MLB Thread

[mojoween]

Is David Price the slowest pitcher in history, or does it just feel that way because a glacier floated past my house between his pitches?

[theatremouse]

25 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Is David Price the slowest pitcher in history, or does it just feel that way because a glacier floated past my house between his pitches?

Greinke and Kluber are slower, but he's up there.

[ebk57]

4 hours ago, jennifer6973 said:

ebk that's gonna end tonight or spontaneous combustion is going to happen and it will end in a tie.

 

At least that is what I wish would happen when 2 of my favorites play each other or 2 of my leasts play each other.

It seems it's definitely gonna end tonight.  Although after the last 2 nights, I guess I should wait until at least the 8th before I throw in the towel.

[Crs97]

From reference.com:

Why do they call it a rubber match?

A:

QUICK ANSWER

The sporting term "rubber match" refers to the final and deciding game in any series and traces its origins back to the 16th century English game of lawn bowling. Somewhat similar to bocce ball, the object of lawn bowling is to roll wooden balls across a flat field toward a smaller white ball so they stop as close as possible to the smaller ball without hitting it. Most experts agree that the term refers either to two balls rubbing together, a game-losing mistake or to the final game's potential to "rub out" or erase the losing team.

[mojoween]

Ooooookay.  Thank you for finding that!  Even if I hate that explanation because it is unsatisfactory to me.  Language is weird.

[attica]

Re: Scooter. The single-A Staten Island Yankees have a cow mascot named Scooter. The cow sports a halo. Holy Cow! Geddit? Geddit?!?

[Crs97]

I thought the origin of "rubber match" was going to be a lot more interesting than it was.

[Crs97]

I typically don't like mascots, but the lover of bad puns inside me may have just fallen in love with the holy cow!

Edited June 9, 2017 by Crs97

[Lantern7]

I believe I mentioned Scooter on the Minor League thread

It's 2:15 p.m. on Friday, June 9, and Terry Collins is still managing the Mets.

[ketchuplover]

Saw my first game at Miller Park yesterday.  Too much showing fans doing stuff on the jumbo tron for my taste.  Overall though it was quite pleasant even though the Brewers underscored the Giants.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Did you see the streaker? 

[Lantern7]

Man, don't you just love walk-off wins from the opposing team? In two weeks: "Yeah, we were stoked about coming back from three down in the ninth, and we were feeling the fans. But come on, these are the Mets we're talking about. Hearty handshakes was all that was needed."

[Silver Raven]

wth are those uniforms Tampa Bay is wearing in the first game of the doubleheader today?  Light blue pants, shirts with Light blue fronts and backs, yellow-orange sleeves and collars and trims.  They look like softball uniforms.

 

Why they're having a doubleheader:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/five-things-to-know-about-saturdays-rays-as-doubleheader/2326733

[Lantern7]

Minor league throwback concept? It doesn't look all that bad. Fun stuff for the hundreds of Rays fans in attendance.

I was out and about when the Mets won today. Cespedes hit a grand slam in the ninth. Good for him.

[theatremouse]

3 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

wth are those uniforms Tampa Bay is wearing in the first game of the doubleheader today? 

They're "fauxbacks" because the Rays haven't changed their looks/existed long enough to have actual throwbacks, and they're largely a ripoff of the Padres' old school mustard unis from 1980, but adapted to the Rays' colors, sort of. They did them last year too. They're absurd, but not new.

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

I was out and about when the Mets won today. Cespedes hit a grand slam in the ninth. Good for him.

I heard it on the radio.  And they just won the second game of the doubleheader, Matz went 7 innings, giving up one run, and the Mets' bats really woke up against the Braves' pitching!

Edited June 11, 2017 by Moose135

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Today was Matt Duffy (Rays' edition) bobblehead day :( 

 

I don't know about management having regrets, but I'm pretty sure both Giants and Rays fans are so over the Matt Moore/Matt Duffy trade. Matty Moe is way too inconsistent, and poor Duffy has barely played at all since last year because of his heel. Which he injured playing on that crappy Tropicana Field turf. Damn you, Rays!

[prican58]

So, Cespedes is back? Good to hear about the Slam. Mets fans need some good news. If only Wright would come back healthy.

Yanks leading 14-0. DiDi fouls a ball of his back leg shin...the unprotected leg. WTF? Hits a ground rule double but sort of limps into 2nd. Joe should take him out now. 

[mojoween]

FOX you shut your whore mouth.  It is an insult to Judge and Sanchez to put them in a split screen comparison with Canseco and McGwire because we all know why they were like that and I do not want even a hint of that accusation hurled Judge and Sanchez's way.

[prican58]

mojo I am guessing Bash Bros were not PED'ing in their rookie year. Am I wrong about that? 

