BASEBALL 2019---LET'S DO IT!

[Polly Ticks]

The Braves have the number 14 2019 payroll ($139.2 million) but might have been tied with the Nationals for the National League's biggest trade deadline winner with their bullpen fortifications.

... and the fans were getting restless

[EasyAce]

... and the fans were getting restless

@Polly Ticks
The way I saw it, they were having kittens every time Luke Jackson poked his nose out of the bullpen.

[Polly Ticks]

@Polly Ticks
The way I saw it, they were having kittens every time Luke Jackson poked his nose out of the bullpen.

Oh, 100%, no question.  It has felt like we needed to be at least 5 or 6 runs up in the 9th to really be comfortable.  Fortunately, that has been a fairly regular occurrence. 

[EasyAce]

Oh, 100%, no question.  It has felt like we needed to be at least 5 or 6 runs up in the 9th to really be comfortable.  Fortunately, that has been a fairly regular occurrence. 

@Polly Ticks
If only the Braves could have been as confident as Casey Stengel's Yankees, when Stengel would see Satchel Paige warming up in the pen and hector his players, "Get your runs now---Father Time is coming!" 

[Polly Ticks]

@Polly Ticks
If only the Braves could have been as confident as Casey Stengel's Yankees, when Stengel would see Satchel Paige warming up in the pen and hector his players, "Get your runs now---Father Time is coming!" 

Heckling is as much a tradition at the ballpark as hotdogs!
 

[EasyAce]

Heckling is as much a tradition at the ballpark as hotdogs!
 

Yes, but wouldn't it be nice if a Braves manager could urge his players to get their runs early knowing they'd do just that, Father Time coming or no? ;) You don't always have to win it the hard way in the last two innings . . .

[Polly Ticks]

Yes, but wouldn't it be nice if a Braves manager could urge his players to get their runs early knowing they'd do just that, Father Time coming or no? ;) You don't always have to win it the hard way in the last two innings . . .

[EasyAce]

Catch of the day, gang . . . Jeff McNeil (Mets) can pick 'em WITH a net!

Jeff McNeil's net catch . . .

[catfish1957]

Our new No. 5 starter just got pulled after 6 innings during a "no-no"

Ahhhhhh....  Life is good on Crawford Street.

==========================================

Make it a full blown no-no. 

Yeah we are giddy about the post season.  October ...hurry up.

[AllThatJazzZ]

Our new No. 5 starter just got pulled after 6 innings during a "no-no"

Ahhhhhh....  Life is good on Crawford Street.

==========================================

Make it a full blown no-no. 

Yeah we are giddy about the post season.  October ...hurry up.

@catfish1957
@Bigun
@GrouchoTex

What a night! Still basking in the thrill of it all.

https://www.mlb.com/news/aaron-sanchez-astros-no-hit-mariners

[EasyAce]

@catfish1957
@Bigun
@GrouchoTex

What a night! Still basking in the thrill of it all.

https://www.mlb.com/news/aaron-sanchez-astros-no-hit-mariners

@AllThatJazzZ
It's also the second time this season that the Mariners were victims of a combined no-hitter. (The first, of course, was when the Angels played their first home game after the death of Tyler Skaggs and two Angels pitchers joined to no-hit them that night, too.)

[AllThatJazzZ]

@AllThatJazzZ
It's also the second time this season that the Mariners were victims of a combined no-hitter. (The first, of course, was when the Angels played their first home game after the death of Tyler Skaggs and two Angels pitchers joined to no-hit them that night, too.)

I remember that game but didn't realize it was the Mariners they were playing when it happened. I've witnessed some scenarios in baseball that seem like movie scripts.

1. Astros win 2017 World Series (as predicted a few years earlier -- weird!) after Houston and all of Southeast Texas is devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Celebrating the win was such a pick-me-up for so many on the Texas Gulf Coast. Finally something to take our minds off the devastation, even if just for a while.

2. Angels have their no-no on the night when Skaggs' mother throws out the first pitch and all the teammates place their jerseys with the number 45 on the mound after the game. It was a beautiful and touching tribute to a much-loved young pitcher who slipped those surly bonds way too early. IIRC, there were a number of numerical coincidences that night.

3. Right after the Astros rock the baseball world (I'm sorry but I just can't get Jomboy's reaction out of my head) by making a last-minute trade to acquire Greinke, two other pitching acquisitions (mostly treated as afterthoughts in the media coverage) are instrumental in producing a combined no-hitter on the night that the franchise celebrates its Hall of Fame inductees. It's especially meaningful that inductee Nolan Ryan is present to witness the moment.

