The Major League Baseball thread

[RBP]

Whatever. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Whatever. :lol:

https://i.imgur.com/4lG9pz4.gif

[RBP]

Darvish got hit harder than Hiroshima. :hand:

[deebakes]

that was uncalled for :|

[deebakes]

but at least the astros are up 2-1 :tup:

[RBP]

that was uncalled for :|

Me or Gurriel? :lol:

[deebakes]

yes

[deebakes]

:lol:

[RBP]

:lol:

[deebakes]

he got suspended for 5 games...









in 2018 :unimpressed:

[deebakes]

dodgers win game 4 by a score of 6-2, series is now tied at two games a piece

[RBP]

he got suspended for 5 games... in 2018 :unimpressed:

https://i.imgur.com/QQOygDc.jpg

[RBP]

dodgers win game 4 by a score of 6-2, series is now tied at two games a piece

More poor bullpen management.

[deebakes]

i don't think the houston bullpen is all that strong tbh :shrug:

[RBP]

i don't think the houston bullpen is all that strong tbh :shrug:

Exactly correct, so why pull the starter after 6-1, with pitch count of 76, 3 hits, 1 run, no walks and 7 strike outs?

Even worse, why put Giles in the game at all given his post season performance? If they don't prematurely pull Morton, the Giles clusterfuck never happens.

[deebakes]

think kershaw is dominant again tonight to bring it back home ahead 3-2 in the series? i'm thinking the clusterfuck that finished last night rolls into tonight for an easy dodger victory (unfortunately)

[KevinD]

Looking like it. 3 runs on 2 hits???

[deebakes]

come on houston!

[KevinD]

Jeeze. As my daughter says, no mtater what happens from herebon, this has been a very exciting World Series. Kudos to both teams! Even my wife us enjoying the games

[deebakes]

very entertaining indeed :tup:

[DemonGeminiX]

:lol:

What a crazy fucking game. The Astros take the 3 - 2 series lead in extra innings, by a score of 13 - 12.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Exactly correct, so why pull the starter after 6-1, with pitch count of 76, 3 hits, 1 run, no walks and 7 strike outs?

Even worse, why put Giles in the game at all given his post season performance? If they don't prematurely pull Morton, the Giles clusterfuck never happens.

Because the fix is in and Houston already knows they're going to win the World Series? :dunno:

[deebakes]

this series is absolutely fucking bananas :lol:

[RBP]

Major League Baseball is experiencing a thrilling World Series, with home runs flying out of ballparks and fans rediscovering the Grand Old Game this postseason. The NFL, however, is a league "on fire," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, with players battling owners, fans boycotting games and TV viewers tuning out.

That raises the question of whether the different states of the NFL and MLB are impacting TV viewership.

With a strong 12.8 overnight TV rating, Fox's telecast of the Astros' Game 5 win over the Dodgers handily beat NBC's "Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Steelers vs. Lions, which drew a 9.4 Nielsen rating. That means Sunday night's Game 5 numbers were 36 percent higher than the NFL's "SNF" numbers, according to Austin Karp of SportsBusiness Daily.

It's not the first time — and it won't be the last time — the World Series beat the NFL in a head-to-head TV matchup. But it is an indicator that MLB, which typically runs a distant second to pro football in TV ratings, could be gaining ground on the mighty NFL, which has lost 18 percent of its average viewership in the past two years.

TV ratings for the Astros' 13-12 win peaked at 14.2 from 11:30 p.m ET to 11:45 p.m. ET. The 12.8 overnight was down 16 percent from last season's Cubs-Indians Game 5, but up 9 percent over Game 5 of Royals-Mets in 2015, and 56 percent higher than Game 5 of Giants-Royals in 2014. Meanwhile, Saturday's Game 4 drew the best World Series TV numbers on a Saturday night since 2004.

