MLB Thread

[twoods]

I never follow baseball except during playoffs since there are so many damn games, but wow is Baez a good looking guy. He must have a lot of female fans, and I don't blame them.

[InsertWordHere]

4 hours ago, Maximum Taco said:

Yeah, if the Indians and the Browns win, that's probably a sign of the apocalypse. (Also kidding!)

The Cleveland area code is 216, so many here think it's rather fitting that this is the year our combined 147 seasons-long championship drought was broken. So the popular joke going around Cleveland right now is that the Cavs, Monsters and Indians were basically like, "Let's put the 216 in 2016 and do really well this year!" while the Browns thought they were supposed to put the 0-16 in 2016. We love our Browns but we don't expect much of them.

Edited October 20, 2016 by InsertWordHere

[cleo]

Congratulations to Cleveland . I didn't think the Jays would get past Texas but I'm glad they did and glad we didn't get swept.

I wish the Jays would get rid of Gibbons, I don't think he is a very good coach. His strategy seems non existent other than following standard formulas and issuing insightful statements like- :  yeah the other pitchers were good. What are ya gonna do? The bats will heat up sooner or later.....won't they....?

Cubs for the win.

[roamyn]

6 hours ago, InsertWordHere said:

The Cleveland area code is 216, so many here think it's rather fitting that this is the year our combined 147 seasons-long championship drought was broken. So the popular joke going around Cleveland right now is that the Cavs, Monsters and Indians were basically like, "Let's put the 216 in 2016 and do really well this year!" while the Browns thought they were supposed to put the 0-16 in 2016. We love our Browns but we don't expect much of them.

That is good!  I haven't heard that one.

[roamyn]

2 hours ago, cleo said:

Congratulations to Cleveland . I didn't think the Jays would get past Texas but I'm glad they did and glad we didn't get swept.

I wish the Jays would get rid of Gibbons, I don't think he is a very good coach. His strategy seems non existent other than following standard formulas and issuing insightful statements like- :  yeah the other pitchers were good. What are ya gonna do? The bats will heat up sooner or later.....won't they....?

Cubs for the win.

I have to agree.  Other than the epic 19 inning game, I haven't watched the Jays all year (my one trip home this year, and they were out of town).

But I thought he wasn't very daring, original, or motivating.  It seemed like all he was there to was set the line-up, name the pitchers and meet the media.  Like he expects the office to do all the work by signing players.

Compared to Francona who coached a master-class.

ETA:  I think you meant Indians. ;-D

Edited October 20, 2016 by roamyn

[ElDosEquis]

Dave Roberts sounds like the Count from Counting Cars.

Edited October 20, 2016 by ElDosEquis
yes.

[ElDosEquis]

10 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Re:  People running onto the field

They're definitely not going to encourage or advertise that behaviour when they fear those drunken people who run on the field could potentially hinder or injure their million dollar athletes.  

TBS had to show Bauer's drone idiocy because they had almost never seen anything like it before ;)  I tease.

I was really sad when Edwin Encarnacion got his hat trick in 2015 and the cameras wouldn't show all the hats raining down upon him.  That had to be one of the most magical things to happen at the Rogers Centre.  The way the commentators and people who were there described it, it sounded incredible.  I would have been crying for sure.   Obviously the hats were a sign of goodwill and happiness for Edwin and could not hurt him.

Jason Pierre-Paul's salute to America was pretty good?

[MyAimIsTrue]

Best quote about the ALCS I've seen this morning:  "Somewhere Harry Doyle is smiling."

[Maximum Taco]

5 hours ago, cleo said:

Congratulations to Cleveland . I didn't think the Jays would get past Texas but I'm glad they did and glad we didn't get swept.

I wish the Jays would get rid of Gibbons, I don't think he is a very good coach. His strategy seems non existent other than following standard formulas and issuing insightful statements like- :  yeah the other pitchers were good. What are ya gonna do? The bats will heat up sooner or later.....won't they....?

Cubs for the win.

I disagree.

It's not Gibbons' fault the hitters couldn't get anything going or the starters gave up runs early. What did you expect him to do? He can't hit for them, and it's not like our guys need a class on how to hit, they're usually pretty good, it's seen as our biggest strength. And he's not gonna pull Marco or Happ, or Stroman off one bad pitch in the 3rd or 4th, that's suicide for a team with a bullpen like ours.

