Baseball 2025 - Batter Up! ⚾

[Polly Ticks]

I know the feeling.

[Bigun]

[Hoodat]

College World Series coming up.  Last night's showdown between Arkansas and LSU was one helluva game.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMDbxugyFI

LSU will play Coastal Carolina for the championship.

[Hoodat]

Here's the full ninth inning.  Score tied, 3-3.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28XRWirepWA

[AllThatJazzZ]

@Bigun

 

Here's some added context...

(As of yesterday, lost 1/2 a game since then)

[AllThatJazzZ]

I know the feeling.

@Polly Ticks

Rough year for y'all. Saw where the CRockies beat the Braves 10 - 1.    Whaaaaaat???

[catfish1957]

@Bigun

 

Here's some added context...

(As of yesterday, lost 1/2 a game since then)

And this was done with Alvarez on the shelf.  After 60 years, I have usually been pretty good at gauging how well the Stros will fare each year. This year?  I had the pegged at  about 3rd place hovering + or - 3 above or below .500

But gone are:

Bregman
Correa
Verlander
Springer
Tucker

Great job this year of extracting the utmost out of Level 2 talent.    And Hunter Brown?  I am impressed. Let's sign him long term, before the price tag escalates,.

[Polly Ticks]

@Polly Ticks

Rough year for y'all. Saw where the CRockies beat the Braves 10 - 1.    Whaaaaaat???

Right?!? 
And then on the other hand, we just swept the Mets out of first place and into a tie with the Phillies in the NL East.
Weird year, for sure.

[GrouchoTex]

And this was done with Alvarez on the shelf.  After 60 years, I have usually been pretty good at gauging how well the Stros will fare each year. This year?  I had the pegged at  about 3rd place hovering + or - 3 above or below .500

But gone are:

Bregman
Correa
Verlander
Springer
Tucker

Great job this year of extracting the utmost out of Level 2 talent.    And Hunter Brown?  I am impressed. Let's sign him long term, before the price tag escalates,.

I tried but I couldn't stay awake through the A's-Astros games this week.
About the longest I lasted was around 6 innings. I did see Cam Smith hit his 2 home runs.

[Bigun]

@Bigun

 

Here's some added context...

(As of yesterday, lost 1/2 a game since then)

The truth is that I no longer care a whit about pro baseball @AllThatJazzZ I just posted that to pee in @DCPatriot post toastiees.

[DCPatriot]

@Bigun

 

Here's some added context...

(As of yesterday, lost 1/2 a game since then)

I'm actually rooting for the ASTROS...a team leading in the standings despite not playing .600 ball.  (Then again, maybe it's because I see familiar 'Astro' names on the back of strange jerseys.)   Bregman, Correa, 

It's where we expected our ORIOLES to be...certainly NOT buried eleven games back... DESPITE PLAYING .600 ball the past two weeks

@Bigun  @AllThatJazzZ

The truth is that I no longer care a whit about pro baseball @AllThatJazzZ I just posted that to pee in @DCPatriot post toastiees.

[jmyrlefuller]

Pssh. Bandwagoner. (blows raspberry)

[jmyrlefuller]

So lately I've been watching a team called the Alaska Goldpanners. It's one of those collegiate summer baseball teams that builds its rosters from college students on summer vacation looking to develop their playing skills. They're based in Fairbanks, Alaska so their games are starting just as I'm getting ready for bed. I can put their games on as I go to sleep.

There are two games each year that are particularly special on the Goldpanners' schedule. One is the Midnight Sun Game, which happens tomorrow night, when they take advantage of Fairbanks's northern latitude and play in the middle of the night (way early in the morning here) with nothing but natural light; that game's a century old.

The other is the annual game where they play local talent, first the American Legion squad (which is high school age) and the other the beer league. They're usually games that the Goldpanners win without any trouble but last night, for the first few innings, the beer leaguers were actually beating the Goldpanners. Alas, it wasn't to be, as it turned into a blowout by the time the game was over but for that brief moment, it made me smile.

[Wingnut]

As a Cubs fan I am having a 1969 flashback. 

