... Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are in their sixth year of eligibility and, even though they creep toward 75 percent, they are hardly guaranteed to get there.
If they don’t, their names will go to a Historical Overview Committee, which compiles a list of 10 for the Veterans Committee, which is more likely to sign a peace treaty with North Korea than to vote for Bonds or Clemens.
Hall of Famer Joe Morgan urged the writers to bar Bonds, Clemens and anyone else associated with performance-enhancers. All he did was reinforce the suspicion that Hall of Famers would prefer to close and lock the door behind them.
Only those who are shocked to hear a telemarketer on the other end of a landline would doubt Bonds and Clemens used PEDs. As “Ball Four†author Jim Bouton once said, players would gladly take a pill that would guarantee 20-win seasons even it it cost them five years of life. If steroids were around in the 1960s, Bouton said, he and his colleagues would have been the first in line...
It’s an empty Hall without Bonds and Clemens@Machiavelli
Mark Whicker
Orange County Register
January 11, 2018
Read the whole thing. (https://www.ocregister.com/2018/01/11/whicker-its-an-empty-hall-without-bonds-and-clemens/)
@EasyAce
@EasyAce@Machiavelli
I forgot. :(
(https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26055882_10155557953222912_2367429714045814069_n.jpg?oh=37d879caa33d6382983ba4a5029af1bd&oe=5AB9021A)Spring training is only 32 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 32 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 32 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 32 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 32 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 32 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 32 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive)
Bring it on, Easy! Wheeee!@Slip18
I have a list of our players' club from last year if you did not save yours. But then you know how to do that. Mine is on paper. Awwww, geez!
Thank you!
@Slip18
I still have the ping list!
@Machiavelli
You are forgiven. Say three Hail Koufaxes and perform one station of the Cronin. ;)
@EasyAce@Cyber Liberty
Checkin' in, Boss....
A big trade . . .
Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole traded to Astros in 5-player deal (http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22085338/pittsburgh-pirates-trade-rhp-gerrit-cole-houston-astros)
...It’s speedy Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna, a 20-year-old who hit .344 in 54 Triple-A games last season. If you already knew Acuna’s name, then you’re an astute baseball fan (or fantasy baseball player already looking for the next great youngster). Acuna was signed by the Braves when he was a 16-year-old in Venezuela...
I will say
Twins v Astros in the AL
Nationals v Dodgers NL
Astros 4-3 in series
Happiness is watching a Spring Training ballgame on a Friday afternoon in February!!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/o3Ept0oH7zumY/giphy.gif)
Happiness is seeing you back in your Atlanta cap! :cool:
I have been restlessly waiting for today so I could put it back on!
Also my Braves earrings and hair scrunchie, although my avatar doesn't reflect that. Hmmmm ... maybe I need to work on that a bit one of these days.
Yep....We got Cole....without giving up our best prospects..... Luhnow you magnificent bastard!!!!!!
(http://images.joyfuljerseys.ru/images/Anne/17/11.22/Houston-Astros-2017-World-Series-Champions-Patch.jpg)
And Yes.... I made it big on purpose!!!!!!
This pitch from Shohei Ohtani made the Internet lose its mind (https://sports.yahoo.com/pitch-shohei-ohtani-made-internet-lose-mind-000322400.html)@Machiavelli
@EasyAce
X-ray of baseballs reveals possible cause of home run surge (https://sports.yahoo.com/x-rays-baseballs-reveal-possible-cause-home-run-surge-211752046.html)@Machiavelli
@EasyAce
@Machiavelli
There'd been suspicions of the core being a little different in the balls since about early 2015. But I think the authors of the original
article have another point---when you have a group of hitters who are being taught to swing up, the chances of hitting one out increase.
I mean, we went how many years before you heard terms like "launch angle" in a discussion of baseball? Of course, with quite
a few hitters the makeup of the ball doesn't mean all that much---they could hit rice pudding over the left field fence.
@EasyAce
The "core" of the baseball has changed??? What? So are the baseballs getting juiced?
I love this game. I hope it does not get ruined because home runs do bring in more crowds, ergo, more dollars.
(http://The "core" of the baseball has changed??? What? So are the baseballs getting juiced?
I love this game. I hope it does not get ruined because home runs do bring in more crowds, ergo, more dollars.)
8888crybaby
Interesting take on what I feel is a disturbing development in the game. With higher technical abilities, comes the possibility of game manipulation.That's what they thought, too, when the original dead-ball era ended in favour of a) baseballs whose yarns around the core
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/new-study-links-changes-to-the-baseball-to-the-record-number-of-home-runs-in-mlb/ (https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/new-study-links-changes-to-the-baseball-to-the-record-number-of-home-runs-in-mlb/)
@EasyAce@Slip18
The "core" of the baseball has changed??? What? So are the baseballs getting juiced?
I love this game. I hope it does not get ruined because home runs do bring in more crowds, ergo, more dollars.
8888crybaby
@Slip18
Baseball has experimented with the balls themselves for, oh, almost a hundred years. As also with bats, gloves,
and other equipment. Who'd have thought when we were kids that you'd see catchers wearing specialised
mask helmets? Or gloves large enough to catch volleyballs, almost? And assorted and sundry game purists talk
in ways that suggest that, if they had their way, we'd be back to the era when a baseball had as much life as
a corpse, a fielder might as well have worn an oven mitt to play his position, a catcher had nothing more than
the next best thing to a piece of fence in front of his face, and batting statistics would be inflated because by
cracky nobody will come to a night game . . . ;)
Or they'd get clever and try to encourage more hits by shaving down the pitcher's mound and shortening the field?@Cyber Liberty
(That last bit, to create the question, "Howcome hardly anybody hits triples anymore?" "Because the distance to hit a triple would now go over the fence.")
@Slip18
Baseball has experimented with the balls themselves for, oh, almost a hundred years. As also with bats, gloves,
and other equipment. Who'd have thought when we were kids that you'd see catchers wearing specialised
mask helmets? Or gloves large enough to catch volleyballs, almost? And assorted and sundry game purists talk
in ways that suggest that, if they had their way, we'd be back to the era when a baseball had as much life as
a corpse, a fielder might as well have worn an oven mitt to play his position, a catcher had nothing more than
the next best thing to a piece of fence in front of his face, and batting statistics would be inflated because by
cracky nobody will come to a night game . . . ;)
Happiness is watching a Spring Training ballgame on a Friday afternoon in February!!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/o3Ept0oH7zumY/giphy.gif)
I love your Yogi Berra quote! Wheeee!
888high58888
My personal favourite Yogi Berra quote is still the crack he made to a group of American League pitchers,
huddling before an All-Star Game, discussing ways to pitch to Stan Musial. "Forget it," Yogi said. "You guys
are trying to figure out in fifteen minutes what nobody's figured out in fifteen years."
Baseball is a team game -- and an unpredictable one, at that. So the idea that a single player can swing a team's fortune one way or another can be faulty. Last year, the Angels were a game under .500 (19-20) in the six weeks Mike Trout was on the disabled list and a game under .500 while he was on the active roster (61-62). The Dodgers are an incredible 74-25 over the past two seasons when Clayton Kershaw has been on the shelf with back issues.
Everything written below, then, is not to be treated as gospel (and if it were treated as gospel, that would be an unusual religion).
Still, there's no denying that there are certain players whose long-term absence or major performance decline would have their clubs scrambling, if not stumbling. With a tip of the cap to the New York Post's Ken Davidoff, whose recent column on Noah Syndergaard as the Mets' linchpin inspired this piece, here are my picks for the most indispensable player on each team for 2018.
Most indispensable players for all 30 teams in 2018 (https://www.mlb.com/news/most-indispensable-players-for-30-mlb-teams/c-268428780)@Polly Ticks
I could have done the D-Backs entry in that article while blindfolded and swinging a stick at a Papier-mâché donkey hanging from the ceiling. It's been the same for the last 2-3 Seasons. :shrug:My big question involving Paul Goldschmidt might actually be how long he remains a Diamondback. There've been trade rumours
My big question involving Paul Goldschmidt might actually be how long he remains a Diamondback. There've been trade rumours
around him in the past, and if the Snakes don't make a good showing this season after getting shoved out early last postseason,
who knows if they decide to push the reset button and cash Goldschmidt in for a small haul of prospects or younger major leaguers?
Hoping for a better showing from my Rangers this year. But the Stros are gonna be tough to beat.
Shhhhhh..... @EasyAce wrote us off with minimal chances last year. Maybe he will do us a favor and do the same this year.Hey, I admitted I was wrong.
On Saturday, Apr. 21, and Sunday, Apr. 22, one signature concession item from every Major League team will come together for an eating extravaganza near Bryant Park in Manhattan.MLB FoodFest will bring all of the Majors' wildest ballpark concoctions under one roof (https://www.mlb.com/cut4/mlb-foodfest-will-bring-all-of-the-majors-wildest-ballpark-concoctions-under-one-roof/c-268512004?partnerId=ed-12349546-1059358053)
MLB FoodFest will bring all of the Majors' wildest ballpark concoctions under one roof (https://www.mlb.com/cut4/mlb-foodfest-will-bring-all-of-the-majors-wildest-ballpark-concoctions-under-one-roof/c-268512004?partnerId=ed-12349546-1059358053)@Polly Ticks
I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that this event is not closer to home ...
@Polly Ticks
I got to see a game at Camden Yards in 1998 while traveling around the United States. I took a tour of the ballpark during the afternoon, then copped a pair of tickets to see the Orioles play the Red Sox that night. My seats were in the middle of the field level boxes near third base. The concession stand behind my section had potato knishes to die for---they were the next best thing to the knishes I ate when I was growing up in Long Beach, on Long Island. If they still have that stand there and send some knishes to that foodfest, I might have to be glad I can't be there, because I could have had three easy!
Oh, man, that sounds delicious!They should have thrown in Dodger Dogs!
No knishes on the menu for the Food Festival, but it looks like there are plenty of other fantastic options:
They should have thrown in Dodger Dogs!
Personally, I think the Astros are the team to beat in the AL West this year, too. But I think a couple of AL West teams could
make a run at them, even if those runs might not hold up all the way to the end.
Agreed. I'm having a difficult time understanding the lack of DDs. Maybe they were avoiding presenting 30 different kinds of hot dogs?With all the stuff they're bringing to those tables they couldn't swing at least Dodger Dogs or Fenway Franks? OY!