Cleveland's starters (minus Kluber) did very well, they used a generous strikezone (which was generous to both teams) to stay away from our best guys, and they made very few mistakes. The first two games were pretty much decided on one bad pitch from Estrada and one bad pitch from Happ. If your starters don't make mistakes and your defense doesn't make mistakes, all it takes is one bad pitch and you're going to win 90% of the time, and Cleveland's starters and D made almost no mistakes in this entire series; hats off to them. I don't think Gibbon's managing differently would've changed things, we're a lineup that feasts on mistakes, they leave a curve hanging and we're crushing it, they play too shallow and we're knocking one off the wall for a double or triple. If they don't make mistakes, we can't do anything. What Cleveland did this series is unlikely in a game, much less 4 games out of 5, and again, hats off to them. I'm interested to see if they can do it again against the Cubs/Dodgers.

I actually thought Gibbons managed very well, our bullpen actually outperformed Cleveland's (which was the biggest concern coming into this series), they got 0 runs off of our relievers. ZERO. That's frankly ridiculous. It's their starters and hitters that outperformed ours.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[Ms Blue Jay]

Gibbons is already signed for 2017

I think Gibbons is great for the regular season - first place team in 2015, wild card winning team in 2016.

But post-season he's at a loss.  He has no idea how to be creative against a small-ball scrappy team like Cleveland or Kansas.  This is where Gibby's huge weakness is.  No attempts to bunt, steal, put pinch runners in.  I think Carrera should have bunted Saunders and Russell over.  Navarro comes in and does his single against Miller as expected and he should be replaced by Pompey to pinch run.  Carrera can bunt for SINGLES.  He's basically perfect at it.   It's extremely frustrating.  2015 postseason ended the exact same.  Gibby relies on the Big Boys to deliver home runs but when they can't figure out a pitcher like Miller or that young guy they are up shit's creek without a paddle.  Gibby needs to manufacture runs in the postseason.  Period.

He cannot simply count on Bautista to do the batflip or Donaldson to have the big hit or EE to have the walk off HR every time.  They are human beings.  They will do it about half the time, but not all the time.  It's too much pressure and they're human, not perfect.  The last half of the lineup minus Carrera did NOTHING.  And even worse, idiot fans blame those 3, 3 of the best baseball players in the league, when things go wrong.  EE the AL postseason leader in RBIs and HRs.  Donaldson, the 2015 AL MVP.  This is a really sore point with me.  Gibby has to be creative when the Big boys aren't getting it done.  He needs to be able to get men on base against a tough pitcher.  It's almost like he refuses.  It's as stubborn as Showalter refusing to use Zach Britton in the 10th let alone the 11th inning!

Edited October 20, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Maximum Taco]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Gibbons is already signed for 2017

I think Gibbons is great for the regular season - first place team in 2015, wild card winning team in 2016.

But post-season he's at a loss.  He has no idea how to be creative against a small-ball scrappy team like Cleveland or Kansas.  This is where Gibby's huge weakness is.  No attempts to bunt, steal, put pinch runners in.  I think Carrera should have bunted Saunders and Russell over.  Navarro comes in and does his single against Miller as expected and he should be replaced by Pompey to pinch run.  Carrera can bunt for SINGLES.  He's basically perfect at it.   It's extremely frustrating.  2015 postseason ended the exact same.  Gibby relies on the Big Boys to deliver home runs but when they can't figure out a pitcher like Miller or that young guy they are up shit's creek without a paddle.  Gibby needs to manufacture runs in the postseason.  Period.

He cannot simply count on Bautista to do the batflip or Donaldson to have the big hit or EE to have the walk off HR every time.  They are human beings.  They will do it about half the time, but not all the time.  It's too much pressure and they're human, not perfect.  The last half of the lineup minus Carrera did NOTHING.  And even worse, idiot fans blame those 3, 3 of the best baseball players in the league, when things go wrong.  EE the AL postseason leader in RBIs and HRs.  Donaldson, the 2015 AL MVP.  This is a really sore point with me.  Gibby has to be creative when the Big boys aren't getting it done.  He needs to be able to get men on base against a tough pitcher.  It's almost like he refuses.  It's as stubborn as Showalter refusing to use Zach Britton in the 10th let alone the 11th inning!