[Hoodat]

LSU Tigers win 2nd Men's College World Series in three years

Jun 22, 2025, 05:57 PM ET

OMAHA, Neb. -- LSU knocked previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina ace Jacob Morrison out of the game with a four-run fourth inning and the Tigers won their second national championship in three years Sunday with a 5-3 victory in the College World Series finals.

The Tigers (53-15) completed a two-game sweep of the Chanticleers (56-13), who entered the finals on a 26-game win streak and on Sunday saw coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling ejected in the bottom of the first inning.

LSU gave the Southeastern Conference its sixth straight national title in baseball and 11th in 16 years. It was LSU's eighth, all since 1991 and second most all time behind Southern California's 12.

Tigers coach Jay Johnson became the first Division I coach to win two titles in his first four years at a school. No other coach had accomplished that feat in fewer than eight seasons.

"Our whole motto for the year was 'Tough and Together,' and that's what they did from Aug. 26 until now," Johnson said in a postgame television interview. "It's only 12 returning players. That collection of talent became a team and a family."

Coastal Carolina won the national title in 2016 and was trying to become the first team since 1962 (Michigan) and the fifth all time to win the championship in its first two CWS appearances.

With five-time champion coach Skip Bertman watching from the stands, LSU tied it at 1 in the third on Ethan Frey's RBI double .  .  .

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45563575/lsu-tigers-win-2nd-men-college-world-series-three-years

[catfish1957]

@DCPatriot

Last nights box score.....

TB Rays-  8R 13H 2E
Orioles-  22R 21H  0E

Think they might want to save a few of those for later?   

[jmyrlefuller]

Lately I've been out in my car on the evenings and weekends, and when I do, I often tune in a baseball game if there's one on. The one team I can consistently pick up on the radio is the Pirates.

The past couple of days, every time I've tuned in, the Pirates have gone on an absolute tear of RBIs and homers. Like tonight: I tuned in midway through the game, it's 1-0, and by the time I finish my drive, it's 7-0.

Not sure how I feel with that kind of responsibility!

[DefiantMassRINO]

Can any team spare a starting pitcher with an ERA less than 5 for the Red Sox?

[catfish1957]

Can any team spare a starting pitcher with an ERA less than 5 for the Red Sox?

Not us.  You already poached Bregman from us. 

After decades of shame and ridicule with my team, please excuse my smack talk.....   

[Polly Ticks]

[catfish1957]

The gift that keeps on giving.  I haven't liked the Mets since 2004 when they and Bora$$ screwed us over in Carlos Beltran negotiations.

Karma X 10

Baseball grudges?  Some of mine date back to events of the 1960's.

[catfish1957]

I tried but I couldn't stay awake through the A's-Astros games this week.
About the longest I lasted was around 6 innings. I did see Cam Smith hit his 2 home runs.

Paredes 17 Homers and 46 RBI's thus far
Cam Smith batting .290

Man did we rob the Cubs.

[catfish1957]

Last night....

Astros 18 Dodgers 1 ....   worst blowout in Dodger Stadium history. 

[DCPatriot]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45730740/phillies-rip-mlb-adding-jacob-misiorowski-all-star-roster

Phillies rip MLB for adding Jacob Misiorowski to All-Star roster

excerpt:

MLB announced Friday that the hard-throwing Misiorowski, who has made just five starts for Milwaukee, would replace Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd on the NL roster.

The Phillies, already miffed at what they perceived to be a number of All-Star snubs on their roster, voiced their resentment later Friday night.

"What a joke," shortstop Trea Turner told The Athletic. "That's f---ing terrible. I mean that's terrible, dude."

"It's turning into the Savannah Bananas," outfielder Nick Castellanos added.

The Phillies pointed to left-handers Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez as examples of more deserving All-Star replacements than Misiorowski.

"That's just how MLB does it now," catcher J.T. Realmuto told The Athletic. "Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But [Suarez and Sanchez] are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There's no doubt."

Misiorowski is 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA in his five starts, striking out 33 over 25 2/3 innings while wowing fans with a fastball that averages 99.3 mph. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has unleashed 89 pitches this season that have reached at least 100 mph.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

@catfish1957   @AllThatJazzZ  @Bigun  @Polly Ticks  @jmyrlefuller  @GrouchoTex  @DefiantMassRINO  @Hoodat

Opinions please?