[theatremouse]

1 hour ago, Moose135 said:

Matz went 7 innings,

This alone had me cheering. They've fallen so far I've re-calibrated the bar for success. Don't get me wrong, yay two wins in one day against a team they absolutely should be clobbering. However at the moment, "starter went 7" is leaps and bounds from where they've been drowning themselves for the past two weeks. Gsellman went 6 2/3 in G1, which ain't too shabby either.  I am seriously over this bullshit where they can't seem to go beyond 5.

[catrox14]

My beloved Rockies, man. Drubbed the Cubs thus far at Wrigley and are on a 7 game win streak. This is so much fun!!!

[prican58]

theatremouse, they are not down for the count yet. Matz going 7 is a good sign and Ces is back so the lineup an start going. Stuff happens in a long season and maybe Nats stumble a bit.

[navelgazer]

Twisted fun watching a Mariner home game with more fans from the opposing team, Toronto, in SAFECO than for the home club.  Kendrys Morales just hit a 2-run homer putting the Blue Jays over the Ms and I cheered before I could stop myself.  

[theatremouse]

26 minutes ago, prican58 said:

theatremouse, they are not down for the count yet. Matz going 7 is a good sign and Ces is back so the lineup an start going. Stuff happens in a long season and maybe Nats stumble a bit.

I haven't completely given up. That said, the lineup most nights wasn't the problem. Pitching was. They scored 5+ runs plenty of games in the past two weeks. Problem is they've been giving up 7+. Can't win like that, and to really make up the difference, their pitchers need to all be like that Matz was today, consistently. They need to starting sweeping, frequently.

[prican58]

theatremouse, they need to start thinking that the next game is game 1 of the season. 0-0 record. Stop trying to make up for lost time and just play ball. You are right about the pitching but these guys didn't just forget how to pitch (like the O's Tillman yesterday).

Where have you gone, David Wright?  This team needs a leader. 

[mojoween]

I don't care if this were game one of the season, there is not going to be anything cuter than Didi Gregorious holding up Ronald Torreyes so Torreyes could get a high five from Aaron Judge.

Who, incidentally, hit the farthest home run I'm pretty sure New New Yankee Stadium has ever seen.

[smittykins]

And here I thought they wouldn't score any runs today because of yesterday's 16-spot.

[ebk57]

Os should be relegated.

 

I will say that Aaron Judge kid is really, really good.  Dammit.

[prican58]

DiDi is my favorite Yankee. Except for the beginning of his first season he has not had a missed step. He is a joy. 

Yeah, ebk57 the kid is pretty good. 

What is the Baltimore media saying about the O's?  

[rcc]

Who needs ARod. Aaron Judge is a superstar!

[ebk57]

46 minutes ago, prican58 said:

What is the Baltimore media saying about the O's?  

Really not much to say other than there's no pitching.  There are a few injuries.  And we suck.  No one has offered up any solutions that I've heard. 

[xaxat]

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

Who, incidentally, hit the farthest home run I'm pretty sure New New Yankee Stadium has ever seen.

Looks like Giancarlo might have a challenger to the throne.

[rippleintime17]

I went to Yankee Stadium this weekend and bought my first Yankee player shirt since Nick Swisher in 2009. ALL RISE! 

[MyAimIsTrue]

When I flew home from Louisville last Friday the airline told me I needed to check my bag because I had two mini bats from the Louisville Slugger Museum.  Okay, fine, I get that so I played by the rules and while walking toward security I saw a Louisville Slugger store that had mini bats for sale along with several HUGE signs indicating such items were now acceptable to carry on.

Grr.  I hate checking my bags.

[xaxat]

That's weird. You would think the home team would know the ground rules.

[catrox14]

Oh well, 3 of 4 at Wrigley is pretty darn good for the Rockies. I'm started to get wild thoughts about Rocktober 3.0.....

[Mrs. P.]

The last of the Astros' 4 starting pitchers was placed on the 10-day disabled list today. Lance McCullers joins Keuchel, McHugh, and Musgrove on the list of pitchers not available to work. Musgrove may try to start tonight against the Rangers, but I'm not holding my breath.

I guess it was foolish for Houston fans to get excited and think that this might finally be our year.

[Lantern7]

Am I a dick for not wanting to go out to Citi Field anytime soon? Found out that Saturday's game will start at 4:10, and the first 15,000 fans will get a bucket hat. Even if I choose a seat at a bad angle, the hat would shield my eyes from the sun. But I don't know if it would be worth buying a ticket and food at inflated prices to watch the Mets disappoint me in person, either by giving up ten runs in the first inning, or with the bullpen blowing a five-run lead in the ninth.

The pitcher slated for the Mets that day is Seth Lugo. Bit of a far cry from the famed young guns, but at least he has promise. Well, for now.

[Bort]

1 hour ago, Mrs. P. said:

The last of the Astros' 4 starting pitchers was placed on the 10-day disabled list today. Lance McCullers joins Keuchel, McHugh, and Musgrove on the list of pitchers not available to work. Musgrove may try to start tonight against the Rangers, but I'm not holding my breath.

I guess it was foolish for Houston fans to get excited and think that this might finally be our year.