With all the stuff they're bringing to those tables they couldn't swing at least Dodger Dogs or Fenway Franks? OY!
Or a Philly cheesesteak. :shrug:Jeez, you can get a Philly cheesesteak anywhere. ;)
Jeez, you can get a Philly cheesesteak anywhere. ;)
They should have thrown in Dodger Dogs!
Jeez, you can get a Philly cheesesteak anywhere. ;)
According to my Pennsylvanian college roommate, those don't count.
WASHINGTON — As President Trump congratulated the World Series champion Houston Astros at a White House ceremony last week, he also heaped praise on himself and congressional Republicans for passing a sweeping tax cut last year. He hailed Representative Kevin Brady of Texas, the House’s chief tax writer and an Astros superfan, as “the king of those tax cuts.â€
What he did not mention is that the new tax law Mr. Brady helped draft, and which Mr. Trump signed, levies a large new tax on the Astros, and similar franchises across professional sports.
The law changed a corner of the tax code that mostly applies to farmers, manufacturers and other businesses that until recently could swap certain assets like trucks and machinery tax-free. But by adding a single word to the newly written tax code — “real†— the law now allows only real estate swaps to qualify for that special treatment.
That change is meant to capture more federal revenue, in order to partly offset reductions in business and personal income tax rates. It forces manufacturers, farmers and others to pay more in capital gains taxes, if they trade an asset for something more valuable. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the change will raise $31 billion over the next decade.
It also means that the Astros and other sports franchises could now face capital gains taxes every time they exchange or trade their highly paid players.
A Curveball From the New Tax Law: It Makes Baseball Trades Harder@Machiavelli
Jim Tankersley
The New York Times
March 19, 2018
More (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/baseball-tax-law-.html)
@EasyAce
@Machiavelli
I saw this and a couple of other articles about it. I'm thinking of writing about it. It sort of comes under the heading of every silver lining
has its clouds . . .
Hitting sports franchises is more of a feature than a bug, I'd say. Trump was being a bit of a bullet-head in bragging about it to the team in a ceremony.He was also being a bullet-head signing off on a federal budget that will end up negating that portion of the tax cuts that isn't negated
He was also being a bullet-head signing off on a federal budget that will end up negating that portion of the tax cuts that isn't negated
by his tariffs and threatened trade war.
Yes, but is that a bug or a feature? I'm in a cynical mood right now.I keep thinking, if only it were a bug . . .
Yay!! The 2018 baseball season has begun!!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/12UlfHpF05ielO/giphy.gif)
Top 10 moments of Opening Day 2018 (https://www.mlb.com/news/stanton-leads-top-moments-of-2018-opening-day/c-270087044)
Both our teams have a 1.000 standing today. How cool is that?
A loss so embarrassing that even the umpire rips Phillies (http://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/loss-so-embarrassing-even-umpire-rips-phillies)
@EasyAce What do you think?
A loss so embarrassing that even the umpire rips Phillies (http://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/loss-so-embarrassing-even-umpire-rips-phillies)@Machiavelli
@EasyAce What do you think?
@Machiavelli
I think the 1962 Mets weren't the only team to find new ways to lose nobody knew were invented yet. But at least those
Mets couldn't pin their foulups, bleeps, and blunders on their manager. Casey Stengel had his problems with those early Mets
but bullpen communication wasn't one of them.
Even the issue of using position players on the mound. It's been done before---usually, when the team in question is so blown
out in the game they don't dare risk the rest of their real pitchers. This one Kapler got right: he brought in a utility player to
pitch the eighth when the game couldn't be reached by cab, and the poor sap surrendered a two-run homer.
We take you back to September 2002. The Dodgers had the Diamondbacks buried alive, 18-0, going to the top of the ninth in Arizona.
Snakes first baseman Mark Grace volunteered to pitch the ninth and take one for the team. He actually got the first two outs
before a rookie named David Ross took him into the left field seats. "His first major league home run," Grace said after the game,
"and he gets it off Mark Grace. I feel sorry for him."
The following day, both players agreed to sit for a joint radio interview. "I got a bad scouting report," Grace cracked. "I was told
he was a good fastball hitter. So I threw him a bad fastball and he still hit it a mile."
But at least neither manager called for a bullpen bull who wasn't there or warmed up, either.
@Machiavelli
Even the issue of using position players on the mound. It's been done before---usually, when the team in question is so blown out in the game they don't dare risk the rest of their real pitchers.
@Slip18 and I were talking about that outing Mark Grace had this morning, after I told her about the Philly wipe-out. She said exactly what you did about Grace "taking one for the team." Grace did pretty well, even giving up a homer. He got the outs, and that was the bottom line. And it was fun to watch. He did a perfect impersonation of the Mike Fetters glare....@Cyber Liberty
(We still get to enjoy Mike Fetters. He's the Bullpen Coach.)
In a few minutes, Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to make his MLB pitching debut. You can watch it on Fox Sports West.They're underway. The Angels opened with a base hit and a double play. (Why the hell is Scioscia batting Mike Trout second in the order?) Ground out to first
Ohtani strikes out the first batter he faces.Got the side in order sandwiching a foul out between two punchouts. RBI double makes it 1-0, Angels, top of the second.
There goes Ohtani's no-hitter.There went his lead---strikeout, back to back singles, three-run bomb. 3-2, A's . . .
(https://scontent.flas1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26055882_10155557953222912_2367429714045814069_n.jpg?oh=37d879caa33d6382983ba4a5029af1bd&oe=5AB9021A)Spring training is only 11 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 11 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 11 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 11 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 11 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 11 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive) Spring training is only 11 days away!! (https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180213T00&p0=853&msg=Countdown+to+Pitchers+and+Catchers+report+to+Spring+Training&font=cursive)
Easy, Mark Grace was such a great player. Fun to watch, too. He got in trouble with alcohol while going through a divorce. It was a sad time for all of us. We saw the whole sordid dance of the divorce. It affected his announcing. He has made a fabulous comeback in the past few years after being sent to the minors to coach. We are proud of our Gracie, the one the Cubbies tossed overboard.@Slip18
I will say
Twins v Astros in the AL
Nationals v Dodgers NL
Astros 4-3 in series
I have been restlessly waiting for today so I could put it back on!
Also my Braves earrings and hair scrunchie, although my avatar doesn't reflect that. Hmmmm ... maybe I need to work on that a bit one of these days.
X-ray of baseballs reveals possible cause of home run surge (https://sports.yahoo.com/x-rays-baseballs-reveal-possible-cause-home-run-surge-211752046.html)
@EasyAce
Most indispensable players for all 30 teams in 2018 (https://www.mlb.com/news/most-indispensable-players-for-30-mlb-teams/c-268428780)
My big question involving Paul Goldschmidt might actually be how long he remains a Diamondback. There've been trade rumours
around him in the past, and if the Snakes don't make a good showing this season after getting shoved out early last postseason,
who knows if they decide to push the reset button and cash Goldschmidt in for a small haul of prospects or younger major leaguers?
Shhhhhh..... @EasyAce wrote us off with minimal chances last year. Maybe he will do us a favor and do the same this year.
Hitting sports franchises is more of a feature than a bug, I'd say. Trump was being a bit of a bullet-head in bragging about it to the team in a ceremony.
Yay!! The 2018 baseball season has begun!!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/12UlfHpF05ielO/giphy.gif)
Top 10 moments of Opening Day 2018 (https://www.mlb.com/news/stanton-leads-top-moments-of-2018-opening-day/c-270087044)
Astro's home opener tonight.
Local TV is going to cover the ballpark all day.
They have pregame stuff going on outside, and this will be the first time they've played at home as the World Series champs, in regular season anyway.
They played 2 exhibition games here against the Brewers before taking 3 out of 4 from the Rangers in Arlington, to open the season.
(I really enjoyed typing the part in italics...)
:cool:
If you go down there, be sure and pay homage to the Trophy. It's spectacular and will send a shiver down your spine! 888high58888
Unfortunately, I'll have to work.
Mike Trout---RBI double. Justin Upton---sacrifice fly. The Angels re-take the lead, 4-3, middle of the fifth.
Ohtani's only real dicy inning: the second. He wasn't feeling the breaking balls right just yet and the A's made
him pay.
I think the Tigers are already mathematically eliminated.
I cannot for the life of me figure out the "RDIFF" that is now being used on MLB.com. It is on the area where they show wins and losses for the team. It is different from last year.Run differential.
Clueless here! Ratio difference?
**nononono*
@Slip18
In the years when Mark Grace first broke into the majors, the Cubs were so short-sighted that they didn't see something which might have made
a big difference in both their ability to win games and in Grace's career: Grace was a kind of anomaly---he was a first baseman with the hitting skills
of a number two hitter, playing with Ryne Sandberg, a second baseman with the hitting skills of a number three hitter. Like too many clubs at the
time the Cubs batted both players according to their position's "traditional" batting order slots and not according to their skill sets. Sandberg became
a Hall of Famer regardless, but you wonder a) whether Grace would have shaken out as a Hall of Famer if he'd been batted according to his skill set
and not his field position, and b) whether Sandberg would have been even more run productive hitting number three or even cleanup. The Cubs
in those years didn't have the brains to think that deeply about their resources.
Run differential.
Too bad there isn't a "Most Congenial Ballplayer." Mark would have that one tied up.I've known of a few flaky first basemen in my years . . . Joe Pepitone (who had problems running way deeper than merely being a flake) . . .
First basemen are a whole different lot in baseball. First baseman Joey Votto of the Reds bought a goat for a teammate on a bet last season.
Love it!
888high58888
I've known of a few flaky first basemen in my years . . . Joe Pepitone (who had problems running way deeper than merely being a flake) . . .
Keith Hernandez . . . Vic Power . . .
Still, nobody beats pitchers for flakiness.
Think of Wilcy Moore, who revenged a Babe Ruth prank by buying Ruth a pair of donkeys he named Babe and Ruth . . . Lefty Gomez, who once stopped
a game so he could watch a flying boat passing over Yankee Stadium en route La Guardia Airport's Marine Air Terminal . . . Moe Drabowsky, maybe
the flakiest of the flakes, who once did such a perfect impression of A's manager Alvin Dark he called the A's bullpen to order a reliever to warm up
when the A's starter was working a shutout and also ran a string of fireworks from the bullpen to Chief Noc-A-Homa's teepee and lit them "waiting
for the Chief to surrender" . . . the Orioles bullpen of the mid-1960s, who had wienie roasts when they weren't warming up (and who once spiked
an opposing bullpen's water cooler with live goldfish) . . . Juan Marichal, who loved to prank teammates by leaving them elaborately-carved perfume
bottles to give their wives or girlfriends as gifts, only to have the poor victims discover the hard way the perfumes were loaded with stink bombs . . .
