he once played for the Syracuse Chiefs when Toronto was their home club I have no idea why I should care about that cretin in Central New York.

[cleo]

Yes, I wish they would stop reporting on him. I feel like there is this undercurrent of just waiting for him to come back to MLB.

Apparently he's already annoyed some players or fans or something. I would be sympathetic but Bauer being a gigantic asshole is no secret, so they knew it before they signed him.

[Jane Tuesday]

The more the Cardinals struggle, the more I see a very small but loud-mouthed group of fans calling for them to sign Bauer.

I would rather lose every game for the rest of the season than have that asshole ever wear the birds on the bat.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Jane Tuesday

[Salacious Kitty]

32 minutes ago, Jane Tuesday said:

The more the Cardinals struggle, the more I see a very small but loud-mouthed group of fans calling for them to sign Bauer.

I would rather lose every game for the rest of the season than have that asshole ever wear the birds on the bat.

Join me at the end of the A's bench to watch a scenario like that actually play out. 😢

If anyone is stupid enough to actually sign him, are they still on the hook for whatever was left on his Dodgers contract?

[mojoween]

I’ve parachuted in to the ninth inning for the last two nights, does anyone know what the green ribbons are for the Yanks and Rays are wearing?  

[BlueSkies]

I googled the Mets score today they lost 5-2.

 

But I read it was "Mental Health Awareness" day at CitiField.  Which for big Mets fans they would improve their "mental health" by not paying attention to the Mets. 😅

[smittykins]

11 hours ago, mojoween said:

I’ve parachuted in to the ninth inning for the last two nights, does anyone know what the green ribbons are for the Yanks and Rays are wearing?  

I think it’s for mental health awareness.

https://fansided.com/2023/05/06/mlb-green-ribbon-mean-jerseys/#:~:text=What is MLB green ribbon,is mental health awareness month.

Edited May 7, 2023 by smittykins

[Lantern7]

Deadspin gets a dig in on the Mets. Never too early to start wondering if your team needs to focus on a wild card. I mean, if the Phillies could finish third in their division behind two 101-win teams and make the World Series . . .

Yeah, the Yankees are at the bottom of the AL East, but at least they're over .500. If the other teams start to collapse, they got a shot at the postseason. Atlanta/Cobb County never seems to falter when it matters, though.

[mojoween]

1 hour ago, Lantern7 said:

Yeah, the Yankees are at the bottom of the AL East

That hurts.

[Salacious Kitty]

No worries. They'll crawl out of the cellar soon enough. Oakland is in town. 😢

[shoregirl]

Phillies and Mets will play next year in London

 

[smittykins]

Harrison Bader is on 🔥!

Edited May 10, 2023 by smittykins

[mojoween]

On 5/8/2023 at 6:10 PM, Salacious Kitty said:

No worries. They'll crawl out of the cellar soon enough. Oakland is in town. 😢

I’m sorry that their misery raised my spirits.

Hey with the pitch clock does that mean that the teams that like to have a standoff after the national anthem is over can’t do that any more?

[baldryanr]

Kenley Jansen earned his 400th save yesterday and Craig Kimbrel is only three behind him.  Even if you think the save is an overrated stat, it's still a pretty exclusive club.  Three (Rivera, Hoffman, Smith) are in the HOF and a fourth (Wagner) will probably get in soon enough.  The other two guys (John Franco, K-Rod) were pretty good for a long time too, even though they may never get in.

[mojoween]

There’s no joy in Mudville tonight.

[Moose135]

7 minutes ago, mojoween said:

There’s no joy in Mudville tonight.

Tell me about it… 😧

[Mean Machine]

Rays could play a game under five hundred the rest of the way and still finish with 90 wins.

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Mean Machine

[cleo]

I'm assuming (alright hoping lol) the Rays will do what the Dodgers always do- have like a +100 win season and then crap out in the playoffs.

Not that I think the Jays will do much better- I think they will have the same result as last year. A good team, not a great team. The only difference is I think the GM's job might be on the line this time.

[janeyjay]

Long-time lurker, first (or maybe second) time poster... as a franchise-long Rays fan/St Petersburg native, I am enjoying this crazy-pants start to the season. But as a franchise-long-suffering Rays fan, I have managed expectations, especially with the huge number of our pitching staff either on the 60-day IL or rehabbing (just lost Rasmussen/last night's starter for at least eight weeks.) I still hold my metaphorical breath until we get a hit. 

The AL East is the toughest division in MLB IMO. So anything can happen between now and October. 

And now, back to lurking...

[mojoween]

Wait after Rasmussen pitched that absolutely hurtful gem he went on the IL?  That is a shame. (Seriously, I’m not being snarky [this time])

Edited May 13, 2023 by mojoween

[BlueSkies]

Lazy sportswriting at its best

 

https://nypost.com/2023/05/13/theres-hope-for-mets-turnaround-as-they-try-to-avoid-joining-1992-team/

 

It was the 1993 Mets that were considered the worst team money could buy back in the day 

[ebk57]

I love baseball season (duh!) because when there's nothing on TV I want to watch, there's usually a game, what with the 2 local teams/channels, ESPN and MLB Network.  So why, oh why, is it always Those Damn Yankees on the MLB Network???  

 

Why!!!!!?