MLB Thread

[Lantern7]

*sigh* Heard construction guys yapping about that. Totally forgot about that until now. Is Wilpon trying to make amends to a higher power after signing Reyes? And this isn't going to spill into the stretch drive, right? They dump him off in the Arizona Fall League and maybe he gets to spring training.

ETA: Got an e-mail from the Mets. Turns out he will be going to Florida. I'm thinking he's Plan TT for a team with maybe five healthy guys at any time. And one of them is over 40 and looks like he doesn't miss the post game buffet.

[windsprints]

Quote

Is Wilpon trying to make amends to a higher power after signing Reyes?

LOL.  Probably trying to get in good with the agent. Tebow has the same agent as deGrom, Syndergaard & Cespedes. 

[mojoween]

The funniest tweet I have seen so far was "with Tebow and Bonilla in the heart of the order the Mets will be unstoppable."

[Moose135]

He can't play football, so why not try baseball? ;-)

[topanga]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Breaking news!  The Mets have fallen victim to a publicity stunt!

Alternatively, they signed Tim Tebow.  Tomato, tomahto.

Wow. I thought the Braves were the ones who needed to sell tickets planned to sign Tebow.

[windsprints]

ESPN's Adam Rubin on the Mets signing Tebow: http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/124054/from-jets-to-mets-why-amazins-tossed-a-hail-mary-to-tim-tebow

[attica]

I sorta picture him taking a knee at every base he reaches, which I'm thinking will be a boon to the opposing fielders. Also, I picture the first live pitches he sees will be fast, high, and inside.

[Lantern7]

Maybe he'll be a reliever, and the knee thing would be his signature after saving a game.

Got another e-mail from the Mets. Preliminary games for the World Baseball Classic are going to be held on Coney Island in a few weeks. Didn't think that belonged on the minor league thread.

[xaxat]

So the Mets do a solid for the agent of some of their most talented players. The agent helps helps out his client Tebow. Tebow gets back in the spotlight.

They all win. And none of it has anything to do with him playing in the major leagues.

[Bort]

Not a very productive day at work when I, listening to the Houston/Cleveland game on the radio via earbuds, end up seething in rage over a truly boneheaded umpire call. I was even fielding angry texts from my dad who said, and I quote, "I've been following baseball since I was three years old in 1950 and that was the worst call I have EVER seen."

[King of Birds]

Yeah, but think of the good company the Astros are in when Jim Joyce apologizes - just like when he blows all his other terrible calls!  Chin up kariyaki! Link to the obvious foul ball Chisenhall hit.

ETA: $100,000 to Tebow. I hope every pitcher making below minimum wage in the minors throws major chin music at this ass.

Edited September 9, 2016 by King of Birds

[Crs97]

Not the first bad call; not the last.  To me, not worse than the 28-out no hitter that Joyce blew.

I dislike the linked article calling Tito's response "coy."  He says he wasn't sure when he saw it live, that the umpires didn't have the advantage of replay on that one while the rest of us did, that you hate to have bad calls in games, that the Tribe have been on the wrong end of bad calls, and that Joyce gives you all he's got so it's hard to be mad when he makes a mistake.  I don't know what part of that is "coy."

[MyAimIsTrue]

12 hours ago, King of Birds said:

ETA: $100,000 to Tebow. I hope every pitcher making below minimum wage in the minors throws major chin music at this ass.

Seriously.

You guys probably know I have absolutely no interest in that pointy ball game but since I live in Floriduh I know who Tebow is, so outside of the previously mentioned possibilities of it being a publicity stunt why is this happening?  The guy is a failed football player who never accomplished anything professionally so why is he considered a name or a draw?

[attica]

I kinda think Tebow's like the Kardashians of sport: famous for being famous. And fame might just mean more butts in seats for the team that buys it.

[Lantern7]

But isn't Tebow talented, even marginally? I'm trying to see the bright side, but I feel bad for the Mets fan walking into the office filled with belligerent Yankees rooters, the kind that wear t-shirts with the name and number on the back, which just bugs me because the jerseys don't have names.

[mojoween]

Hey.  I have nine of those t-shirts.

And I'm mostly part of the time not belligerent.

[Mittengirl]

I don't think Tebow is comparable to the K's; he did win the Heisman, after all.  I don't begrudge him trying baseball, anymore than I did MJ or Bo Jackson.  It won't be easy for him to make it, even if he has the talent.  For some reason, people seem to have a negative reaction to him that I don't understand.

[stealinghome]

26 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

I don't think Tebow is comparable to the K's; he did win the Heisman, after all.  I don't begrudge him trying baseball, anymore than I did MJ or Bo Jackson.  It won't be easy for him to make it, even if he has the talent.  For some reason, people seem to have a negative reaction to him that I don't understand.

I don't think people dislike Tebow as much as they dislike the hype around Tebow (and Tebow's crazy diehard fans, who are really obnoxious). He's about as overhyped an athlete as you'll ever see.

Personally, I kind of feel bad for him. This latest baseball stunt screams that he doesn't know what to do with himself outside of sports.