Roger McDowell, who once wore his uniform upside down out to the bullpen and also once gave the Mets' first base coach a time-delayed hotfoot
that exploded into flames as the coach got back out to the coaching line . . .
Ya gotta love first basemen! Thank you for that. For some reason they have always been of interest to me. Just a bit on the edge.I should tell you that the Oriole bullpen wienie roasts may have been inspired by Whitey Ford of the Yankees. Ford wasn't a relief pitcher, but he
:silly:
Shohei Ohtani belts first major league homer in Angels’ victory (https://www.ocregister.com/2018/04/03/shohei-ohtani-belts-first-major-league-homer-in-angels-victory/)And a hearty belt it was!
...and the Astros are now 6-1 to start the season.:thumbsup:
...and the Astros are now 6-1 to start the season.
...and the Astros are now 6-1 to start the season.
BEEEEE- UUUUUUU- Tiful
(https://www.picclickimg.com/d/w1600/pict/162738706868_/Houston-Astros-World-Series-Champions-Championship-2017-Ring.jpg)
BEEEEE- UUUUUUU- Tiful
(https://www.picclickimg.com/d/w1600/pict/162738706868_/Houston-Astros-World-Series-Champions-Championship-2017-Ring.jpg)
BEEEEE- UUUUUUU- Tiful
(https://www.picclickimg.com/d/w1600/pict/162738706868_/Houston-Astros-World-Series-Champions-Championship-2017-Ring.jpg)
I don't think my five buck bet will get me that ring, do you?
:silly:
BEEEEE- UUUUUUU- Tiful
(https://www.picclickimg.com/d/w1600/pict/162738706868_/Houston-Astros-World-Series-Champions-Championship-2017-Ring.jpg)
I don't think my five buck bet will get me that ring, do you?
:silly:
... Shohei Ohtani turned Angel Stadium electric, striking out 12 in seven innings in his first appearance on the mound in his home stadium. He was perfect through 79 pitches, retiring 19 consecutive before Oakland’s Marcus Semien singled sharply to left field in the seventh...
Bench-clearing brawl in St. Louis! D-backs win it, and the series and go to 7-2. D-Backs Manager thrown out of the game...
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=ym-_je507kU#)
Has anyone heard or know why Molina got involved in this confrontation? Looks like he was being a punk......
Has anyone heard or know why Molina got involved in this confrontation? Looks like he was being a punk......@catfish1957
I can't figure that out. Apparently he flipped out at something Lovullo said. They asked Lovullo about it in the post-game press conference, and he said he didn't know what set Molina off.
There was a discussion about Molina's framing the ball, and the Umpire was falling for the scheme. The Ump had just called an obvious low ball a strike three, and it PO'ed Paralta enough to have some words with the Umpire before Lovulla came out and the fight started.
@catfish1957
@Cyber Liberty
"That [maternal fornicator] . . . ," which didn't exactly sit well with
Molina.
I can't figure that out. Apparently he flipped out at something Lovullo said. They asked Lovullo about it in the post-game press conference, and he said he didn't know what set Molina off.
There was a discussion about Molina's framing the ball, and the Umpire was falling for the scheme. The Ump had just called an obvious low ball a strike three, and it PO'ed Paralta enough to have some words with the Umpire before Lovulla came out and the fight started.
I've sat close enough to the dugout before, to know that every 10th word from these guys is an expletive. I think there must be some other history or factors that got Molina to snap. Like an old tired STL team that isn't guaranteed to win the NLC crown year after year anymore.Ballplayers use expletives the way guitarists use up strings, but there are certain lines understood not to be crossed. Molina isn't the first
Ballplayers use expletives the way guitarists use up strings, but there are certain lines understood not to be crossed. Molina isn't the first
Latino ballplayer to take offense at being called a maternal fornicator and he won't be the last. And when the other guys' manager
does it, that's liable to escalate even worse. That's just the way it is. I don't think there's much tense history between the Cardinals and
the Diamondbacks otherwise.
Listening to our local sports talk station yesterday, and didn't realize that the current crop of ML umpires are "scabs", being hired after MLB fired everybody that went on strike.@DCPatriot
(Which should make you wonder how much blue murder the umps would have screamed if a player had bumped an ump but wasn't suspended for it.)
Apparently not much. Molina almost connected with the Ump's face in the video above, trying to punch Luvello.Actually, Molina did bump plate ump Tim Timmons. And Timmons showed an excellent example of an umpire keeping his head,
Actually, Molina did bump plate ump Tim Timmons. And Timmons showed an excellent example of an umpire keeping his head,
seeing the thing for what it was, and not overreacting. Timmons heard Lovullo call Molina [maternal fornicator] and knew almost
by instinct that it was liable to piss Molina off that deeply, and Timmons knew Molina wasn't trying to bump him when he
lunged for Lovullo. That's an ump setting an excellent example for knowing what really was and what really wasn't.
@DCPatriot
It wasn't exactly a strike. I remember it only too well; it happened in 1999. It was a ploy dreamed up by the late executive director of the old Major League
Umpires Association, Richie Phillips, while he was trying to strong-arm baseball government into immunising umpires from accountability on the job.
Two things led to the ploy: 1) Umpire Tom Hallion was suspended for bumping Colorado pitcher Jeff Reed earlier that season, and Phillips and some umps
took offense to the suspension. (Which should make you wonder how much blue murder the umps would have screamed if a player had bumped an ump
but wasn't suspended for it.) 2) Baseball government's moves toward more umpire accountability that year included a survey taken of players, managers,
coaches, and executives rating umpires' performances. Sandy Alderson---now the Mets' general manager, then working in the commissioner's office---
said publicly, "I got worried when I found out that [team personnel] were more concerned with who was umpiring the next day than they were about who
was pitching."
To Phillips those things amounted to "humiliating" and "degrading" the umpires. He also thumped publicly about equating umpires to federal judges: "I don't
believe they should always be subject to the voter, just like federal judges are not subject to the voter." When Alderson rejoined that federal judges can be
impeached, Phillips hit the proverbial ceiling.
Phillips announced the resignations of 57 of baseball's 66 major league umpires on July 14, 1999. "[T]hey want to feel good about themselves and would
rather not continue as umpires if they have to continue under present circumstances," Phillips fumed. "They feel, in the past seven months or so, they have
been humiliated and denigrated."
In essence, Phillips — who died in 2013 — sought to proclaim and consecrate major league umpires as laws unto themselves. When the commissioner's office
asked teams to chart pitches and file reports on individual umpires' strike zones, Phillips denounced the request as "just another case of Big Brother watching
over us."
The mass resignations were in truth a bid to end-run the no-strike clause in the umpires' labour agreement with Major League Baseball. And Phillips announced
concurrently that the umpires would be employed by a new body called Umpires, Inc., who would negotiate to provide major league umpires and would also be
the sole supervisor of the arbiters as well as the first and final caller on who'd be assigned to which games.
"To owners and players alike," observed the Society for American Baseball Research analyst Doug Pappas, may he, too, rest in peace, "this demand was tantamount
to a municipal police union demanding an end to civilian control of a police force." And the ploy backfired drastically.
Alderson had one answer to the mass resignations: they were "either a threat to be ignored or an offer to be accepted." The commissioner's office accepted the offer,
and a few of the umps, after consulting their personal lawyers, yanked their resignations back fast.
Then a group of dissenting American League umps, with John Hirschbeck and Joe Brinkman leading them, denounced Phillips publicly and urging their colleagues to
do likewise. Near the end of July 1999, baseball hired 25 minor league umps all of whom had major league experience filling in for umps on their mid-year vacations.
Shortly after that, then-American League president Gene Budig (then-commissioner Bud Selig hadn't yet folded the individual league offices) said nine American League
umps who hadn't rescinded their resignations would lose their jobs come September 2. Those nine and 33 National League umps withdrew their resignations. Alas,
the league said they had only 20 openings.
Hirschbeck and Brinkman then helped form the new World Umpires Association, after the arbiters first decertified the MLUA by an almost 2-to-1 margin. The WUA
negotiated and got many of the umps who walked off Phillips's cliff re-hired; the MLUA continued representing many of the resigners. (The late Ken Kaiser, who
passed away last year, was among the ones who missed when MLB rehired half the terminated. The aforementioned Tom Hallion was re-hired at last in 2005, and
he found himself fined heavily enough after an incident with then-Tampa Bay pitcher David Price, when Price showed his frustration on the mound over a bad call
and Hallion ordered him to, and I quote, throw the f--king ball over the plate.)
Unfortunately, umpire accountability remains a dicey subject.
My God... @EasyAce ....thanks so much for the detailed reply.@DCPatriot
Again, I ask, 'Who' are you? 888high58888 (rhetorically, of course)I yam what I yam. ;) :beer:
That's also an Ump willing to forgive on the field an attempted assault and battery. :shrug: That's an example of something else.I don't think Timmons would have been so forgiving if Molina or anyone else had tried deliberately to take a poke at him.
I don't think Timmons would have been so forgiving if Molina or anyone else had tried deliberately to take a poke at him. As for Molina lunging at Lovullo, it may not have been the thing you or me might have done merely upon a torrent of swearing, but there's something sadly admirable about a man who doesn't take to being called a [maternal fornicator] gladly.
Overall, I would call it a "No harm, no foul" deal because Molina didn't connect with any of his punches. I wonder how much of the Ump's leniency was because he knew deep down it was really HIS fault. He'd been calling strikes however the catcher framed the pitch, and he was making lousy calls on both sides the whole game. The local announcers were astonished at some of his calls prior to that, and with the modern now-a-go-go graphics on the screen showing the strike zone, you could see the calls were off. That particular call was at least three inches below the zone. You could also see the bad calls on Game Day on MLB.com.I saw the pitch that triggered the argument. It flew past the plate just under the floor of the strike zone. Pollock clearly had a beef with that
All that said, I know Luvello had to be pitched out, because he did get past the player. It's just unseemly a little that Molina took a barrel-house swing at Luvello and got away with it.