Via Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated:

The thrilling 10-inning win by the Astros in Game 5 of the World Series drew a 12.8 overnight, per Austin Karp of Sports Business Daily. That topped the 9.4 overnight rating, per an industry source, for the Steelers’ win over the Lions on NBC.

Karp said the MLB numbers for the Boston and Hartford markets did not come in due to weather so the likelihood is the baseball rating is even higher. NBC said the Sunday Night Football ratings also did not include the Boston, Hartford and Providence markets.

It’s not the only time the World Series has topped Sunday Night Football in the overnights but it is not a regular occurrence. Last year Cubs-Indians Game 3 drew a 15.3 overnight rating, topping Cowboys-Eagles (11.6). According to Sports Media Watch, that was the first time since 2013 that the World Series has topped SNF head-to-head.



Of course, the NFL is still the 300-pound gorilla when it comes to sports TV ratings. But baseball certainly seems to be picking up some of the "stick to sports" TV viewers offended by NFL players protesting for social justice.

[deebakes]

i am certainly watching far less football this year than i have in years past :shrug:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Major League Baseball is experiencing a thrilling World Series, with home runs flying out of ballparks and fans rediscovering the Grand Old Game this postseason. The NFL, however, is a league "on fire," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, with players battling owners, fans boycotting games and TV viewers tuning out.

That raises the question of whether the different states of the NFL and MLB are impacting TV viewership.

With a strong 12.8 overnight TV rating, Fox's telecast of the Astros' Game 5 win over the Dodgers handily beat NBC's "Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Steelers vs. Lions, which drew a 9.4 Nielsen rating. That means Sunday night's Game 5 numbers were 36 percent higher than the NFL's "SNF" numbers, according to Austin Karp of SportsBusiness Daily.

It's not the first time — and it won't be the last time — the World Series beat the NFL in a head-to-head TV matchup. But it is an indicator that MLB, which typically runs a distant second to pro football in TV ratings, could be gaining ground on the mighty NFL, which has lost 18 percent of its average viewership in the past two years.

TV ratings for the Astros' 13-12 win peaked at 14.2 from 11:30 p.m ET to 11:45 p.m. ET. The 12.8 overnight was down 16 percent from last season's Cubs-Indians Game 5, but up 9 percent over Game 5 of Royals-Mets in 2015, and 56 percent higher than Game 5 of Giants-Royals in 2014. Meanwhile, Saturday's Game 4 drew the best World Series TV numbers on a Saturday night since 2004.

Via Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated:

The thrilling 10-inning win by the Astros in Game 5 of the World Series drew a 12.8 overnight, per Austin Karp of Sports Business Daily. That topped the 9.4 overnight rating, per an industry source, for the Steelers’ win over the Lions on NBC.

Karp said the MLB numbers for the Boston and Hartford markets did not come in due to weather so the likelihood is the baseball rating is even higher. NBC said the Sunday Night Football ratings also did not include the Boston, Hartford and Providence markets.

It’s not the only time the World Series has topped Sunday Night Football in the overnights but it is not a regular occurrence. Last year Cubs-Indians Game 3 drew a 15.3 overnight rating, topping Cowboys-Eagles (11.6). According to Sports Media Watch, that was the first time since 2013 that the World Series has topped SNF head-to-head.



Of course, the NFL is still the 300-pound gorilla when it comes to sports TV ratings. But baseball certainly seems to be picking up some of the "stick to sports" TV viewers offended by NFL players protesting for social justice.

Although while I agree that football is losing viewers, you really can't compare a game during the World Series with a 'meh' regular season NFL broadcast. Apples and oranges.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

i am certainly watching far less football this year than i have in years past :shrug:

Same here, didn't even turn the TV on during football this past Sunday. And only watched about 10 minutes of the Donkeys last night. They suck.

[deebakes]

i got auto-roped into a fantasy football league this year, i think this is my last season, am planning to ask to get taken out for next year :shrug:

the pick em is fun, but i am not into the season long commitment with all the injuries that keep piling up and no interest in watching the waiver wire...

