MLB Thread

[Ms Blue Jay]

Trying to read that article is killing my will to live because of the ads and popups.  I swear, I can't even get to the print.  Can somebody translate this?  What does this mean, and why?  Thank you.

[theatremouse]

A-Rod thinks Lindor's slumping is messing with his swing, and (I infer) thinks he's "going for too many" HRs, also messing with said swing. So A-Rod mentioned this cockamamey theory to not reward Lindor for HRs because it means his swing is still not what it was before. Or something. The article doesn't actually say that. Basically it says "A-Rod said this thing and it's nonsense because Lindor's always been a HR guy, and nobody likes A-Rod anyway, but maybe ESPN is keeping him on because he's a trainwreck and people like watching those."

[mojoween]

I haven’t really missed having 45,000 fans at Yankee Stadium...until tonight.

[smittykins]

Wasn’t there an “F the Astros!” chant?

[NUguy514]

8 hours ago, RedElf said:

A-Rod says the Mets should penalize Lindor if he hits over 25 home runs.

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2021/05/03/alex-rodriguez-francisco-lindor-mets-penalize-for-home-runs

 

A-Rod,

3 hours ago, smittykins said:

Wasn’t there an “F the Astros!” chant?

There's never a wrong moment for that.

[mojoween]

9 hours ago, smittykins said:

Wasn’t there an “F the Astros!” chant?

“Fuck Altuve” clap clap clapclapclap 

I didn’t hear it so much on ESPN, but it came across beautifully on YES.  And there were some Twitter videos from the stands where you could hear it.

I get Dusty Baker getting annoyed, but he needs to stop being the cheater police.  Manfred even said they would be punished by the fan reaction.

[Lantern7]

Didn’t ESPN air the episode with Star Wars stuff last night? Hmmm . . . tainted team coming to Yankee Stadium, where fans are still butthurt about 2019, and the network decided that would be the game to hook to the geek franchise. What did they think will happen? Not easy to do cross-promotion with fans openly cursing.

Can you guys read this? It’s a small piece on Jose Altuve‘s woes from last year. I read it in the latest Sports Illustrated, but you might be locked out. They also had a thing about BP pitchers. Both were interesting reads.

[mojoween]

53 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

 

Didn’t ESPN air the episode with Star Wars stuff last night?

 

They surely did.

 

[mojoween]

“...and security confiscated multiple inflatable trash cans.” is a delightful sentence to read in the newspaper.

[ebk57]

Look at that - John Means just threw a no-hitter.  Who woulda thought that could happen this season.

[xaxat]

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa admits he didn't know extra-inning rule

Who would have guessed? 

Where was his bench coach? It's his job to be a second pair of eyes. Did he not know the rule also?

 

[catlover79]

3 hours ago, ebk57 said:

Look at that - John Means just threw a no-hitter.  Who woulda thought that could happen this season.

I thought of you when I heard that!! Good for Mr. Means, the O's, and you!!!! 😊😎

[catlover79]

12 hours ago, mojoween said:

“...and security confiscated multiple inflatable trash cans.” is a delightful sentence to read in the newspaper.

Weren't the Yankees the team that was going to give away miniature trash cans to X number of fans last year before COVID-19 prevented fans from attending the games? 

19 hours ago, mojoween said:

I get Dusty Baker getting annoyed, but he needs to stop being the cheater police.  Manfred even said they would be punished by the fan reaction.

You have to feel bad for Dusty. He wasn't even their manager yet when all that went down. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by catlover79

[catlover79]

On 5/4/2021 at 6:01 PM, theatremouse said:

A-Rod thinks Lindor's slumping is messing with his swing, and (I infer) thinks he's "going for too many" HRs, also messing with said swing. So A-Rod mentioned this cockamamey theory to not reward Lindor for HRs because it means his swing is still not what it was before. Or something. The article doesn't actually say that. Basically it says "A-Rod said this thing and it's nonsense because Lindor's always been a HR guy, and nobody likes A-Rod anyway, but maybe ESPN is keeping him on because he's a trainwreck and people like watching those."

I wouldn't worry about Frankie too much. Having watched him for his entire Cleveland career, he sometimes had slow starts. Still, I don't think he's had quite as bad an April/early May than he has this year. If he's still at this point next month, then it's time to worry.

[NUguy514]

2 hours ago, catlover79 said:

You have to feel bad for Dusty. He wasn't even their manager yet when all that went down. 

I'd love to feel bad for Dusty, but

[cleo]

Dusty knew what he was getting into. If they really don't like it they can give their rings back and see if that makes a difference.

[cambridgeguy]

6 hours ago, cleo said:

Dusty knew what he was getting into. If they really don't like it they can give their rings back and see if that makes a difference.