I know some Ranger fans who are uhhh feeling a little deflated right now.
I saw the pitch that triggered the argument. It flew past the plate just under the floor of the strike zone. Pollock clearly had a beef with that
pitch, but hitters can question a pitch without getting into an argument. If the manager comes out of the dugout and gets past his player
on a pitch call, he's gone automatically. If Pollock had been next to the dugout when Lovullo came out, Lovullo would have been tossed before
he got anywhere near the ump.
Heh ... I'm assuming you posted this after the opening series? Yeah, that was humbling. But at least it was to the Astros instead of the likes of the Mariners, Angels or A's. Stros are definitely the AL West team to beat again this season. But at least my Rangers took one of the games from your guys.
Heh ... I'm assuming you posted this after the opening series? Yeah, that was humbling. But at least it was to the Astros instead of the likes of the Mariners, Angels or A's. Stros are definitely the AL West team to beat again this season. But at least my Rangers took one of the games from your guys.
Heh ... I'm assuming you posted this after the opening series? Yeah, that was humbling. But at least it was to the Astros instead of the likes of the Mariners, Angels or A's. Stros are definitely the AL West team to beat again this season. But at least my Rangers took one of the games from your guys.You gotta grant us a little trash talk, after you guys beat us like a drum for our first four years in the AL.
Just asking this:
Has anyone seen the new pitcher for the Angels pitch? He is outrageous! Twice pitching, and 12 strikeouts both times. Plus the guy can hit! Three homers already. Records will be made with this player. His name is Shohei Ohtani. He made player of the week with Jameson Tallon. Ohtani is all of 23 years old.
Watch out Astros!
:whistle:
@DCPatriot
Your boy Max Scherzer had a heck of game last night.
:beer:
Just asking this:@Slip18
Has anyone seen the new pitcher for the Angels pitch? He is outrageous! Twice pitching, and 12 strikeouts both times. Plus the guy can hit! Three homers already. Records will be made with this player. His name is Shohei Ohtani. He made player of the week with Jameson Tallon. Ohtani is all of 23 years old.
Watch out Astros!
:whistle:
Chuck Connors: He played in Cuba before “The Riflemanâ€
April 10, 2018 by Silvio Canto Jr.
(http://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbo9g6nEq91qb7wceo1_500.jpg)
We remember Chuck Connors who was born on this day in 1921 and died in 1992.
We remember Chuck Connors for that wonderful western, “The riflemanâ€. In fact, I try to watch it every Saturday morning. The show was on from 1958 to 1963.
Before the rifle, he played baseball. His career was brief or a just two major league seasons: 1949 Dodgers & 1951 Cubs.
You gotta grant us a little trash talk, after you guys beat us like a drum for our first four years in the AL.
Rangers need to fire John Daniels and everybody else on down.
Just asking this:
Has anyone seen the new pitcher for the Angels pitch? He is outrageous! Twice pitching, and 12 strikeouts both times. Plus the guy can hit! Three homers already. Records will be made with this player. His name is Shohei Ohtani. He made player of the week with Jameson Tallon. Ohtani is all of 23 years old.
Watch out Astros!
:whistle:
Ain't skeered.
Daniels needs to be the first escorted out the door. Forcefully and painfully. Maybe with a swift kick in the arse.
I don't care what anybody says, Nolan Ryan leaving the Rangers organization was a disaster.
"If it bleeds....we can kill it!"@DCPatriot
That's a famous quote by Bryce Harper, isn't it? :laugh:
@DCPatriot
Arnold Schwarzenegger, from Predator.
LOL! I was well aware of that.I would have expected Harper or the since-departed Jayson Werth to have said, When it comes to children, I admire the filial
Ain't skeered.
This Astros fan views the Halos :
1. Has the best baseball player on the planet. But he is only one player
2. Phenom who may or may not pan out in the long run
3. An aging player who used to be the best player on the planet who is now breaking their bank.
4. Does anyone else play for the Angels?
Now if you want to talk about how good my team is..........
Any thoughts on the wild and crazy night for baseball last night, @EasyAce ?I have a few . . . crowned by the fact that my New York Mets and my Boston Red Sox are what ol' Red Barber used to call
As for the two basebrawl games:
* Tyler Austin (Yankees) did try a dirty play on that slide into second where Brock Holt (Red Sox) wasn't even thinking
of going for a double play. What a shock that he was liable to be brushed back later in the game.
* The least surprising brushback had to be Nolan Arrenado getting one behind his back, considering his Rockies
were throwing a little too often at the Padres over a couple of games' worth.
* Aaron Judge shows himself this generation's Frank Howard---the gentle giant. During the Yankee-Red Sox scrum,
after Joe Kelly brushed back Austin, Judge managed to wrap Kelly up in a head-and-shoulder lock and escort him away
from the brouhaha with a big grin. Of course Judge only looks like he could crush your skull between two
fingertips, just like Frank Howard looked like half an offensive line by himself.
Ummmm, I believe they just took the Astros out of first place in the ALW last night.
Ummmm, I believe they just took the Astros out of first place in the ALW last night.
:seeya:
Any thoughts on the wild and crazy night for baseball last night, @EasyAce ?
Almost 150 to go. If you can find anyone who will do a straight up bet and says the LAA wins ALW over the Astros, let me know. :cool:
Gerrit Cole strikes out 11, 11, and 14 in first three starts as an Astro. I'll take it!
As if things weren't bad enough for my Rangers ... that Elvis injury is going to make things even worse.
Cubs score 9 in 8th on just 3 hits, rally past Braves 14-10
...
The Cubs scored nine runs — all with two outs — during a loony eighth inning in which they had only three hits. The Braves did their part with five walks, two hit-by-pitches, a wild pitch and an error.
Continued at: https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-score-9-in-8th-on-just-3-hits-rally-past-braves-14-10/
I wonder what the most walks allowed in an inning are, for both teams and for just one team.@TomSea
7 walks, the Cubs got in that one inning, I doubt if I've ever watched a game with more than 4 walks given to one team in one inning. It really must have been wild.
Is anyone watching Astros-Rangers tonight?Tortilla Fats through seven innings: Nineteen first-pitch strikes; twenty called strikes out of 45 total not counting
44 yr old Colon perfect through 5
Verlander, only one hit, but it was a solo home run.
1-0 Rangers.
Wow!
Tortilla Fats through seven innings: Nineteen first-pitch strikes; twenty called strikes out of 45 total;
no hits through seven; no walks through seven, seven punchouts.
There went the perfecto . . . Carlos Correa walked with nobody out.
... Fans will flock to all 30 of MLB’s ballparks from Opening Day until the dog days of summer shift into fall. While taking in baseball is a bonding experience for friends and family over the summer, not all ballparks in the league are created equal...
Below is the ranking of all 30 ballparks in Major League Baseball. It includes the year they opened, type of roof (or lack thereof), design type, and primary architect.
Where is the Poll?
corbe could do a poll for Christs sake.
Anyone can do a poll.
Everyone except you.
As with any ranking, it’s a subjective assessment, and which teams I have in certain places may not match your picks.
[...snip...]
For my methodology, I looked at the overall aesthetics of the ballpark design, including integration with additional structures, such as in Baltimore and San Diego; its setting; the visuals from within the seating bowl or surrounding views; the amenities offered at the facility; historic relevance; and external development that adds to the experience.
ATLANTA -- Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos saw Jose Bautista become one of baseball's top power hitters while they were together in Toronto. Now, he's going to give the veteran slugger a chance to extend his career by proving he can play third base.
Essentially, the Braves are taking a risk-free chance on Bautista, who signed a Minor League deal on Wednesday with the understanding he will only play third base as he attempts to make his way to the Major League level. A source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that Bautista will earn $1 million if he reaches the bigs. He'll spend time at the team's Spring Training facility before being assigned to a Minor League affiliate.
Summary:
Retro-classic: good.
Retro-modern: meh.
Modern: bad.
Multipurpose: worst.
@jmyrlefuller or anyone else, IE @EasyAce :Retroclassic---Camden Yards, Citi Field, Yankee Stadium, etc.
What are your definitions of the differences between retro-classic, retro-modern, and modern? (we probably understand multipurpose)
@jmyrlefuller or anyone else, IE @EasyAce :Multipurpose, of course, is a facility built for more than one sport (usually football in addition to baseball). Purists hate them, but they're efficient, uniform and simple.
What are your definitions of the differences between retro-classic, retro-modern, and modern? (we probably understand multipurpose)
Did you see that bonehead Gattis play today? Grounded into a triple play by straying off first after thinking erroneously that 3rd out was made.Meathead!
9999hair out0000
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfaH6DhX4oQ#)
I saw a decent pitchers duel in Dodger stadium in the 1970's also.The first time I went to Dodger Stadium was in 2000. And I was astonished at one thing I saw---dozens of fans carrying
The first time I went to Dodger Stadium was in 2000. And I was astonished at one thing I saw---dozens of fans carrying
portable television sets with the picture off but the sound on . . . because, apparently, even though they were in the
ballpark they still wouldn't accept what they were seeing unless they heard it from Vin Scully. So there I was with
my young son, watching the game live and in person and still hearing Vin Scully calling the game. (He was on television
all nine innings; radio by then was only simulcasting his first three innings before handing off to the other Dodger
broadcasters on radio only.)
It was amazing. But that's how much credibility Scully still had . . . and would keep until the day he retired at last.
Oh yeah, back when he was radio full-time, many people would bring transistor radios in.When the Dodgers played their first four Los Angeles seasons in the old, ridiculous Coliseum, the transistor radios were a necessity if people
I remember that.
New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey has lost his spot in the starting rotation, manager Mickey Callaway announced Saturday.
Harvey, who will be available coming out of the bullpen starting Tuesday, was not happy about the decision.
Matt Harvey not happy about being taken out of the Mets' starting rotation (http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23278540/matt-harvey-loses-spot-new-york-mets-starting-rotation)@Polly Ticks
White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar in critical condition after brain hemorrhage in dugout
Chicago White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar suffered a brain hemorrhage Friday night and fainted in the dugout during Friday's game against the Houston Astros and is in critical condition, the team announced Saturday.
Farquhar, 31, suffered a ruptured aneurysm that caused the brain bleed, according to the team. He is stable, the team says, but remains in the neurosurgical intensive care unit at RUSH University Medical Center.