Musgrove IS starting tonight. And Fiers has been doing well lately. It still looks like rough going, though. 

[jennifer6973]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Am I a dick for not wanting to go out to Citi Field anytime soon? Found out that Saturday's game will start at 4:10, and the first 15,000 fans will get a bucket hat. Even if I choose a seat at a bad angle, the hat would shield my eyes from the sun. But I don't know if it would be worth buying a ticket and food at inflated prices to watch the Mets disappoint me in person, either by giving up ten runs in the first inning, or with the bullpen blowing a five-run lead in the ninth.

The pitcher slated for the Mets that day is Seth Lugo. Bit of a far cry from the famed young guns, but at least he has promise. Well, for now.

It should be worth it, they are playing the Nationals this weekend so you know you will get a good game.

[ebk57]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Am I a dick for not wanting to go out to Citi Field anytime soon? Found out that Saturday's game will start at 4:10, and the first 15,000 fans will get a bucket hat. Even if I choose a seat at a bad angle, the hat would shield my eyes from the sun. But I don't know if it would be worth buying a ticket and food at inflated prices to watch the Mets disappoint me in person, either by giving up ten runs in the first inning, or with the bullpen blowing a five-run lead in the ninth.

The pitcher slated for the Mets that day is Seth Lugo. Bit of a far cry from the famed young guns, but at least he has promise. Well, for now.

You're not a dick because of that.  If you're trying to find reasons to talk yourself out of going, don't go.  

I will say that sometimes the thought of the driving and parking and the expense of the beer/food and dealing with all the stupid people who are there make me want to stay home forever.  But once I'm there, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.  Even if the team sucks.  Really.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Speaking as someone who no longer lives in a major league city I'd jump at the chance to go to a game no matter how sucky the team.

[theatremouse]

On the one hand, if they're playing the Nats, even ignoring their recent bullpen atrociousness, they'll probably lose. They have a pretty bad record against the Nats historically, even in years when the Nats were terrible. So I think there are two ways to look at it:

Go anyway because if it's the Nats it means more and if they win this series, or heck even sweep, they've made up a ton of ground. Plus free hat.

Don't go because the disappointment will be worse in person if they lose than it would be otherwise. Wait until a series when they have better chances. (although if they lose a game they "should" win it might be more depressing, but higher chance of not being depressing at all?)

Lugo is looking pretty good though.

[xaxat]

22 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Am I a dick for not wanting to go out to Citi Field anytime soon? Found out that Saturday's game will start at 4:10, and the first 15,000 fans will get a bucket hat. Even if I choose a seat at a bad angle, the hat would shield my eyes from the sun. But I don't know if it would be worth buying a ticket and food at inflated prices to watch the Mets disappoint me in person, either by giving up ten runs in the first inning, or with the bullpen blowing a five-run lead in the ninth.

The pitcher slated for the Mets that day is Seth Lugo. Bit of a far cry from the famed young guns, but at least he has promise. Well, for now.

The beauty or sports is that you never know what might happen. 

Back in the nineties I was living in DC. A friend of mine offered me his tickets for a late season Orioles game. I thought about the hassle of driving up there and declined.

It turned out to be the last game of Cal Ripken's streak. 

I still beat myself up about that.

[mojoween]

xaxat I want to give you the "oh no" emoji, do those work here?

I still have that game on VHS.  No way to play it, but I like knowing that I have it.  I think I also still have the next day's newspaper.

[ebk57]

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

The beauty or sports is that you never know what might happen. 

Back in the nineties I was living in DC. A friend of mine offered me his tickets for a late season Orioles game. I thought about the hassle of driving up there and declined.

It turned out to be the last game of Cal Ripken's streak. 

I still beat myself up about that.

I was at that game.  It was the last game of the season on our plan and we left the next day to drive to Kansas City, St Louis and... I think Pittsburgh, stopping in Louisville on the way to see the Bat Factory.

As we were leaving the game, I wanted to write down the seats I was considering trying to move to the next season, so I did it on the back of my ticket, which I put somewhere.  We were listening to the game the next day on the radio and Cal wasn't playing.  And as much as I looked, I could never find that ticket to save (even though I think I have all of the millions of other games I've been to). 

Mark McGwire did not hit the record breaking home run while we were in St Louis either.  But we still had a good time.

 

(and as I'm writing this, something about that timeline feels wrong, but this is my story and I'm sticking to it!)

[mojoween]

So from August 25-27 apparently MLB is going to allow players to put nicknames on their jerseys and please tell me the Yankees are not going to be part of this.  

I know it's fun and probably a moneymaker blat blat blat but I don't care.  Don't mess with the pinstripes.

[MyAimIsTrue]

It sounds like a cute idea but not what I'd expect in the majors.  Minors maybe.  That's what we did in my softball playing days and we were a D league co-ed team.

[Bort]

I like it. It'll be fun to see the players' personalities displayed on their uniforms for a day. Usually, the best clue you get is what their walk-on song is.