[RBP]

Rich Hill was right to be pissed.

Game 7 tomorrow. China Man on the mound.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

What? The World Series is going to a game 7???

:shockface:

https://i.imgur.com/dMToAjI.jpg

[deebakes]

:fbd:

[deebakes]

houston wins game 7, score 5-1 over the dodgers, to win their first world series :tup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Because the fix is in and Houston already knows they're going to win the World Series? :dunno:

:winner:

[RBP]

Part of me is always glad when it's over. Too much of a time suck. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Did you see the story of some anonymous gambler who correctly placed bets on the first 6 games of the series? He let each bet ride all the way thru game 6 and walked away with $14 million. He didn't wager on game 7.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/world-series-gambler-walking-away-after-going-six-for-six-and-winning-dollar14-million/ar-AAukA4W?li=BBnb7Kz

[RBP]

Did you see the story of some anonymous gambler who correctly placed bets on the first 6 games of the series? He let each bet ride all the way thru game 6 and walked away with $14 million. He didn't wager on game 7.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/world-series-gambler-walking-away-after-going-six-for-six-and-winning-dollar14-million/ar-AAukA4W?li=BBnb7Kz

Nice!

[deebakes]

:wank:

[Godfather]

Did you see the story of some anonymous gambler who correctly placed bets on the first 6 games of the series? He let each bet ride all the way thru game 6 and walked away with $14 million. He didn't wager on game 7.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/world-series-gambler-walking-away-after-going-six-for-six-and-winning-dollar14-million/ar-AAukA4W?li=BBnb7Kz

Someone arrest this time traveler!

[DemonGeminiX]

Ex-pitcher Roy Halladay died in a private plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40 years old.

:rip: Doc

[Godfather]

Ex-pitcher Roy Halladay died in a private plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40 years old.

:rip: Doc

:( RIP Doc.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:rip: Why do people continue to fly these funky airplanes?

[DemonGeminiX]

It's not the airplane. My mother's uncle has been flying for over 30 years and he's never had a single issue.

[Godfather]

Ya apparently he was showboating in a plane described as 'a jetski with wings.' You'd think by his age you'd have that out of your system. Such a waste.

[deebakes]

i was a big fan of this guy back in his toronto days :rip:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Daniel Libon - Fenway Patch


https://i.imgur.com/mwMKduD.jpg

BOSTON, MA — Did former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay deserve to die for the manner in which he was flying his plane? According to one popular sports radio host in Boston, absolutely.

Michael Felger, one of Boston's most prominent - and controversial - sports personalities and the co-host of the 'Felger and Massarotti' afternoon drive program on 98.5 The Sports Hub, went on a nearly 12-minute rant Wednesday where he made it clear that he thought Halladay was a "moron" for the way he died.

Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, lost his life Tuesday while flying his plane over the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40.

Video obtained by TMZ (http://www.tmz.com/2017/11/08/roy-halladay-plane-crash-video-witnesses-showboating/) showed the plane being operated in an erratic manner, dropping from 100 feet to just over the water. Witnesses told TMZ Halladay appeared to be showboating at times.

"This is what makes me mad," Felger said. "I don't know why it makes me mad, but it makes me angry. Someone who is so cavalier about life and doesn't appreciate the tenuousness of life and is willing to screw around with life and death, especially with children and a family ... yet you've got to get your rocks off by whatever it is that you do that cheats death," Felger said. Listen to Felger's full segment at the end of this story

The constant contrarian continued, comparing Halladay to people like 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin, who was killed in 2006 by a stingray, and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, who died in a crash during the 2001 Daytona 500.

Felger continued in a mocking tone: "You're 40 years old and a multi-millionaire with a loving family and you have to get that thing where you can dive bomb from 100 feet to 5 above the water with your single-engine plane with your hand out the window going 'Weeeee! Weeeee! Yeah man, look at the G-force on this, I'm Maverick. Yeah man, look at this, this is so cool!'' And you die. Splat. And it's over."