The team placed Farquhar on the 10-day disabled list Saturday.
More at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/04/21/danny-farquhar-white-sox-brain-hemorrhage-injury/539363002/ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/04/21/danny-farquhar-white-sox-brain-hemorrhage-injury/539363002/)
@Cyber Liberty , I hope he can pull through. Quite tragic. Any comments?
I don't know him. But I think he's going to be out longer than 10 days. That's horrible news!That disabled list is a first formality. Unless I'm very wrong they'll move the poor guy to the 60-day list soon enough,
That disabled list is a first formality. Unless I'm very wrong they'll move the poor guy to the 60-day list soon enough,
at least as soon as they can call up another pitcher.
Probably. Was he a starter?Middle relief pitcher, I think.
I don't know him. But I think he's going to be out longer than 10 days. That's horrible news!
He Did It!It wasn't easy the way the Red Sox have been playing so far.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DbW1CGbXcAAP7Eo.jpg:large)
A's win 3-0. Only the Sox third loss.
He Did It!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DbW1CGbXcAAP7Eo.jpg:large)
A's win 3-0. Only the Sox third loss.
Was playing the Astros at the time , so saw live on TV. Very scary, and gut wrenching. My prayers to him, his family, and the Sox teamThey mentioned it Saturday.
Matt Harvey not happy about being taken out of the Mets' starting rotation (http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23278540/matt-harvey-loses-spot-new-york-mets-starting-rotation)
They mentioned it Saturday.White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar in ‘fight of his life’ after procedure to relieve brain swelling (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/04/23/white-sox-pitcher-danny-farquhar-in-fight-of-his-life-after-procedure-to-relieve-brain-swelling/?utm_term=.93a676138226)
They showed his jersey being hung up on the bullpen fence yesterday, but I didn't hear if they had an update or not.
White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar in ‘fight of his life’ after procedure to relieve brain swelling (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/04/23/white-sox-pitcher-danny-farquhar-in-fight-of-his-life-after-procedure-to-relieve-brain-swelling/?utm_term=.93a676138226)
White Sox pitcher, Danny Farquhar who suffered from the brain aneurysm is proceeding well after surgery and talking to doctors and family. His nickname is "google" per another news story. Hmmmn.
https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/white-sox-rhp-farquhar-progressing-well-after-surgery-042318 (https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/white-sox-rhp-farquhar-progressing-well-after-surgery-042318)
Acuna will serve as Atlanta's starting left fielder and attempt to bolster a lineup that has tallied a National League-high 122 runs without him. The five-tool outfielder ranks second only to Angels rookie sensation Shohei Ohtani on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list.
Just asking this:
Has anyone seen the new pitcher for the Angels pitch? He is outrageous! Twice pitching, and 12 strikeouts both times. Plus the guy can hit! Three homers already. Records will be made with this player. His name is Shohei Ohtani. He made player of the week with Jameson Tallon. Ohtani is all of 23 years old.
Watch out Astros!
:whistle:
Meanwhile, while nobody was looking, the Snakes took the lead for the NL away from the Mets....
LOL
Yeah, wasn't that a special moment in our Astros history....
:thud:
Astros bullpen just aTAD sucky this homestand.
Willie Mays at 87 years old, May 6th was his birthday, so sorry Willie for being one day late...
(https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/0*0XCcNi8_w15MkI1j.jpg)
With Tommy Lasorda of all people, when they played for Almendares in Cuba (picture from 1951).
https://babalublog.com/2018/05/06/happy-87-willie-mays-who-played-with-almendares-in-cuba/ (https://babalublog.com/2018/05/06/happy-87-willie-mays-who-played-with-almendares-in-cuba/)
I saw that catch 'live' on my grandmother's 13 inch black & white Admiral television :laugh:Wow.
(http://img.etsystatic.com/il/f12330/1107267895/il_570xN.1107267895_nfs7.jpg?version=0)
Games will be played in England in 2019, I saw the headlines.
NO-HITTER!
Seattle's James Paxton No-Nos the Jays.
GT....
I know it didn't get much press, but how about Springer last night being the first Astro to go 6-6 in a game.
NO-HITTER!
Seattle's James Paxton No-Nos the Jays.
Through 68 games our team era is 2.43...... and we are in the AL no less. Playoffs oughta be fun.
How sick is that!!!!!!
(http://www.milb.com/images/2/0/2/63693202/2013_Astros_Logo_small_b5luigmb.jpg)
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiIsRErtbyc#)
Bryce who??? 19 year old Juan Soto.
1st major league AB.....1st pitch......GONE!!!
Nice!
I was in the Astrodome when Will Clark of the Giants (later on the Cardinals) hit his 1st home run on his first at bat off of Nolan Ryan.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiIsRErtbyc#)@DCPatriot
Bryce who??? 19 year old Juan Soto.
1st major league AB.....1st pitch......GONE!!!
@DCPatriot
Until Soto connected, each league had fifteen players each who hit home runs on the first major league pitch they saw:
National League:
Walter Mueller (Pirates), 1922
Clise Dudley (Dodgers), 1929
Eddie Morgan (Cardinals), 1936
Clyde Vollmer (Reds), 1942
Chuck Tanner (Braves), 1955
Jim Bullinger (Cubs), 1992
Jay Gainer (Rockies), 1993
Chris Richard (Cardinals), 2000
Gene Stechschulte (Cardinals), 2001
Kaz Matsui (Mets), 2004
Adam Wainwright (Cardinals), 2006
Mark Saccomanno (Astros), 2008
Tommy Milone (Nationals), 2011
Starling Marte (Pirates), 2012
Willson Contreras (Cubs), 2016
American League:
Bill LeFebvre (Red Sox), 1938
George Vico (Tigers), 1948
Bert Campaneris (Athletics), 1964
Brant Alyea (Senators), 1965
Don Rose (Angels), 1972
Al Woods (Blue Jays), 1977
Jay Bell (Indians), 1986
Junior Felix (Blue Jays), 1989
Esteban Yan (Devil Rays), 2000
Marcus Thames (Yankees), 2002
Andy Phillips (Yankees), 2004
Kevin Kouzmanoff (Indians), 2006
Daniel Nava (Red Sox), 2010
J.P. Arencibia (Blue Jays) 2010
Eddie Rosario (Twins), 2015
Notes on the above:
* Two of the first-pitch bombardiers did it as pinch hitters. (Phillips and Saccomanno)
* Eight were pitchers. (Dudley, Bullinger, Stechschulte, Wainwright, Milone, LeFebvre, Rose, and Yan)
* The longest span between first-pitch-ever home run hitters in the American League is seventeen years, between George Vico and Bert Campaneris. The longest in the National League is 37, between Tanner and Bullinger.
* Each league has had a first-pitch-ever home run hitter in back-to-back seasons only once.
* In terms of the field position of the player at the time he hit the bomb, every field position is represented on the first-pitch-ever home run list in the American League, but no second basemen or third basemen have ever done it in the National League.
* The National League team with the most first-pitch-ever home run hitters: the Cardinals, with four.
* The American League Team with the most first-pitch-ever home run hitters: the Blue Jays, with three.
* The longest major league career by any first-pitch-ever home run hitter: 20 years. (Bert Campaneris; Jay Bell had an 18-year major league career.)
* The career home run leader all-time among the first-pitch-ever home run hitters so far: Marcus Thames, with 115 before he retired.
* Hall of Famers who've hit home runs on the first major league pitch they ever saw: None.
* Eventual major league managers who hit home runs on the first major league pitch they ever saw: Chuck Tanner.
Nice!
I was in the Astrodome when Will Clark of the Giants (later on the Cardinals) hit his 1st home run on his first at bat off of Nolan Ryan.
@DCPatriot
The Will Clark home run I saw was not his 1st pitch, but it was his 1st at bat.
@GrouchoTex
I had 'caught' that in your post.
Still can't get over how many hit HRs in the first pitch they ever saw.
...also how many names weren't that memorable.
LOL!@DCPatriot
My grown sons and my grandchildren tell me all the time that watching a game with me is their favorite thing in the world.
They tell me I have a different eye for the Game...etc..
Next to you, I know sh*t! 888high58888
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-jim-palmer-chris-davis-20180524-story.html (http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-jim-palmer-chris-davis-20180524-story.html)@DCPatriot
Hall of Famer Jim Palmer offers harsh criticism of Chris Davis on Orioles' postgame broadcast
Jon Meoli
...snip
If you play nowadays, you're going to make a lot of money, if you hit 33 home runs, 47 home runs, 53 home runs and you get a big seven-year deal.
"You've got to throw that away, and you've got to make some adjustments. I don't see anything. I don't see a wider stance, I don't see a closed stance, I don't see him dropping my hands. I don't see anything. And we're seeing the results. He's just in a prolonged slump. You know, they say he works hard. Ehh. He told everybody in spring training that he worked with [hitting coach] Scott Coolbaugh. I asked Scott in spring training, I go, 'Hey, you must have really put in a lot of work.' He goes, 'We didn't work.' So, you know, I don't believe anything.
“I can just look at what's going on. He's slumping. He's really — I mean, he's killing this club. He's not the only guy doing that. It's not all on Chris Davis. Then again, you give up 11 earned runs, it really probably wouldn't have mattered. But he's got to get back on track, and he's got to make some adjustments. If you look at Giancarlo Stanton, he had 59 home runs last year. Chris has hit 53. What did he do midway through the season? He closed his stance, and he ended up hitting, what, 27 home runs in the last two and a half months? So, Chris has got to do something. It's got to change. Whether it will or not, we'll wait and see."
...continued at above link
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here's a nice article on the Astros starting rotationThings can change between now and October, but I imagine not many teams relish facing our starters right now. (esp. in a 5 game series)
www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/astros-pitching-sets-impressive-record-is-on-historic-pace/ar-AAxJTBx?li=BBnb7Kz (http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/astros-pitching-sets-impressive-record-is-on-historic-pace/ar-AAxJTBx?li=BBnb7Kz)
So ... Rizzo's slide. Dirty or not?@Polly Ticks
Rizzo's slide into catcher stirs Cubs-Bucs debate (https://www.mlb.com/news/anthony-rizzo-slide-stirs-cubs-pirates-debate/c-278692024)
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DIRLRjxBg8#)
Can't say I blame her. Do you know what a beer costs at the ballpark??That's what I call a catch! ;)
That's what I call a catch! ;)
Tonight, Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon, swung at strike 3...on a Max Scherzer pitch that went through his legs.