I'm tending to agree with MLB on this one.

Who doesn't want to see a 6ft 7in lanky kid throw 104mph strikes?

Has 5 [quality] starts, 33K's and a 2.31 ERA.

Would imagine facing somebody that tall, like he's releasing the ball from in front of the mound and NOT the rubber.

[catfish1957]

ASG theatrics at their best. 

As an ancient fan, I like it best when my team is snubbed and skipped (as they are this year).

Rather not have any of our stars "Fosse'ed"

And honestly I haven't watched an entire ASG in its entirety in easily 30 years.   ZZzzzzzzzzz

[Canuck Conservative]

Most of the pitchers I've seen so far that throw over 100 have control problems.

Sure, "100mph+ pitches" sounds scary, but I'd rather have a guy who can throw, say, 97 with accuracy, consistently ... that's a winner

j/s

[catfish1957]

Most of the pitchers I've seen so far that throw over 100 have control problems.

Sure, "100mph+ pitches" sounds scary, but I'd rather have a guy who can throw, say, 97 with accuracy, consistently ... that's a winner

j/s

My all time favor ball player is Nolan Ryan.....   A 2 generation ago, antithesis of your "druthers".   

You make good points...  but.....
I'll just say that a "wild" Ryan or Randy Johnson is a lot more entertaining to watch. 

[DCPatriot]

Most of the pitchers I've seen so far that throw over 100 have control problems.

Sure, "100mph+ pitches" sounds scary, but I'd rather have a guy who can throw, say, 97 with accuracy, consistently ... that's a winner

j/s

The question put forth...should a hot, phenom kid, a physical freak be invited to the ASG when there are more than a few seasoned veterans who are putting up personal 'career' numbers?

[Bigun]

The question put forth...should a hot, phenom kid, a physical freak be invited to the ASG when there are more than a few seasoned veterans who are putting up personal 'career' numbers?

My answer; who cares what they do now since they have totally F'd up MLB already?  Robotic umpires coming soon! @DCPatriot

[DCPatriot]

My answer; who cares what they do now since they have totally F'd up MLB already?  Robotic umpires coming soon! @DCPatriot

@Bigun

LOL!  Imagine sitting in the box seats along the infield in a nationally televised game and the "AI-Umpire" overrules the live ump in the VISITOR'S favor.

I'm actually for PERFECTION being the ultimate goal in getting the call correct.

Right now, we're fed the old time standby ONE camera view of the zone outline but no "depth" in order to catch an breaking ball coming through the ceiling of the strike box...so to speak.

I know that no matter what you post, that you truly love baseball.   

[Bigun]

@Bigun

LOL!  Imagine sitting in the box seats along the infield in a nationally televised game and the "AI-Umpire" overrules the live ump in the VISITOR'S favor.

I'm actually for PERFECTION being the ultimate goal in getting the call correct.

Right now, we're fed the old time standby ONE camera view of the zone outline but no "depth" in order to catch an breaking ball coming through the ceiling of the strike box...so to speak.

I know that no matter what you post, that you truly love baseball.   

The game, yes! What big money and statisticians have done to it, not so much. And now it's no longer confined to just MLB. They have screwed up college baseball as well.

[AllThatJazzZ]

Baseball's going to drive me crazy. 



That's all. Thanks for listening.

[240B]

EntertainmentMLB Under Fire As ‘Woke’ Move Immediately Backfires

Daily Mail
11 August 2025



Major League Baseball made history on Saturday when the first female home plate umpire took the field to call a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins. Unfortunately, it’s not the kind of history you want to remember, as Jen Pawol blew her first strike call.

The first pitch was way inside and was not close at all to being within the strike zone. Pawol, perhaps having a bad case of nerves, appeared to be rip-roaring and ready to go for calling strikes.

Many fans watching the game feel that Pawol may have let the power umpires hold go to her head. During the first inning of play, she checked Hurston Waldrep, pitcher for the Braves, for illegal substances as he made his way to the dugout.

The New York Times, however, seems to be thrilled with Pawol’s first performance at home plate. A piece was published with the headline, “Major League Baseball needed this. Jen Pawol deserved it.” Fans referred to the article and its headline as being “woke” when it hit newsstands on Monday.