If Dusty is being honest he knows virtually all of the players got away with it. Thanks to Covid they were spared a much worse reaction and it's not like they had to give back their rings, their money, or anything else of real consequence.  Maybe it will come up again for anyone who has a Hall of Fame candidacy, but that's pretty much it.

[Ms Blue Jay]

15 hours ago, catlover79 said:

I wouldn't worry about Frankie too much. Having watched him for his entire Cleveland career, he sometimes had slow starts. Still, I don't think he's had quite as bad an April/early May than he has this year. If he's still at this point next month, then it's time to worry.

Edwin Encarnacion is my all time favourite and he was always a major power hitter and always racked up a lot of HRs by the end of each season.  He notoriously has a slow start every year and then one day in May everything starts to magically click and it's HR, HR, HR.  I wonder if this will happen to Fran.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[cleo]

Lindor might also be struggling bc of the new team and associated pressures....some guys take a while to settle in.

Aaaand I read reports the Astros complained to MLB, that's why more stuff was confiscated at Yankee stadium the second (?) game.

Seriously I could not have less respect for that franchise.

[catlover79]

12 minutes ago, cleo said:

Lindor might also be struggling bc of the new team and associated pressures....some guys take a while to settle in.

Not to mention that Cleveland and NYC are two entirely different markets, and he is now playing in the NL where he is not familiar with many of the pitchers. He was beloved in Cleveland and I don't recall him being booed here for any reason, ever. But he is so gregarious and good-natured that eventually it will all come together for him.

@Ms Blue Jay, I remember Edwin's time with the Indians fondly. He did tend to have more HRs in the latter months of the season - we'd see "The Parrot" everywhere!!!

Finally, the Astros are crybabies - period.  

Edited May 6, 2021 by catlover79

[xaxat]

Wow, the Angels DFAed Albert Pujols.

He was soooo good as a Cardinal. And then it felt like he fell off a cliff.

Edited May 6, 2021 by xaxat

[catlover79]

Here's some happy news...today is Willie Mays' 90th birthday (5/6/1931)!! Many happy returns to the Say Hey Kid. 😊🥰🎂🎁🎉🎊🎈⚾️

[cambridgeguy]

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

Wow, the Angels DFAed Albert Pujols.

He was soooo good as a Cardinal. And then if felt like he fell off a cliff.

A prime example of never paying for past performance - Miguel Cabrera is another example. 

Pujols ended up being a lot like Griffey - look at the first half of his career and he's arguably the greatest to ever play the position.  Then he left to cash in and fell off a cliff thanks to age/injury.  There's also a rumor that Pujols is a few years older than he says.

[AimingforYoko]

4 hours ago, xaxat said:

Wow, the Angels DFAed Albert Pujols.

He was soooo good as a Cardinal. And then it felt like he fell off a cliff.

And Father Time improves his record to ∞-0.

[Lantern7]

Here’s the article on BP pitchers. I like seeing hidden corners of sports. Months ago, SI covered the people who handle the chains at NFL games.

[xaxat]

Ex-MLB manager Bobby Valentine enters mayoral race in Stamford, Connecticut

Quote

Valentine, who owns a sports bar in Stamford, served as the city's health and public safety director in 2011 before being hired by the Red Sox.

Whaaat?

[Moose135]

Will he wear a fake mustache and sunglasses on the campaign trail?

[mojoween]

It’s amusing, to me at least, that Paul O’Neill’s son apparently texted him while he was in the middle of broadcasting a Yankees game, to let Paul know he’s going to be a pappy.  Did Andy O’Neill and spouse really find out she is pregnant at 8:30 on Friday night?

[Ms Blue Jay]

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[mojoween]

That is so weird because someone else tweeted that there was either a rat or raccoon in the tunnel and that was what the Mets were running to.

”If Judge is swinging at strikes in the zone that’s ok, but when he is swinging out of the zone is when you start to worry.”

I AM OFFICIALLY WORRIED, PAUL.

Edited May 8, 2021 by mojoween

[Moose135]

22 minutes ago, mojoween said:

That is so weird because someone else tweeted that there was either a rat or raccoon in the tunnel and that was what the Mets were running to.

I think one of the players - maybe Lindor, said something about that in the post-game new conference. I didn't see it, but from what I've read, I don't think he was really serious about it, more like he was coming up with something to avoid a real answer.

[mojoween]

Ok that makes sense because as my husband said, if you think you have a rat the size of a raccoon in your dugout, you have some real problems.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Yeah Lindor said he thought it was a rat and McNeil thought it was a raccoon (or the reverse) and so they fought over it.  Which is obviously not true.  And has led to a loooooooot of memes and drawings depicting what this ratraccoon looks like.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

 

[xaxat]

It's gotten better since they first started doing it, but that little outline around the pitcher against the CGI ads on the backstop really annoys me.