(http://www.mlb.com/images/1/2/0/283962120/070218_wsh_scherzer_k_leon.gif)
Maybe the strangest game ending play I have ever seen.....@catfish1957
https://www.mlb.com/video/tucker-scores-on-error-for-win/c-2257322683?tid=267617572 (https://www.mlb.com/video/tucker-scores-on-error-for-win/c-2257322683?tid=267617572)
https://streamable.com/7pgux#%C2%A0 (https://streamable.com/7pgux#%C2%A0)
Maybe the strangest game ending play I have ever seen.....
https://www.mlb.com/video/tucker-scores-on-error-for-win/c-2257322683?tid=267617572 (https://www.mlb.com/video/tucker-scores-on-error-for-win/c-2257322683?tid=267617572)
https://streamable.com/7pgux#%C2%A0 (https://streamable.com/7pgux#%C2%A0)
I know it is for me and all brought to you by my favorite (NOT) relief pitcher EVEA! Ken Giles!
After the FU's Giles threw at AJ last night, we might have just witnessed Giles last game as an Astro. (At least I can hope)
I thought I was the only one that noticed! I'll hope with you!
Details of Gile's tirade is getting more media traction. I hope Luhnow / Hinch at least give him a 3 or 4 game suspension for this little outburst.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Astros-Balls-Strikes-More-Ken-Giles-questions-13065230.php (https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Astros-Balls-Strikes-More-Ken-Giles-questions-13065230.php)
Details of Gile's tirade is getting more media traction. I hope Luhnow / Hinch at least give him a 3 or 4 game suspension for this little outburst.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Astros-Balls-Strikes-More-Ken-Giles-questions-13065230.php (https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Astros-Balls-Strikes-More-Ken-Giles-questions-13065230.php)
Man, I went to bed and the Astros had a 4-1 lead!
I missed the good stuff.
Heard that Bregman hit a 5 foot "shot", the catcher missed the tag and then overthrew 1st base for the winning run to come home.
I guess Giles meltdown is why we went into extra innings.
Yep!
Justice was swift.... (Giles optioned to AAA)
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/houston-astros (https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/houston-astros)
I wonder who they will call up?
Justice was swift.... (Giles optioned to AAA)
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/houston-astros (https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/houston-astros)
@EasyAce@DCPatriot
See what I mean?
The NATS have won 6 of 8 and while they're doing it against the METS and REDS...they're playing their schedule. Thank God they're not playing over .500 teams.
But they've not even picked up a half game on either the PHILLIES or BRAVES, who've. in the meantime, traded places in 1st and 2nd place respectively.
Harper is being patient and keeping the line moving. Hit one about 440 ft tonight. Moving his BA toward .230.
@EasyAce
As far as Zach Britton went, I understand there was a deal in the works last year that the Orioles blew up at the last minute, which left a bad taste in mouth of the Astro's organization.
I think there was a bit of once-bitten-twice-shy sensation from the Astros this year, leery about trying it again.
One comment I heard was that they were not interested in trading with someone who was going to treat them the way the Orioles did.
Another comment was made that they were not going to go out of their way to "help" the Orioles after the debacle.
I have heard other fans of other teams mention that dealing with Angelos family is like dealing with a sleazy used car salesman. They can keep their crappy team crappy as far as I am concerned.
And on our front... I have been a huge fan of Luhnow as he has built us up, but this Osuna deal has me shaking my head. Didn't like it one bit, we don't need that in the clubhouse.
I have heard other fans of other teams mention that dealing with Angelos family is like dealing with a sleazy used car salesman. They can keep their crappy team crappy as far as I am concerned.
And on our front... I have been a huge fan of Luhnow as he has built us up, but this Osuna deal has me shaking my head. Didn't like it one bit, we don't need that in the clubhouse.
@EasyAce@GrouchoTex
As far as Zach Britton went, I understand there was a deal in the works last year that the Orioles blew up at the last minute, which left a bad taste in mouth of the Astro's organization.
I think there was a bit of once-bitten-twice-shy sensation from the Astros this year, leery about trying it again.
One comment I heard was that they were not interested in trading with someone who was going to treat them the way the Orioles did.
Another comment was made that they were not going to go out of their way to "help" the Orioles after the debacle.
I think some of what drives this is part of Crane/Luhnow strategy. They say they don't want to be the next Kansas City/Miami type small market team that gives away the future for immediate results.If the Astros had solid prospects but not a real depth of them, that would be one thing. But their system is deep enough that they could have made a deal for Britton or another close-enough-to-top-shelf relief pitcher with prospects and still not leave the system anywhere near dry. They didn't do all that arduous work rebuilding their system for nothing.
On my way to watch a game, Luhnow was on the radio about 2 weeks ago, saying how KC had that 2-3 year run where they brought up everyone that could get them to the top, with nothing left in the tank for later.
It worked, they won a Series, but the last game I saw had only 3-4 starters from the team that had won it in 2015.
After hearing the Luhnow interview, it doesn't surprise me that their list of untouchable prospects may be longer than the teams they are negotiating with would like it to be.
@EasyAce@GrouchoTex
I should have done a bit more proof reading before I sent my last response.
I meant to say,"I can't fathom the reason behind it".
Lance McCullers also expressed his displeasure with the Osuna deal.
Add mine, too.
Only 4 hits for both teams, with the Dodgers only run coming on a Peterson lead-off home run.
No Correa or Altuve this series for the Astros.
Good win, but if we don't get out of these offensive doldrums we are going to be in trouble.
Verlander strikes out 14 in the Astros win over the Dodgers last night, 2-1.
Verlaner went 7-2/3rds for the win.
Only 4 hits for both teams, with the Dodgers only run coming on a Peterson lead-off home run.
Springer knocked in the Astros 2 runs.
Rondon closed it, a 4 out save.
Dodgers 1st baseman Muncey looks like he'll be fun to watch in the future, already tearing the cover off the ball this year.
No Correa or Altuve this series for the Astros.
Tell me (NATS) about it....... **nononono*
Dang, I hadn't looked that closely at the NL standings for a while.
Talent alone, the Nats should make the playoffs. OTOH, and I don't know how you will take it or respond, but how much of the Nat's woes have to do with Harper's clubhouse presence?
We got a huge argument in our ranks about that issue here after what Osuna might bring.
Verlander after the Osuna's abuse event, tweeted a very public FU to him.
Dang, I hadn't looked that closely at the NL standings for a while.
That's OK, nobody does. Who's led NL West for most of the season?
LOL Point taken.
Personally, I don't think Bryce Harper is a clubhouse issue. He WAS a lineup issue.It's like I told you on another thread---he looks like he has the right weight balance in the box now. He seemed to have lost that balance earlier in the season. Maybe part of it was the kind of pressure you put on yourself in a walk year, especially the first one of your career, especially when your name keeps coming up in trade rumours, but when you don't have the balance in the box you don't have the consistent accuracy in the swing, no matter how good you are at reading pitchers and working with what they throw you. Right around the All Star break it looked like Harper was beginning to solve his balance problem. His swings have looked far better since, and he's getting results. He doesn't look awkward in the box. (I suspect the turning point have have begun not long after that incident where he whacked into a double play and didn't run it out---probably out of sheer disgust after doing that with a pitch he'd normally rip for a line drive somewhere.) The biggest point in his favour before that was that he was still sharp enough a thinker in the box to be able to take all those walks and get on base anyway.
Everybody is entitled to a slump at that level. It's also his long-awaited contract year. He's been waiting for this season all his life.
So...it's self-induced pressure.
Since the All-Star Break; his not being traded IF they can make a pennant push...he's a completely different man in the batter's box.
I've seen him hit crisply to left field more times since the AS break than the entire 1st half of the season. Maybe because he sees the rest of the lineup barreling up? He's not trying to jack everything.
Right now, they have no place to put Ryan Zimmerman except 1st base. And forget that, since Adams in putting up serious numbers.If those are their only problems, they should acquit themselves well enough. But watch out for the Braves. They're an anomaly this year---they don't have an all-or-nothing lineup and they're pains in the ass on the bases. That's why they jumped into a pennant race about a year before they were supposed to.
And Robles' return will create a jam fielding outfielders. Who sits?
Michael A. Taylor? Who runs like a deer? Pennant contenders need great defense up the middle. He's more than adequate defensively.
IMO...his swing is too long. And he's a lousy guesser. :laugh:
Murphy at 2nd is the weakest link at 2nd. But right now, the ball looks huge.
All good problems to have.
It's like I told you on another thread---he looks like he has the right weight balance in the box now. He seemed to have lost that balance earlier in the season. Maybe part of it was the kind of pressure you put on yourself in a walk year, especially the first one of your career, especially when your name keeps coming up in trade rumours, but when you don't have the balance in the box you don't have the consistent accuracy in the swing, no matter how good you are at reading pitchers and working with what they throw you. Right around the All Star break it looked like Harper was beginning to solve his balance problem. His swings have looked far better since, and he's getting results. He doesn't look awkward in the box. (I suspect the turning point have have begun not long after that incident where he whacked into a double play and didn't run it out---probably out of sheer disgust after doing that with a pitch he'd normally rip for a line drive somewhere.) The biggest point in his favour before that was that he was still sharp enough a thinker in the box to be able to take all those walks and get on base anyway.
If those are their only problems, they should acquit themselves well enough. But watch out for the Braves. They're an anomaly this year---they don't have an all-or-nothing lineup and they're pains in the ass on the bases. That's why they jumped into a pennant race about a year before they were supposed to.
Even MLB dot com has been ignoring it in their stories, along with the rest of the nation's sports writers. :shrug:
Strange season. NL is a free for all, with only about four teams out of the playoff hunt.
Versus the AL, where pretty much everything is set.
My 'creepy eyes' still work.@DCPatriot
Just as I suspected, ...since the All Star Break, 50% of Bryce Harper's hits have been to left-of-dead center field.
He's batting at a .376 clip and seems to have forgotten the shitty first half.
** Creepy eyes is what the Statheads in the Orioles' Usenet newsgroup called it, because I only used statistics to confirm my observations.
It was the Statheads vs the Dugout Boyz.
Dugout Boyz acknowledged the existence and value of team chemistry, which gave Statheads in the group the vapors. LOL!