[Crs97]

What annoys me about Tim Tebow and baseball is suddenly calling baseball his "passion" when we all know that if he could throw a NFL pass he would still be playing football.  He gave up baseball in high school.  We aren't his passion, we are the girlfriend he dumped because he thought another girl was hotter and now that she won't give him the time of day he's sauntered back home deciding we don't look so bad and should be happy he wants to get back together.

I also don't look forward to hearing from his fans again because you just know what's coming:

"He can't hit a curve ball."

"You're anti-Jesus!"

No, I am very pro-Jesus, and Tim still can't hit a curve ball.

[Bort]

"Are you telling me Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball?"

[xaxat]

4 hours ago, Crs97 said:

What annoys me about Tim Tebow and baseball is suddenly calling baseball his "passion" when we all know that if he could throw a NFL pass he would still be playing football. 

He's so passionate about it that he's keeping his weekend gig at ESPN.

[MyAimIsTrue]

10 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I don't think Tebow is comparable to the K's; he did win the Heisman, after all.  I don't begrudge him trying baseball, anymore than I did MJ or Bo Jackson.  It won't be easy for him to make it, even if he has the talent.  For some reason, people seem to have a negative reaction to him that I don't understand.

Bo Jackson was legitimately and immensely talented at baseball, and I've heard people say he was better at baseball than he was at football.  As for MJ weren't there rumors swirling that his "retirement" from basketball was some sort of hush hush suspension agreement and trying his hand at baseball was part of that ruse?

 

48 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

"Are you telling me Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball?"

One of the best baseball movie lines ever!

[mojoween]

Pennant races are the BEST.

[smittykins]

How about Gary Sanchez getting a hit on an attempted intentional walk? :)

[Harry24]

Quote

How about Gary Sanchez getting a hit on an attempted intentional walk? :)

Well, actually he just hit a very long sac fly, but it was almost a home run.  He said when the Yanks were in Seattle recently a pitcher trying to walk him intentionally left a pitch close enough for him to hit but he wasn't ready for it that time.  Good for him that he remembered and gave it a long ride yesterday.  He had to double clutch the pitch was so slow (52 mph).

[King of Birds]

16 hours ago, mojoween said:

Pennant races are the BEST.

Red Sox vs Jays - top of 7th as I type- Sox have used 5 pitchers, Jays have used 7. It's ridiculous. ETA for the bolded part.  IT'S THE 7TH!  12 PITCHERS!

Edited September 11, 2016 by King of Birds

[MyAimIsTrue]

I was watching the game of the week on TBS, Orioles versus Tigers.  Justin Verlander gave up a homerun and then audibly yelled FUCK a couple of times.  Not too long ago this would have elicited severe fines from the FCC and lots of pearl clutching from sensitive types but now who cares?

[rippleintime17]

13 minutes ago, King of Birds said:

Red Sox vs Jays - top of 7th as I type- Sox have used 5 pitchers, Jays have used 7. It's ridiculous. ETA for the bolded part.  IT'S THE 7TH!  12 PITCHERS!

On Friday, the Giants and Diamondbacks went 12 innings. The Dbacks used ELEVEN pitchers. The Giants used less, leaving I believe ten in the bullpen BUT placing one pitcher in LEFT FIELD after he got an out so that someone else could come to pitch to the next guy. Then he went back to the mound to finish the inning and the game. September baseball is weird.

[MBJ]

1 hour ago, King of Birds said:

Red Sox vs Jays - top of 7th as I type- Sox have used 5 pitchers, Jays have used 7. It's ridiculous. ETA for the bolded part.  IT'S THE 7TH!  12 PITCHERS!

It's been a very bad week and a half or so of baseball for me.

[smittykins]

BUT placing one pitcher in LEFT FIELD after he got an out so that someone else could come to pitch to the next guy. Then he went back to the mound to finish the inning and the game. September baseball is weird.

I didn't know that was allowed.  I thought once you left the mound, you were done.

[jennifer6973]

4 hours ago, rippleintime17 said:

On Friday, the Giants and Diamondbacks went 12 innings. The Dbacks used ELEVEN pitchers. The Giants used less, leaving I believe ten in the bullpen BUT placing one pitcher in LEFT FIELD after he got an out so that someone else could come to pitch to the next guy. Then he went back to the mound to finish the inning and the game. September baseball is weird.

Joe Maddon of the Cubs did that a few weeks back and his LF/Pitcher made a pretty good catch while he was in LF.  In fact Maddon has done that a few times.

 

2 hours ago, smittykins said:

 

I didn't know that was allowed.  I thought once you left the mound, you were done.

It's allowed, if you stay in the game.  If you leave the game then you are done.

Edited September 12, 2016 by jennifer6973

[Moose135]

In a game against the Reds during their 1986 championship season, Mets manager Davey Johnson rotated Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco between the mound and right field repeatedly through 4 extra innings, depending on the Reds' batter.  In the 13th inning, Orosco actually made a good catch on a Tony Perez line drive.  Howard Johnson hit a home run in the top of the 14th, and McDowell closed out the game.