I don't think so.

A lot of the time, both in this series and in the Royals series, we didn't need a big hit, we just needed a hit (or sometimes a sac fly.) We stranded a ton of guys. We weren't really struggling to get guys into scoring position, we either had tons of runners early in the game, and failed to cash them, or we were struggling to get guys on at all. Carrera CAN bunt for singles, but he's hardly perfect at it, if he was he'd bunt every single time. Bunting for a hit is an inherently risky play, no one's perfect it. And bunting isn't going to help you score a guy from third unless you're planning on a suicide squeeze, and we really don't have enough talented bunters to do that on a regular basis.

Sure Carrera could've bunted Martin to third and Saunders to second, but you have to make that play assuming he'll be out at first, and then we'd have 2 outs and you NEED a hit from Pillar (or a PH) to get any runs in. It's just not a great play with an out already on the board cause if Carrera gets a hit, which he's not bad at, he either cashes Martin or puts Pillar in a position where he can cash Martin with a sac fly. If we had no outs and Martin and Saunders aboard, and the next batter wasn't Pillar, I agree a bunt from Carrera would be a great idea, but that wasn't the case. 

Bunting has it's place in the game, but usually that place is when you have a runner (or 2 runners) and no outs, and you're trailing by one, and the guy after your bunter is a good hitter. IMO, we didn't really have a lot of positions in this series where we could afford to bunt and give away outs.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Maximum Taco

[King of Birds]

2 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Best quote about the ALCS I've seen this morning:  "Somewhere Harry Doyle is smiling."

Was curious which Hollywood based Cleveland fans will show up for the WS. I bet if the Dodgers make the WS they could get ... Charlie Sheen - Corbin Bernsen - Margaret Whitton- Dennis Haysbert- Wesley Snipes - Rene Russo and the Uecker?  What are they up to?  Drew Carey and any of his show's cast?

[cleo]

So I am admittedly new to base ball but all season Gibbons seemed to lack strategy and I am not surprised they didn't make ws. I guess I just saw the team losing in the same way often throughout the season with no effort to develop any diff approach. I agree with Ms Blue Jays comments, except I saw the same issues all season (and with maximum taco about just needing any kind of hit) I think the the fact they made it this far was really a testament to the pitching. 

Also I may be influenced (again as a newbie) this is my first whole season watching baseball and I much prefer the base stealing, small ball type of game, and of course that is even better when that is mixed with big hitters (as it is on some really good teams) but I understand it's hard to get that perfect mix. 

Edited October 20, 2016 by cleo

[ElDosEquis]

5 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Best quote about the ALCS I've seen this morning:  "Somewhere Harry Doyle is smiling."

We'll see if Jobu shows up?

[roamyn]

1 minute ago, ElDosEquis said:

We'll see if Jobu shows up?

Jobu used to be the dugout mascot during The Jake days.

Haven't been to a game since oh, 2010 (we moved to a Chicago suburb in '08), so I'm not sure Jobu is still there.

[ElDosEquis]

3 hours ago, King of Birds said:

Was curious which Hollywood based Cleveland fans will show up for the WS. I bet if the Dodgers make the WS they could get ... Charlie Sheen - Corbin Bernsen - Margaret Whitton- Dennis Haysbert- Wesley Snipes - Rene Russo and the Uecker?  What are they up to?  Drew Carey and any of his show's cast?

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/finding-jobu--who-has-the-good-luck-charm-from--major-league--25-years-later-085837527.html

Looks like Jobu he ess a Dodger fan now, he leeves in Los Ahn-ge lehs..............

[mojoween]

ebk are you married to a gentleman named Hunter who was on Jeopardy!?  Because his story during his interview made me think if not, you would get along famously!

(When he was getting married, he sent a letter to every baseball team asking for any spare bobbleheads and every team responded. They got about 200 and used them as placeholders at the reception.)

[jennifer6973]

I believe Charlie Sheen tweeted that Rick Vaughn was ready and willing to suit up.  I saw it on MLB Network, don't know which show.