I REALLY hate this stupid "Watch today's game ONLY on Facebook Live!!" thing.
9999hair out0000
You can say that again! I am so pissed at MLB for this...they write off uncounted viewers, while gaining nothing.
9999hair out0000 9999hair out0000 9999hair out0000
I REALLY hate this stupid "Watch today's game ONLY on Facebook Live!!" thing.
9999hair out0000
(You had to know that was coming!)
During the season, every team's fans get a taste of this wonderful idea.
Yep. And it stinks!
I pay for MLB.TV because I'm out of market for my team. I watch a solid 85% of their games, but I feel cheated when they have one of these ridiculous Facebook games.
As I had posted on another thread, the AL west and the NL west are getting interesting.
As an Astros fan, more interesting that I would like.
I have been wondering if it hasn't been purposefully made so by the league controllers.
Okay, @Bigun, I know you've posted a great piece tying all the players and their connections in the Clinton/Obama/Trump cases, which was wonderful.
Very informative and eye-opening.
C'mon now, this is baseball.
I don't believe the 1919 world series is going on all over again.
However, if anyone can find it, it'll be you.
:beer:
All I'm going to say is that ticket sales are going to be a lot higher for AL west games going forward than they otherwise would have been.
True.
I remember during those hundred loss year seasons, I got a lot of free Astros tickets, and couldn't find people wanting to go.
Now, the free tickets have disappeared, and I when I buy tickets, everyone wants to go.
Do you think this Astros will ever settle on a 7th-8th-closer pitching situation?
I know Hinch has a lot of combinations he can throw out there, some (obviously) working better than others.....
I have been wondering if it hasn't been purposefully made so by the league controllers.
I know I'm gonna piss people off by saying this, but getting Osuna integrated is the key IMHO.@Bigun
@Bigun
The news just came out---A.J. Hinch named Roberto Osuna the primary closer down the stretch.
@Bigun@Bigun
The news just came out---A.J. Hinch named Roberto Osuna the primary closer down the stretch.
@Bigun
@EasyAce
No surprise there, since that's what we got him for.
I'm thinking:
Pressley, Rondon, Osuna, 7,8, and 9, with Devenski and Sipp going into face the one-offs (or mop up, with Will Harris)?
Peacock and McCue, earlier/long relief?
What do you y'all think?
You would be hard pressed to find a better long relief guy than Colin McCue IMHO.
The rest looks about right as well.
Although it hasn't looked so good lately, it is one of the better bullpens in the Majors.
I saw it ranked at #2 in some article recently.
The luxury is, if one goes south, there's back up.
Hopefully, they all don't go south at once.
The VAST majority of the Astros recent losses have not had anything to do with the pitching staff. You have to score to win ballgames I don't care who is on the mound.
The VAST majority of the Astros recent losses have not had anything to do with the pitching staff. You have to score to win ballgames I don't care who is on the mound.
QBS, eh? (Quiet Bat Syndrome.)
Not all were due to silent bats- 3 games lately, starting with Sunday the 12th through last night, 3 late inning home runs did us in.
2 were blown saves, followed by 10th inning home runs, last night, a 3-run blast in the 8th.
I suppose if we had larger leads in all of these, it would have made a difference, of course.
You gotta close the close ones.
Maybe now, if Osuna does well, that starts to happen, but he was one of the guys who gave up a walk-off in the 10th.
I do think it's wise for Hinch to name him the closer, although I'm not thrilled that he's here.
If it settles the situation, maybe that's all it will take.
:shrug:
QBS, eh? (Quiet Bat Syndrome.)
When Tyler White is the best hitter you have you are in trouble.
The Nats just traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals.
OK, what did they do to piss off GM Mike Rizzo? Remember, his M.O. this year is that if you get into his doghouse, you get traded to contenders. Kind of like the father who punishes his son for driving under the influence by buying him a new 'Vette.
The Nats just traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals.
OK, what did they do to piss off GM Mike Rizzo? Remember, his M.O. this year is that if you get into his doghouse, you get traded to contenders. Kind of like the father who punishes his son for driving under the influence by buying him a new 'Vette.
Imagine that you get into your bosses doghouse, and he talks a better company into hiring you.
We should all have a boss like Rizzo.
As I had posted on another thread, the AL west and the NL west are getting interesting.
As an Astros fan, more interesting that I would like.
I know I'm gonna piss people off by saying this, but getting Osuna integrated is the key IMHO.
I've been watching Murphy closely. @EasyAce While his bat is 'steady eddy', his defense has disappeared.Remember, @DCPatriot , defense was never really Murphy's calling card. His bad defense was a big reason the 2015 Mets blew a World Series they could have won.
Why not trade him to a contending AL team with a DH? I don't get it. Murphy was as surprised as anyone.Why deal a pair of serviceable relief pitchers to contenders just because you only thought they were malcontents and didn't bother trying to ascertain the actual truth? The only shock is that Rizzo didn't trade Murphy or Adams to the Red Sox, last seen still running away with the American League East.
On Sunday, Aug. 12, Cubs rookie David Bote belted a two-strike, two-out, bases-loaded, walk-off grand slam to straightaway center to give Chicago a 4-3 win over the Nationals at Wrigley Field.
The next few moments? Some of the best baseball can offer.
Bote air-planed his way around the bases, chucked his helmet a mile into the North Side night, and got mobbed at home plate by teammates as the Friendly Confines erupted in delirium.
It was as exciting a moment as you’ll see in the dog days of summer.
Unfortunately, Bote, a former 18th-round pick, spent the next morning apologizing for what was surely the best, most thrilling moment of his young baseball career. The alleged offense? Bat-flipping.
“It just kind of happened,†Bote said on 670 The Score in Chicago. “I didn’t even realize I did it until I saw it on the replay. I thought, ‘Oh man, I did bat-flip it.’ Obviously, I meant no disrespect by any means. It was just the heat of the moment. I got it good, and I was wishing it out.â€
Two things here. One, I don’t know if what Bote did even qualifies as a bat flip. It was more of an excited drop, a roll off the fingertips. And two – and far more importantly – no one on the Nationals complained about Bote’s theatrics, such as they were.
I understand Bote not wanting to step on anyone’s toes. After all, he’s 25 years old, this was his 34th major league game, and he’s been optioned to the minors several times this season. He just wants to keep his head down, work hard, not be a distraction, and earn his spot. I get that. I respect that.
But this unrequested apology for a bat flip that didn’t occur goes right to the heart of one of baseball’s biggest problems: its unrelenting adherence to unwritten rules, its aversion to self-expression, its allergy to fun.
Well, it’s time to put an end to that – starting now.
Yes, on this day, August 20, 2018, I would like to issue the following proclamation:
By the authority vested in me as an old, old-school, no-celebration guy from the 1980s (and as the writer of this blog), I hereby authorize bat-flipping as an acceptable demonstration of joy and exuberance. It shall no longer be deemed a sign of poor sportsmanship or disrespect for an opponent.
The game will henceforth be liberated from the oppressive, monotonous, mundane ways of its founding fathers. (If they’re offended by that, well, I won’t tell them if you won’t!) Gone is the 19th century. Upon us, a new world. With electricity. And air conditioning. And Instagram. House of Highlights has over 10 million followers for a reason. That reason? Sports are fun – for fans and athletes alike. As a side note, I’ve yet to see a bat-flip highlight – or any Major League Baseball highlight – on there. Football, basketball, and soccer dominate clips – yet another indication of baseball’s marketing woes.
As a result, baseball players shall no longer be required to play baseball as if they’re playing chess. And sipping tea. While tip-toeing in a tuxedo.
Instead, happiness will be not only permitted, but encouraged. Hitters can admire home runs. Pitchers can pump fists and shout excitedly after clutch strikeouts. We, as players, fans, and rational-thinking beings, will understand that no harm is intended by these expressions of spontaneous joy.
(Other unwritten rules will be addressed in a future blog.)
Still, we must have some ground rules to ensure proper decorum. As such:
• There will be no taunting of opponents. The absence of aggressive, showy behavior will reinforce to fans and players that no disrespect is intended during moments of excitement.
• If your team is losing, bat-flips will look weird. If your team is losing by a lot, they will look very weird. Use discretion.
• If you flip your bat for a hit that stays in the park – or for a ball that winds up being caught or goes foul – you are going to look stupid. Not just in that moment, but for all of eternity thanks to YouTube, Instagram, and the Internet. Be smart.
• If you want to earn style points while flipping your bat, there’s plenty of inspiration online.
• If you’re so inclined to involve the umpire with your bat-flip, kudos to you!
• In addition, choreographed celebrations and handshakes are not acceptable in Major League Baseball; the NFL owns that. Taking off your jersey as you’re rounding the bases is not acceptable; soccer owns that. But if your teammates want to tear your jersey off at home plate, that’s acceptable.
• If you hit a home run and want to know the launch angle or exit velocity, you must retire. As in, immediately. As in, don’t enter the clubhouse. As in, shower at home. As in, we’ll ship your belongings to you. Maybe.
Okay. We good? Good.
I bring a unique perspective to this. I’m so old, I was around when the high-five was invented. True story: When we hit home runs, we would run the bases with our heads down. When we crossed home plate, we would shake hands with the guy on-deck or maybe tip our cap to the fans. Then we would go to the dugout and literally shake hands with every single teammate and coach. All of them.
That all changed with the high-five. At the time, it was a disruptive invention, a revolutionary display of exuberance that would forever change the nature of spontaneous celebration.
I remember thinking, “Is this okay? Are we allowed to do this?â€
Yes, we were. And yes, we are. It was a seminal moment in our culture’s movement toward expressions of joy and achievement.
Thus, as someone who didn’t know if a high-five was acceptable, I’m telling you: the bat-flip is okay.
Want to have some fun? Watch Allen Iverson’s practice rant – but replace every practice with bat-flips. That will sum up my opinion on the matter.
Ultimately, David Bote had nothing to apologize for. If anything, he should be praised for doing something that has only been done 27 times since 1925.
The madness must stop. When in doubt, play the game, love the game, and show the game you love it. We, as fans and players, will all be better off.
IMO, it's just that Strasburg had no minor league start....merely throwing off a mound in a game simulation...ONCE!@DCPatriot
I tend to agree to with him....it's a matter of endurance.
Thing that bothers me is that his 'game face' was expressionless. He's definitely not happy.
Aye caramba!!