(more)
https://trendingpoliticsnews.com/mlb-under-fire-as-woke-move-backfires-right-away-micca/

[Polly Ticks]

EntertainmentMLB Under Fire As ‘Woke’ Move Immediately Backfires

Daily Mail
11 August 2025



Major League Baseball made history on Saturday when the first female home plate umpire took the field to call a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins. Unfortunately, it’s not the kind of history you want to remember, as Jen Pawol blew her first strike call.

The first pitch was way inside and was not close at all to being within the strike zone. Pawol, perhaps having a bad case of nerves, appeared to be rip-roaring and ready to go for calling strikes.

Many fans watching the game feel that Pawol may have let the power umpires hold go to her head. During the first inning of play, she checked Hurston Waldrep, pitcher for the Braves, for illegal substances as he made his way to the dugout.

The New York Times, however, seems to be thrilled with Pawol’s first performance at home plate. A piece was published with the headline, “Major League Baseball needed this. Jen Pawol deserved it.” Fans referred to the article and its headline as being “woke” when it hit newsstands on Monday.

(more)
https://trendingpoliticsnews.com/mlb-under-fire-as-woke-move-backfires-right-away-micca/

This is a terribly biased headline and article. Her Umpire Scorecard was one tick below perfectly average, which is typical for an umpire's first outing in a MLB game. They are obviously required to do sticky stuff hand checks on the pitchers, so not sure what the beef is there. 

Was it the best performance ever by an MLB umpire? No. Was it the worst performance of the day by an MLB umpire? Also no. Basically, if there were no names attached to the scorecards, hers would not have stood out in any way from the rest of them.

http://twitter.com/UmpScorecards/status/1954914041953960100

[DCPatriot]

Fascinating that a lowly bunch of guys can embarrass the ASTROS in a 3 game series.

I know the ORIOLES are going nowhere this season, but after trading a third of their starting lineup, you would not expect such a series.


...and IMO, the O's got robbed in that extra-inning 2nd game that went 12 innings.

[Hoodat]

What in the heck has happened to baseball?  There's a Double-A team close by.  I just checked out ticket prices for the first time, thinking of taking my son to a game.  Friggin' $60 per ticket.  For AA ball.  Are they insane?

[catfish1957]

Fascinating that a lowly bunch of guys can embarrass the ASTROS in a 3 game series.

I know the ORIOLES are going nowhere this season, but after trading a third of their starting lineup, you would not expect such a series.


...and IMO, the O's got robbed in that extra-inning 2nd game that went 12 innings.

Hate to tell you, but this Astros team just isn't that good.  In fact the pre-trade Orioles were better.  I really don't care if the team makes the playoffs this year, because they sure don't have the depth to go deep.

[catfish1957]

What in the heck has happened to baseball?  There's a Double-A team close by.  I just checked out ticket prices for the first time, thinking of taking my son to a game.  Friggin' $60 per ticket.  For AA ball.  Are they insane?

$60?  Are they even filling seats at all?  I sure wouldn't pay that for a MiLB game.

[Polly Ticks]

What in the heck has happened to baseball?  There's a Double-A team close by.  I just checked out ticket prices for the first time, thinking of taking my son to a game.  Friggin' $60 per ticket.  For AA ball.  Are they insane?

Wow. That is crazy.

The tickets for our local MiLB club (Louisville Riverbats, minor league farm team for the Reds) are $30 for seats right behind home plate. 

Son #5 and I are going to catch a couple of Atlanta Braves games next month, and we got tickets for $40 each for those games.  Granted, they are in the nosebleed section, but I wasn't going to pay the extra money to sit down closer when the team hasn't been all that exciting this year.  (Hopefully they've finally at least found some offense lately, but I digress.)

[catfish1957]

Wow. That is crazy.

The tickets for our local MiLB club (Louisville Riverbats, minor league farm team for the Reds) are $30 for seats right behind home plate. 

Son #5 and I are going to catch a couple of Atlanta Braves games next month, and we got tickets for $40 each for those games.  Granted, they are in the nosebleed section, but I wasn't going to pay the extra money to sit down closer when the team hasn't been all that exciting this year.  (Hopefully they've finally at least found some offense lately, but I digress.)