Co-host Tony Massarotti and third-chair Jim Murray took a softer tone, but agreed with Felger's larger point that Halladay's death was no tragedy.

"When you see the video of this thing, he was like an aerial acrobat," Massarotti said. "He was flying around, goofing up there, zipping towards the water coming back up. Once you see the video it is sorta hard to look at and think this is a tragedy."

"What bugs me about a story like this is when they use the word tragedy. A tragedy is what happened at that church in Texas or an orphanage burns down. This? You know the risks. If you're a thrillseeker and you die his way, you know the risks. It's unfortunate circumstances, not a tragedy."

Felger said he once got into a small plane with a friend and went helicopter skiing. Both times he asked himself what he was thinking.

"If I die helicopter skiing, you have the right to do the exact same thing I'm doing to Roy Halladay. He got what he deserved," Felger said.

Felger has a well-documented history of touching nerves with his "hot takes." Earlier this year, he criticized Boston Celtics star Al Horford for taking time off during the season to be with his wife while she gave birth to their child.

In 2011, he said on the air that then-New England Sports Network reporter Heidi Watney had an affair with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek.

While working as a Boston Bruins beat writer for the Boston Herald in 1999, Felger was banned by the NHL from all team locker rooms after he called Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs a "thief" for putting profits over championships. He was taken off the beat and placed on the Patriots beat later that year.

https://soundcloud.com/dan-libon/felger-and-mazz-on-halladay

[deebakes]

:ffs:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Their take is pretty harsh, but they aren't entirely wrong.

[RBP]

MIAMI -- Where Giancarlo Stanton plays in 2018 may not be resolved quickly after all. The National League MVP Award winner reportedly is not currently willing to accept a trade to the Giants or Cardinals.

On Thursday night, MLB Network Insider Ken Rosenthal reported Stanton is electing not to accept proposed deals to those two teams, both of which had previously worked out trade frameworks with Miami.

The report added Stanton would consider trades to the Dodgers or Yankees. Another report, from Craig Mish of SiriusXM, added the Cubs and Astros to the list of Stanton's preferred destinations. Thus, what's next for the slugger promises to be one of the top stories of the Winter Meetings, which begin on Monday in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Neither the Marlins or anyone who represents Stanton has confirmed the report.

Sources have told MLB.com that until Thursday, the Marlins had not engaged in any serious trade discussions with clubs other than the Giants and Cardinals. There will likely be a frenzy surrounding Stanton at the Winter Meetings, where clubs can talk face to face, and typically, creative ideas surface.

But what isn't clear is if the Marlins have a fallback plan should Stanton decline all trade offers and decide to remain in Miami. And, of course, Stanton can still change his mind and tell the Marlins he would be willing to expand the list of teams he would accept a trade to, including the Giants and Cardinals, making this situation extremely fluid.

Multiple sources have said if Stanton stays, it increases the likelihood that All-Star left fielder Marcell Ozuna could be moved. Ideally, the Marlins would like to retain center fielder Christian Yelich, but that could change depending on potential trade offers.

The Marlins are trimming payroll as part of their organizational building process. Stanton will make $25 million in 2018 and he has $295 million remaining over the last 10 years of the contract. Stanton's contract has a full no-trade clause and an opt-out in 2020.

Full report: https://www.mlb.com/news/report-stanton-trade-list-includes-4-teams/c-263112926

[DemonGeminiX]

Yeah, the Giants and Cardinals don't need any more firepower. Screw them. Good call JC.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

He's going to the Yankees :|

[DemonGeminiX]

Even worse. :|

[RBP]

The Rockies have doubled down on their young starters by spending a TON of money on the relief staff. Bold move, Cotton.

[DemonGeminiX]

I don't even know what the Phillies are doing right now. I'm scared to find out.

[RBP]

I don't even know what the Phillies are doing right now. I'm scared to find out.

Heard an interview with your new manager, he sounds like a douchebag.