If Hollywood wrote these scripts, the critics would say they weren't believable.

I'm sure there are numerous other such stories, but these are the ones I've seen in the short time I've been following baseball which, thanks to Harvey, began in late October 2017 when I watched my first World Series.

[EasyAce]

I remember that game but didn't realize it was the Mariners they were playing when it happened. I've witnessed some scenarios in baseball that seem like movie scripts . . .

If Hollywood wrote these scripts, the critics would say they weren't believable.

I'm sure there are numerous other such stories, but these are the ones I've seen in the short time I've been following baseball which, thanks to Harvey, began in late October 2017 when I watched my first World Series.

@AllThatJazzZ
You'd be right about numerous other such stories, including but not limited to . . .

Willie Mays's famous Game One catch, 1954 World Series:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1
What was so great about it? Have a look at the Polo Grounds from the air and see just how far Mays had to run to the warning track to make the catch:

Bill Mazeroski wins the 1960 World Series for the Pirates:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

Roger Maris breaks ruthsrecord (so help me, that's how they pronounced it that year)---despite even some in his own team's front office hoping he wouldn't:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

Sandy Koufax, who'd pitched a no-hitter in each of three previous seasons, proving that practise makes perfect:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

Henry Aaron beats Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

Cal Ripken, Jr. breaks Lou Gehrig's consecutive-game streak and goes long in the same game:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

. . . and at long last the Red Sox return to the Promised Land in 2004, to start the 21st Century's apparent trend toward breaking real or alleged baseball curses:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

David Freese, Game Six, 2011 World Series, beginning with the Cardinals a strike away from losing the Series:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

Fenway Park, Opening Day 2013---after Boston was rent by the Marathon bombing:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

Speaking of actual or alleged cursebusters . . . 2016 World Series finish:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

[GrouchoTex]

@catfish1957
@Bigun
@GrouchoTex

What a night! Still basking in the thrill of it all.

https://www.mlb.com/news/aaron-sanchez-astros-no-hit-mariners

@catfish1957
@AllThatJazzZ
@Bigun

Crazy.
I was at the local Ice House watching it with a 1/2 dozen friends.
I figured it out early on.
I was disappointed when they didn't let Sanchez keep on going, but I'll take it.
Anyway, only 2 of us figured out what was going on and just spoke with nodding and grinning.
We couldn't tell the others, in case we might jinx it.
Funny with every out in the 9th, I started cheering louder, and one friend said, "I've never seen you this excited about a win before."
When the last out was recorded, I turned to that person and said, "You've just witnessed a no-hitter."
Then the "a-Ha" moment hit them, and they understood.
Then they new why I was cheering but not letting them in on it.
I wanted to say something, but knew better.

[catfish1957]

@catfish1957
@AllThatJazzZ
@Bigun

We couldn't tell the others, in case we might jinx it.

I wanted to say something, but knew better.

I'm just as bad.  I have an old Astros orange mesh and fabric hat that I wore for every moment and every inning between October 7, 1980 (Astros first playoff game) to November 1, 2017 (Astros win WS)

On November 2nd that hat was put under glass, and will never be worn again, and will only see the light of day near the TV while watching Astros playoff games. 

Yeah....that's how baseball fans roll.

[GrouchoTex]

 

That's great.

The oldest thing I found that I have was a t-shirt with the MLB teams on it, that had the Astros Logo featured, and the others faded in a background.
No Marlins, Rockies, Rays, or Diamond-Backs.
It still had the Expos on it.
Not quite as old as your hat you've held onto all these years..

[AllThatJazzZ]

@AllThatJazzZ
You'd be right about numerous other such stories, including but not limited to . . .

@EasyAce

As I suspected, I've missed a lot by not coming to baseball earlier. I've watch about half of them so far. The Cal Ripken thing was unbelievable. Baseball made me cry yet again, but this time they weren't tears of sadness as when we lost Tony Kemp. I appreciate your sharing your knowledge with this newbie.

Thanks again, Kaepernick and NFL. If not for your unpatriotic shenanigans, I never would have discovered baseball.

[AllThatJazzZ]

@catfish1957
@AllThatJazzZ
@Bigun

Crazy.
I was at the local Ice House watching it with a 1/2 dozen friends.
I figured it out early on.
I was disappointed when they didn't let Sanchez keep on going, but I'll take it.
Anyway, only 2 of us figured out what was going on and just spoke with nodding and grinning.
We couldn't tell the others, in case we might jinx it.
Funny with every out in the 9th, I started cheering louder, and one friend said, "I've never seen you this excited about a win before."
When the last out was recorded, I turned to that person and said, "You've just witnessed a no-hitter."
Then the "a-Ha" moment hit them, and they understood.
Then they new why I was cheering but not letting them in on it.
I wanted to say something, but knew better.