Back when we had a MiLB team in the 80's, if you looked hard enough you could almost always go to the games free with promotions, and ticket giveaways.

[Polly Ticks]

Back when we had a MiLB team in the 80's, if you looked hard enough you could almost always go to the games free with promotions, and ticket giveaways.

They're still out there, if you can be flexible on dates and seating sections.

[Bigun]

I have never paid to watch a sports event at any level in my life and never will.

[catfish1957]

I have never paid to watch a sports event at any level in my life and never will.

It's been at least a decade and a half for me.   

But never?  Guess you didn't have any kids in High School sports or Band.

[Bigun]

It's been at least a decade and a half for me.   

But never?  Guess you didn't have any kids in High School sports or Band.

I did but because I was a volunteer at such events I didn't have to pay to get in.

[Lando Lincoln]

Six of us from my high school class of ‘72 recently went to a Brewers/Pirates game in Milwaukee. We had reconnected at a funeral service of another classmate and decided to take in a game. It was Seniors Day (as in old duffers) so we paid $41/ticket which was half the normal price. We were treated to Misiorowski and Skenes on the mound. Fun day. We were mystified as to when we got so damn old.

[GrouchoTex]

My wife and I go the the Sugar Land Space Cowboys games, the Astros triple A affiliate.
We buy  package called the "Silver Stars" for us that are 55+ years old.
The seats are behind the Space cowboys dugout, and cost $8 dollars each.
They are normally $16.00 for them.
So it is 12 Tuesday night games.
Prepaid parking cuts that cost in half also, from $10.00 to $5.00.
So, $252.00 total for 2, for 12 games and parking = $10.50 each.
We get a free t-shirt, and a free small soda each.
It cost that total amount for 2 tickets, 2 hot dogs and 2 beers at the last Astros game we went to, in 2019!
That doesn't include parking.

The triple A schedule is a bit different.
They play 6 games against 1 team, Tuesday to Sunday, Travel Mondays.
We have 3 left this season.

[GrouchoTex]

Did any of you see the re-alignment and and expansion Rob Manfred is proposing?
It is more geographical, 8 divisions, 4 teams each.

The Eastern Conference would consist of:

East Division (Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies),
North Division (Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays),
Mid-Atlantic Division (Baltimore Orioles, expansion team, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals)
Southeast Division (Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, expansion and Tampa Bay Rays).

The Western Conference would consist of:
Midwest Division (Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins),
Southwest Division (Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers),
Pacific Coast Division (Colorado Rockies, Athletics, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants),
West Division (Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres).

I remember suggesting something like this to @EasyAce a few years ago, and he wasn't a fan.

What do y'all think?

[DefiantMassRINO]

I think this is more about growing MLB Playoff TV revenue than anything else.

Would the expansion in the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast be trageted towards the following TV markets:

19th-ranked 'Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne';
24th-ranked 'Charlotte, NC';
27th ranked 'Raleigh-Durham';
29th ranked 'Nashville';
36th-ranked 'Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson";
40th-ranked 'Birmingham';
43rd-ranked 'Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News';
46th-ranked 'Greensboro-High Point-Winston-Salem';
47th-ranked 'Jacksonville, FL';
48th-ranked 'Memphis';

Adding growing media markets would also mean growing national advertising and broadcasting revenues.

[catfish1957]

I did but because I was a volunteer at such events I didn't have to pay to get in.

Volunteered every week for every kid X 4 years?   That's dedication (I guess)

[catfish1957]

Did any of you see the re-alignment and and expansion Rob Manfred is proposing?
It is more geographical, 8 divisions, 4 teams each.

The Eastern Conference would consist of:

East Division (Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies),
North Division (Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays),
Mid-Atlantic Division (Baltimore Orioles, expansion team, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals)
Southeast Division (Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, expansion and Tampa Bay Rays).

The Western Conference would consist of:
Midwest Division (Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins),
Southwest Division (Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers),
Pacific Coast Division (Colorado Rockies, Athletics, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants),
West Division (Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres).

I remember suggesting something like this to @EasyAce a few years ago, and he wasn't a fan.

What do y'all think?

I like the alignment, but ditching the term "League" for conference after 150 years of history?  Nope.