[roamyn]

It would be great if the Brewers let Bob Uekker call the Series!

[Maximum Taco]

1 hour ago, jennifer6973 said:

I believe Charlie Sheen tweeted that Rick Vaughn was ready and willing to suit up.  I saw it on MLB Network, don't know which show.

Wild Thing?!

That would be pretty sick if Cleveland got him to one of the games, in his thick ol coke bottle glasses. 

[ebk57]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

ebk are you married to a gentleman named Hunter who was on Jeopardy!?  Because his story during his interview made me think if not, you would get along famously!

(When he was getting married, he sent a letter to every baseball team asking for any spare bobbleheads and every team responded. They got about 200 and used them as placeholders at the reception.)

That's wonderful!  One of my best friend's sister had bobbleheads of her and her husband made as cake toppers.  They were adorable.

Mr ebk's name is John and the reason that my 'heads are in my office is that they are not allowed in the house.  Not that our house is a paragon of neatness...  At this point in my collection, I'd have enough placeholders for 236 guests.

[mojoween]

I know he's not one of mine but I'm really starting to fall in love with Adrian Gonzalez.

It's not cheating on the Yankees if it's someone from the NL, right?

[jennifer6973]

Not really, but it is the Dodgers and they used to play in NY.

 

So basically what I am saying is ask an older Yankee fan and see if they would approve.

1 hour ago, Maximum Taco said:

Wild Thing?!

That would be pretty sick if Cleveland got him to one of the games, in his thick ol coke bottle glasses. 

Now that I think about it, I think it was talked about on Intentional Talk.  I think Chris Rose mentioned that would be a cool first pitch with him coming out from the Bullpen to Wild Thing.

[King of Birds]

52 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I know he's not one of mine but I'm really starting to fall in love with Adrian Gonzalez.

Former Red Sox* Adrian Gonzalez?  Does his time in the NL absolve him of the cooties?

(*and Rangers & Padres)

[mojoween]

Oh.

No.  Sorry A-Gon.  I'm over you.

[King of Birds]

1 hour ago, ebk57 said:

and the reason that my 'heads are in my office is that they are not allowed in the house.

ebk57, are you trying to tell us you're a hoarder? Do you have a spoon or teapot collection at home?

1 hour ago, Maximum Taco said:

That would be pretty sick if Cleveland got him to one of the games, in his thick ol coke bottle glasses. 

"These things make me look ridiculous"
"Seeing's the most important thing son"
"I don't think it's that important."

Hey so, when Cubs/Dodgers wraps up, is that the end of ARod and Pete Rose etc? I've watched NONE of the pre or post-game shows just to avoid the double whammy of assholes. We move to Fox for the WS and whomever they dig up to annoy us, right?

[Lantern7]

Four-plus hours for a nine inning game on a cable network. Not a good look for MLB. Also: didn't the Cubs go into Wrigley with a 3-2 lead in 2003? Just sayin'.

[twoods]

I'm giving the edge to the Cubs-Kershaw and Hill are bound to have an off day and the Cubs bats have woken up. 

[Lantern7]

Even if the Dodgers wind up advancing, they would try for their first title in 28 years. Drop in the bucket compared to the Cubs and Indians, but it still feels like forever ago.

[pennben]

32 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Four-plus hours for a nine inning game on a cable network. Not a good look for MLB. Also: didn't the Cubs go into Wrigley with a 3-2 lead in 2003? Just sayin'.

I know not what you speak of here!:).  Okay, I do and that thought flashed through my mind earlier this evening. I think we're looking at a game 7 for this series..which will not be good for my nerves/liver. 

[mojoween]

King FS1 is FOX's property so once the WS starts A-Rod and Pete (and Frank!) may just shuffle over to the main network.

Yay!  I will always welcome more A-Rod on my teevee.

[MyAimIsTrue]

10 hours ago, jennifer6973 said:

So basically what I am saying is ask an older Yankee fan and see if they would approve.

My father would never ever approve of liking anyone or anything associated with 'Dem Bums (the Dodgers from their Brooklyn days).

[MyAimIsTrue]

7 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Also: didn't the Cubs go into Wrigley with a 3-2 lead in 2003? Just sayin'.