@GrouchoTex
@catfish1957
@Bigun 

Hahaha! I'm starting to see how wary baseball fans are of the jinx. TK and Blummer were noticing as well but not daring to speak it.

I'm having great fun watching, not just the games, but all the machinations of the pro baseball system. I sincerely wish there would be a community college course that those of us new to baseball or those desiring a deeper understanding could take in the off season.

[Bigun]

I have many great memories (mostly all before the expansion) about baseball. Some as a player and many more outside of my own involvement.  Got to watch the final game of that 1960 Series on live TB in the Jr. High gym.  Not going to try and name all of them because I would surely miss a few. 

Loved the Yog, Micky, Warren Spann, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and many others.

Still love the game but not fond of many of the changes that have been made in recent years.

[Bigun]

Zack Greinke on the mound for the Stros tonight!  I can't wait!

[GrouchoTex]

Zack Greinke on the mound for the Stros tonight!  I can't wait!

I watched it last night.
He did okay except for the 3 run homer given up.
He had 2 outs in the 6 th and would have gotten out of there with a 5-2 lead, if not for that.
Still won 11-6. Homers by Alvarez, Correa, and 2 by Gurriel.
Alvarez has hit 14 home runs in 42 games thus far.
Over 162 games in a season, that would average 54 a year.

[EasyAce]

I watched it last night.
He did okay except for the 3 run homer given up.
He had 2 outs in the 6 th and would have gotten out of there with a 5-2 lead, if not for that.

I wouldn't worry too much about Greinke. Over his entire career, he's managed to shake off the odd bad outing or spell, figure out just where he erred, correct it, and return solid. That's what great pitchers do. The home run was hit on a curve that hung a little; until that point it looked like Greinke's two best pitches of the night were his curve ball and his changeup. I'm betting he's going to re-think the one he threw Tapia (maybe he didn't grip it quite right?), and trust his changeup a little bit more, on any night where his slider isn't working properly. Sometimes I think Greinke's most underrated pitch is that changeup, and I noticed that when he fought Alonso to the final out, he threw four changeups including the one turned into a side-retiring line out. The first three changeups were strikes (the third was fouled off). Greinke's is one of the better changeups in the game, and it'd be good to see him go to it more.

[catfish1957]

I watched it last night.

Alvarez has hit 14 home runs in 42 games thus far.

a month ago, I think everyone thought Vlad, Jr had the ROY wrapped up.  But guess what has happened?

             WAR.   AB.   HR.   RBI.     OPS         BA

Vlad.        1.6   317     13     49     .803      .274
Alvarez     1.9.   154    14     43      1.119    .338

Kid is a monster.  Reminds me so much of a slightly buffed Roberto Clemente
===============================================================

[GrouchoTex]

I wouldn't worry too much about Greinke. Over his entire career, he's managed to shake off the odd bad outing or spell, figure out just where he erred, correct it, and return solid. That's what great pitchers do. The home run was hit on a curve that hung a little; until that point it looked like Greinke's two best pitches of the night were his curve ball and his changeup. I'm betting he's going to re-think the one he threw Tapia (maybe he didn't grip it quite right?), and trust his changeup a little bit more, on any night where his slider isn't working properly. Sometimes I think Greinke's most underrated pitch is that changeup, and I noticed that when he fought Alonso to the final out, he threw four changeups including the one turned into a side-retiring line out. The first three changeups were strikes (the third was fouled off). Greinke's is one of the better changeups in the game, and it'd be good to see him go to it more.

Agree with all this, and it has been a while since I've noticed anyone throwing a curve ball in the 60+ mph range.
That was interesting.
It was driving one of our friends nuts, which made it all the better, more fun to see.
 

[EasyAce]

Agree with all this, and it has been a while since I've noticed anyone throwing a curve ball in the 60+ mph range.
That was interesting.

Probably because you usually hear about the high speeds on fastballs, of course. The average major league curve ball hits 77 mph these days; Clayton Kershaw's curve ball was (and still is) known to hit 80+ at its best. The speed doesn't hurt the pitch, of course, but the curve ball's break is what makes or breaks it, still. And a good slow curve can still fool a hitter the way a good last-minute-breaking changeup does.