My NATS have gone 27 innings without scoring vs. the METS. The METS!!!
Adding insult to injury...both the Braves and the Phillies have lost too! A chance to get to 5.5 and they blew it! 9999hair out0000
Finally got to a Tribe game and watched Corey Kluber take the lead in the MLB with his 18th win!
Not a high scoring game against KC, but a solid win, and very much fun to be there!
Looks like Nola and Scherzer are the NL favorite for CYA this year. Looks also ike a close battle between Kluber and Sale in the AL.Keep in mind Jacob DeGrom is having a better season than all of them except for the fact that his team can't win for him. He's had 25 straight starts surrendering three or fewer runs (and only gave up three in four starts), the first pitcher to do that in a season since the dead-ball era (1910, to be specific); he leads the Show in ERA (1.68), adjusted ERA+ (your ERA adjusted for the parks in which you pitched; deGrom's is 210), and fielding independent pitching (2.07; basically, FIP is your ERA when defensive plays behind you are removed from the equation); he's given up the lowest percentage of home runs (0.4 per nine innings); and, if his team had won all his no-decisions while he was still the pitcher of record his record right now would be 19-8. He could be, and might be, the first Cy Young Award winner since Felix Hernandez do win the award despite fewer than 15 wins. (He also leads pitchers in win probability added, with 5.1, which says even more against his sorry team.) And it's a shame that baseball's best pitcher this year pitches for a team whom he could take to court and sue for non-support and there wouldn't be a judge on the bench who'd say he wasn't justified.
All four have had great seasons. Would hate to have to choose.
Keep in mind Jacob DeGrom is having a better season than all of them except for the fact that his team can't win for him.
No doubt deGrom has had a fine year, but I would be shocked if he pulled off the CYA this year. The Writers tend to avoid "shoulda / coulda" aspects when voting. For my team, Nolan Ryan's '87 season was a good example.
No doubt deGrom has had a fine year, but I would be shocked if he pulled off the CYA this year. The Writers tend to avoid "shoulda / coulda" aspects when voting. For my team, Nolan Ryan's '87 season was a good example.They don't have to shoulda/woulda with deGrom. Except for his won-lost record his important stats speak as well for themselves as King Felix's did.
They don't have to shoulda/woulda with deGrom. Except for his won-lost record his important stats speak as well for themselves as King Felix's did.
@DCPatriot
They won't generally hold whether his team didn't make the postseason against a qualified Cy Young candidate. Think of Steve Carlton in 1972 for one example.
I'm glad to hear you say that, @EasyAce@DCPatriot
Nobody works harder at his craft than Max Scherzer. No run support early on.
Like Mike Mussian did with the Orioles...he'll go inning by inning against an EASYACE, but make one mistake that leaves the yard. Hopefully a solo shot. Or two.... And they'd lose 3-1 or 2-0
Thanks for that detailed reply, @EasyAce@DCPatriot
Glad the Cy Young award hasn't become a popularity contest.
@EasyAceThere's a case that John Hiller, the Tigers' relief pitcher, actually should have won the 1973 Cy Young Award: he had the league's best walks/hits per inning pitched rate, its best ERA (1.44, and he appeared in 65 games, and he usually pitched two innings or better while leading the league with 38 saves), and his 8.4 win probability added rate was the best in the league that season. But the Cy Young voters weren't quite ready to hand the prize to a relief pitcher.
@DCPatriot
Jim Palmer/Nolan Ryan in 1973 comes to mind as a popularity contest for the Cy Young award.
Palmer had 1 more win than Ryan.
Ryan, playing on a bad Angels team, had 21 wins, 383 strikeouts, 2 no-hitter (and came close to 5!).
Astros Win!! Astros Win!! Astros Win AGAIN!!!They tied a record, too, for most consecutive postseason games with at least one home run---they've now hit at least one in twelve straight such games.
They tied a record, too, for most consecutive postseason games with at least one home run---they've now hit at least one in twelve straight such games.
Now to the ALCS. Where whomever they play won't be quite the pushovers the Indians proved to be.
If it's the Astros against the Red Sox, the Astros have a great chance if they can get past the Red Sox's starters and get into that none-too-steady bullpen early and often. If it's the Astros against the Yankees, it probably won't be a short set since the Yankees are a little more experienced this time around and their bullpen is better this year than it was last year. Plus both teams didn't change all that much this year, so they're each familiar with each other and the Yankees should be less prone to the mistakes they made in last year's ALCS. Astros vs. Yankees, it'll probably go seven again with no assurance the Astros make a return World Series engagement. Astros vs. Red Sox, it could be five or six with the Astros coming out on top and going back to the Series.
For now. Remember Andujar's Law: in baseball, there's just one word---you never know.
Astros Win!! Astros Win!! Astros Win AGAIN!!!Channeling your inner Loel Passe? Or was that Milo? :cool:
Except for Gerrit Cole this team is pretty much the same as last year's World Series winner, and Verlander/Cole are a terrific 1-2 punch. But, yes, the Yankee pen is better this season:
(1) Yankee's bullpen? You don't think the Astros bullpen is 100% better? Last year we didn't hardly have a bull pen at all, as evidence AJ's use of starters in relief. This year the pen is rock solid and now have a reliable closer in Osuna, vs. last year's head case Giles.
(2) Not much change in Houston? We added a No. 2 pitcher who might be No. 1 in 2/3 of the rest of the League (Cole). I'll venture we have the best 1-2 starting punch in baseball (Verlander / Cole) . Our No. 3 is a recent Cy Young winner too btw. The ALDS was prime example of that level of dominance.
In any case, you underestimated us last year, so I don't mind if you do it again. :cool:
Like you quoted.... "You never know" We'll know soon.
@EasyAce
Boston Wins, barely.@Elderberry
Except for Gerrit Cole this team is pretty much the same as last year's World Series winner, and Verlander/Cole are a terrific 1-2 punch. But, yes, the Yankee pen is better this season:
the ERAs for the five main Yankee pitchers was 2.80 next to those of the Astros being 2.88, but the Yankee pen had a better walks/hits per inning pitched rate than the Astros pen and the Yankee pen's fielding-independent pitching rate---basically, that's your ERA without your defense factored in---was 2.68, with the Astros' pen showing a 3.08 FIP. Both pens surrendered a comparatively few home runs this season: 29 for the Yankees' five main men; 30 for the Astros'. Where the Yankee pen might be vulnerable is if they have to go to other than their five main guys, but that's their only vulnerability, and it's possible the Yankees may leave a couple of those guys off the ALCS roster if they get there. Both these bullpens are awfully close to each other, but I'd have to say the Yankees have the slight edge there especially if they have to come into a game early. The Astros pen is good if they have to get into a game early, but the Yankee pen is just a little bit better. They don't look so good today with the Red Sox battering the Yankees 10-1 in the fifth as I write, but overall they're just a little more solid.
If the Astros get the Red Sox in the ALCS, it'll be little contest---the Red Sox bullpen is a band aids-and-string mess comparatively. The key for the Astros against the Red Sox, I repeat---get their starters out of the way early and get into the Red Sox bullpen early, and often. If they do that it'll be a short ALCS; the Red Sox's bats won't be kept too quiet even against the Astros' best pitchers, but the Astros can win against the Red Sox if the Sox have to go to the bullpen too early.
I think the Astros bullpen is leaps and bounds better this year than it was last year. But that's just me I guess.
Dang straight. Last year AJ had to pull out secondary starters as relievers to win the WS.
Thankfully Ken Giles is at least a 1000 miles from anywhere we play.
I think the Astros bullpen is leaps and bounds better this year than it was last year. But that's just me I guess.
Channeling your inner Loel Passe? Or was that Milo? :cool:
ALCS Game 1- Houston 7 Boston 2. Houston leads series 1-0.
:lotsosmileys: :
1-1 Series now.
Coming back to Houston for 3 games..
@skeeter
THIS is the proper way to be ejected.
Sorry... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oryBLPMH59M#)
Channeling your inner Loel Passe? Or was that Milo? :cool:
And now Goldy is with the Cardinals. Jake Lamb takes over at first plate. I will be rooting for the Cardinals only because of Goldy. He deserves a ring. Miggy Montero got his when he joined the Cubbies.
Oops! I am late.
I lost five buckaroonies thinking the Dodgers would beat the Astros! Last year I won a buck, but I was never paid.
Go figure...
And now Goldy is with the Cardinals. Jake Lamb takes over at first plate. I will be rooting for the Cardinals only because of Goldy. He deserves a ring. Miggy Montero got his when he joined the Cubbies.
Ahhhh, baseball. Hopefully, this move of ours @Cyber Liberty will be finished by Spring Training. LOL!
Baseball rules!
:amen:
I was really hoping the Astros would have signed Goldschmidt. It would have given them maybe the greatest MLB infield of all time.
1B- Goldschmidt
2B- Altuve
SS- Correa
3B- Bregman
Alas...not so lucky.
How many times in history has a single team won the World Series three times in a row? Perhaps the "old" Yankees or Dodgers, but none comes to my brain right now.@Slip18
@Slip18
Not only three, but five times in a row: the Yankees, under Casey Stengel, from 1949-53.
Thank you, Easy!@Slip18
It just figures the Yankees. Such a great team back then. Dang!
Casey Stengel. I have not heard his name in a long time!
Thank you, Easy!
Casey Stengel. I have not heard his name in a long time!
Talk about a mixture of assignments......He also managed the sad-sack Brooklyn Dodgers of the mid-1930s and the Boston Braves crossing into the early 40s. Where on both teams he could count on half a hand how many genuinely good players he had with those teams.
The Late '40's, early '50's Yankees and......
The infamous 1962 Mets.
@EasyAce What do you think of the Dodgers-Reds deal?@Machiavelli
@Machiavelli
I think it means the Dodgers a) break an outfield logjam; b) relieve themselves about $15 million worth of luxury tax possibility; and, therefore, c) have room to make a serious play for Bryce Harper. Though you have to admit Los Angeles is going to miss its Puig-in-the-box and about ten surprises a week. On the other hand, the Wild Horse is going to love hitting in that yummier hitter's park in Cincinnati. Maybe even enough that the Reds decide to fasten him aboard on a long-term extension. Kemp might continue his renaissance there, too. (They both become free agents after the 2019 season.)
@EasyAce@GrouchoTex
I'm at work and the company internet blocks sports pages.
Who did the trolley Dodgers get in return?