[Lantern7]

That was the game where Dave Parker muffed the third out, and Ray Knight sucker punched Eric Davis. Davey also had to put Gary Carter at third because the lineup was stretched so thin from ejections. IIRC, Pete Rose was pissed that Jesse and Roger got eight warmup pitches anytime they took the mound.

[rippleintime17]

4 hours ago, smittykins said:

 

I didn't know that was allowed.  I thought once you left the mound, you were done.

It's the same as when any position player changes positions in a game (like, from right field to center field or what have you). It just also involves moving back to the original position. One Yankee/Red Sox game I went to, Daniel Nava went from the outfield to first base to the outfield, so it's similar to that. It's actually kind of surprising that it doesn't happen more often during the regular season, though of course, it's taking a pretty big risk defensively. Most pitchers DO shag fly balls a lot during BP though so it's not like they are totally inexperienced out there! 

[pennben]

Yep.  Joe Maddon has done it several times this year with the Cubs.  In one of the games, when he sent the pitcher to left field, the batter then proceeded to slam a fly ball right to left field....and we were all thinking, oopsie, here's the flaw in the plan...but the pitcher (I think Travis Wood) meandered a bit tracking back to the ball and then slammed (back first) into the wall to make the catch. 

ETA:  Or what Jennifer6973 said above!

Edited September 12, 2016 by pennben

[smittykins]

OK, thanks for the explanation. :)

[attica]

13 hours ago, jennifer6973 said:

 If you leave the game then you are done.

Here's a rule that I would not object to being changed. Sideline a player for a bit, let him catch his breath (or sit out somebody that does well against him) and put him back in, coach! It's not like there are no precedents in other team sports for this kind of thing (like, um, all of 'em). Teams would love it -- it would cut down on payroll! 

[King of Birds]

That would really kill the people who are so adamantly against the DH and think every baseball player needs to be Lou Gehrig/ Cal Ripken- esque.

[Moose135]

4 hours ago, King of Birds said:

That would really kill the people who are so adamantly against the DH and think every baseball player needs to be Lou Gehrig/ Cal Ripken- esque.

Well, I hate the DH, but I don't have a problem giving players a game off now and then during the season.  I wouldn't want to change the rule about returning to a game once you have been replaced, however.

[pennben]

Aw man, Kyle Hendricks was oh so close to throwing a no-hitter tonight for the Cubs against the Cardinals.  He made it to the ninth.  I'm glad it was a solid hit that broke through (can't get more solid than a homer) rather than a bloop or something.  He's been very quietly having a fantastic year this year, although folks finally seem to be starting to notice.

[mojoween]

I am LOVING the discussion about what was going on when Vin Scully first broadcast a game in 1950.  I love shit like that (Connie Mack was born in 1862!  Road trips involved taking a train! A trip West went as far as St. Louis!).

Speaking of the West, what sort of strange juju put Atlanta and Cincinnati in the West?  I mean, I know it happened, but I cannot fathom why.

Edited September 14, 2016 by mojoween

[King of Birds]

And yet, here I am in LA, and friggin' blocked from seeing the Dodgers/ Yankees. FU Charter Communications, formerly Time Warner, once again, and forever.

The one thing they're throwing us here, as a make-good, is the last 6 Dodger games will be broadcast free on KTLA. Big whoop.

[jennifer6973]

45 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I am LOVING the discussion about what was going on when Vin Scully first broadcast a game in 1950.  I love shit like that (Connie Mack was born in 1862!  Road trips involved taking a train! A trip West went as far as St. Louis!).

Speaking of the West, what sort of strange juju put Atlanta and Cincinnati in the West?  I mean, I know it happened, but I cannot fathom why.

 

I was told once, I think in this thread that the Cubs and Cardinals didn't want to be in the West at the time.  (shrugs) makes no sense to me(shrugs)

[smittykins]

I did always wonder why the White Sox were in the AL West and the Cubs in the NL East(pre-Wild Card).

[Lantern7]

Maybe the Braves were in Milwaukee when the divisions were conceived, and they wound up moving to Atlanta before 1969.

[MyAimIsTrue]

The Braves moved to Atlanta prior to the start of the 1965 season.  I always figured the weird NL West alignment was due to having a glut of much more established teams and/or rivalries that would fit naturally into an east coast division, hence sending Atlanta to the West.  Then again that doesn't explain Cincinnati so what the hell do I know?

[mojoween]

Welp, there goes the Judge.  Dammit.

[xaxat]

I guess Bill Buckner went through some difficult times after making that error in the World Series. So it's nice to see he has been able to develop a sense of humor about it.

[mojoween]

Mookie!  Namesake of my furbaby!  I love him so much, he was the first ballplayer I ever loved.

That is a funny ad, I imagine 30 years is a good length of time for Buckner to be able to make light of it.

30 years?  Good god I'm old.

[smittykins]

This game is turning out almost like the one I played earlier on my MLB The Show 16 season.(I did the first 13 innings, then simulated to the end, winning 1-0 in 21.

And I just jinxed them.  Damn.

Edited September 14, 2016 by smittykins