[Lamb18]

On 5/7/2021 at 7:51 PM, mojoween said:

It’s amusing, to me at least, that Paul O’Neill’s son apparently texted him while he was in the middle of broadcasting a Yankees game, to let Paul know he’s going to be a pappy.  Did Andy O’Neill and spouse really find out she is pregnant at 8:30 on Friday night?

Maybe it was an at-home test.

[mojoween]

Mike Greenberg teased his radio show saying they were going to reveal the top 5 catchers.  If don’t know if he meant all-time or current but I decided to try to come up with an all-time list.

Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Mike...shit.  What’s his last name?  Scioscia?  No.  Schmidt? Duh no. Stanton?  Definitely not.

It’s been 20 minutes, I refuse to google it and I still can’t come up with his last name.  I know he was a Dodger and a Met, had a hit after 9/11, brown hair brown eyes brown mustache/beard combo.  Hall of Famer.  But apparently his last name is lost to the ages.  And since I’m stuck on that, I haven’t come up with two more catchers.

Trout?  Nope.

Edited May 12, 2021 by mojoween

[cambridgeguy]

Mike Piazza is who you're looking for.  As for other elite catchers, there's Ivan Rodriguez, Carlton Fisk, and Gary Carter

[mojoween]

PIAZZA.  Good lord.

I blame him for making me forget about Gary Carter.

Edited May 12, 2021 by mojoween

[catlover79]

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

Mike Greenberg teased his radio show saying they were going to reveal the top 5 catchers.  If don’t know if he meant all-time or current but I decided to try to come up with an all-time list.

Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Mike...shit.  What’s his last name?  Scioscia?  No.  Schmidt? Duh no. Stanton?  Definitely not.

It’s been 20 minutes, I refuse to google it and I still can’t come up with his last name.  I know he was a Dodger and a Met, had a hit after 9/11, brown hair brown eyes brown mustache/beard combo.  Hall of Famer.  But apparently his last name is lost to the ages.  And since I’m stuck on that, I haven’t come up with two more catchers.

Trout?  Nope.

I remember his feud with Roger Clemens in the 2000 World Series, and laughed when the two of them were named the starting pitcher and catcher in the 2001 All Star Game. I said they put the "battery" in battery. 😂

[xaxat]

Mike Piazza was the star of one of the great moments in sports. No exaggeration. Ten days after 9/11, the Mets played in first sporting event held in the city after the attack. Apparently, the league told the Mets they couldn't wear first responder hats to honor their service, but the team did it anyway. The team trailed the Braves 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth and this happened.

I am not a fan of the idea that "sports unites", but this is one exception. The city really did feel different the next day.

[DoctorAtomic]

I think sports can unite. That certainly was one instance. It can be overused to be sure, but there's a place for that. 

[mojoween]

The Yankees have seven positive COVID cases, at least two of whom are vaccinated, one who is symptomatic and I don’t even know what to do with any of this information.

Edited May 13, 2021 by mojoween

[catlover79]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

The Yankees have seven positive COVID cases, at least two of whom are vaccinated, one who is asymptomatic and I don’t even know what to do with any of this information.

On the opposite side of the country, the Padres are in a similar situation:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcsandiego.com/news/shock-and-disappointment-padres-fans-react-to-stunning-covid-19-news-impacting-players/2603122/%3famp

[cleo]

Has any team reached that vaccination threshold MLB set, the one where they could relax protocols?

[mojoween]

Yep.  The Yankees reached the 85% mark three weeks ago.  At the time there were four other teams who also had done that, but I don’t remember which ones.

So this is all rather strange.

[cleo]

Was reading the Yankees had the Johnson and Johnson vaccine which is 60-70% effective at reducing infection....that was again from Craig Calcaterra, I really like his blog. Then if one of them gets it and they are in close quarters it could still spread I guess?

At least the outcomes should not be severe and they should recover quickly.

ETA link to source- https://cupofcoffee.substack.com/p/cup-of-coffee-may-13-2021

Edited May 13, 2021 by cleo

[Lamb18]

Would Joe Mauer (Twins) be considered a great catcher?

[theatremouse]

Several of the Padres who either tested positive or are now in isolation have been - I hesitate to say "vocal" because that sounds more emphatic than it was - but when asked by media about COVID vaccines, essentially acknowledged they didn't feel the need to bother. Not anti-vax per se, just very casually "nope not right now" kinda vibe. And here we are.

Plus, since fully vaccinated people are no longer required to quarantine after potential exposure, I think that implies that none of the Padres involved in this were fully vaccinated? Although I suppose it's possible they were halfway through a two-dose regimen, or just not two weeks post second dose yet. 

[mojoween]

Gleyber Torres was held out of last night’s game as a “precaution”...and today he tested positive.  Apparently the Yankees have been testing three times a day since the beginning of this week.