I had the same thought this morning and hope Steve Bartman is nowhere to be found.

[rcc]

How about that ACE Jon Lester! Another playoff game win. Too bad the Red Sox decided to throw money at a supposed ace originally from Tampa who chokes in big games. They should have kept their real ace.

Go Cubs tomorrow but have to get by Kershaw to do it.

[jennifer6973]

13 hours ago, King of Birds said:

ebk57, are you trying to tell us you're a hoarder? Do you have a spoon or teapot collection at home?

"These things make me look ridiculous"
"Seeing's the most important thing son"
"I don't think it's that important."

Hey so, when Cubs/Dodgers wraps up, is that the end of ARod and Pete Rose etc? I've watched NONE of the pre or post-game shows just to avoid the double whammy of assholes. We move to Fox for the WS and whomever they dig up to annoy us, right?

Actually no we are stuck with Pete and ARod like we are stuck with Joe Buck

[King of Birds]

12 minutes ago, jennifer6973 said:

Actually no we are stuck with Pete and ARod like we are stuck with Joe Buck

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!  / Darth Vader howl

[mojoween]

Who's that with Buck?  Is it Smoltz?

Regardless even though he's not so bad it's amusing like McGarver I like him anyways.

[roamyn]

Trust me, Cal Ripken & Co. have SUCKED big time over on TBS 

And their East Coast / East Division bias is so blatent.

But keep saying Cleveland won't win.  There's a game simultaneously going on Tuesday right across the street that says otherwise.

[mojoween]

Aww I love Ernie, Ron and Cal so much.  I wish they worked for FOX.

[MyAimIsTrue]

I'll happily keep Ernie and Ron but Cal brings out the worst of the grammar snob in me.

[attica]

7 minutes ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Cal brings out the worst of the grammar snob in me.

You say that like it's a bad thing!

[jennifer6973]

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

Aww I love Ernie, Ron and Cal so much.  I wish they worked for FOX.

Who's Ernie, I thought the other guy was Marv Albert's brother.

I agree with Cal, he's a keeper.

Ron on the other hand I can take or leave depending on his viewpoint that day. (His Mets bias is deep)

[mojoween]

Ernie Johnson.  He is TNT's NBA host/Charles Barkley wrangler.

[Mittengirl]

I thought it was Marv Albert!  I don't watch basketball, so have never heard Johnson doing anything else.  I just figured he was a Fox guy from some regional network.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Ernie Johnson's father, Ernie Sr., was also an amazing baseball broadcaster.  Sorry but Cal speaks so poorly from a grammatical standpoint that I just can't with him.

Not sure if I've ever mentioned it here but I am a season ticket holder for the Orlando Solar Bears hockey team, ECHL (think double A level) affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and tonight is the season opener and I can't wait to be rink side!  I'll be keeping one eye on tonight's baseball game while getting my hockey on.

[ebk57]

On 10/20/2016 at 11:03 PM, King of Birds said:

ebk57, are you trying to tell us you're a hoarder? Do you have a spoon or teapot collection at home?

Hoarder would be a little...harsh.  I have stuff.  Lots of stuff.  Let's just say it's a good thing Mr ebk and I don't have kids, and we have a semi-big house.  I'm much better at tossing stuff now, it's just that I have to now go and toss stuff I've had for ages. 

On topic, I just got the 2017 Os pet calendar - to give to a friend for her birthday.  Not for me!  And...let's go Cubs!

[mojoween]

It occurs to me that my loathing for Theo Epstein is stronger than I even realized  because this game tonight sucks super hard.

If Chicago holds on to win I have no interest in the WS because I also loathe Cleveland sports in general and realized that I WAS rooting against the Indians in the last series.  Bummer.

[Lantern7]

Cubs are three outs away, up by five. I keep imagining the ball hit near the field and the fans fleeing the area, not wanting to be the next Bartman.

[ebk57]

Wow.  This Cubs thing might actually happen.  Although now that I've said something...

[mojoween]

I didn't feel good about rooting for Chapman when he was a Yankee, and I wonder how Cubbies feel watching him out there knowing he's what is going to help them get into the Series.