[RBP]

Watched "Billy" on MLB last night. It's a 2-hour retrospective on Billy Martin. Really well done. Worth the watch if you can.

[DemonGeminiX]

The Phillies signed Carlos Santana to a 3-year deal. He clearly doesn't care about winning a championship.

[RBP]

:lol:

[RBP]

Darvish, Cubs agree to 6-year deal

Yu Darvish is headed to the Cubs. Darvish and the club agreed to a six-year deal on Saturday that guarantees the right-hander $126 million, two sources told MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi and Carrie Muskat. The Cubs did not confirm the deal, which is pending a physical exam.

Darvish's $126 million contract would be the largest free-agent deal so far this offseason. Sources told MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal that the contract includes incentives that could push its total value to $150 million, though Darvish would have to win multiple Cy Young Awards to reach that figure. The contract includes an opt-out clause and no-trade protection, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported.

:unimpressed:

[RBP]

The Phillies signed Carlos Santana to a 3-year deal. He clearly doesn't care about winning a championship.

Jake Arrieta to the Phillies?

With a crop of youngsters that includes Rhys Hoskins, J.P. Crawford, Scott Kingery and Jorge Alfaro, the Phillies appear to be on the cusp of a revival. Although the club has already added Carlos Santana on a three-year deal to bolster the lineup, Philadelphia still needs to stabilize its rotation. Adding Arrieta could accomplish that goal and help the Phils contend even sooner than expected. The Cubs made a similar move by signing Jon Lester after going 73-89 in 2014, and the veteran lefty was a key part of the team surprisingly winning 97 games and making the NL Championship Series the following season.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Darvish, Cubs agree to 6-year deal

Yu Darvish is headed to the Cubs. Darvish and the club agreed to a six-year deal on Saturday that guarantees the right-hander $126 million, two sources told MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi and Carrie Muskat. The Cubs did not confirm the deal, which is pending a physical exam.

Darvish's $126 million contract would be the largest free-agent deal so far this offseason. Sources told MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal that the contract includes incentives that could push its total value to $150 million, though Darvish would have to win multiple Cy Young Awards to reach that figure. The contract includes an opt-out clause and no-trade protection, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported.

:unimpressed:

Paid way too much for someone who is probably a 4th or 5th starter in the rotation at best now in his career.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training this week with the first games on the 23rd :cheers:

[RBP]

Paid way too much for someone who is probably a 4th or 5th starter in the rotation at best now in his career.

My first reaction was "you mean the guy who sucked for the Dodgers?"

[DemonGeminiX]

Pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training this week with the first games on the 23rd :cheers:

:huh:

Already?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:huh:

Already?

Already? :-s It's almost the middle of February now :slap:

[DemonGeminiX]

Yeah... February. In other words, NOT SPRING YET.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah... February. In other words, NOT SPRING YET.

Yet it starts around the same time every year :slap:

[DemonGeminiX]

Yeah, when it's not Spring yet.

[-(

[RBP]

The Issue at the Heart of MLB's Free-Agency Debate

Baseball’s labor rules are at odds with the larger, evolving understanding of the worth of aging superstars.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/02/the-issue-at-the-heart-of-mlbs-free-agency-debate/553841/

=========

Melky Cabrera is one of the faces of MLB’s free agent crisis

Over the past four seasons, Melky Cabrera has averaged 602 at-bats. At the age of 33, he has 13 seasons of major league experience. Yet the lifetime .286 hitter (which is 36th among active players), who also has a .335 on-base percentage and a .418 slugging percentage, is one of many who can’t get a job with the new way Major League Baseball is conducting business.

https://nypost.com/2018/02/28/melky-cabrera-is-one-of-the-faces-of-mlbs-free-agent-crisis/

[DemonGeminiX]

What kind of contract is he looking for? How much is he asking for and for how long? You get to a certain age and your physical abilities take a nose dive. It's a fact of life. He is a fantastic player, and he may still have that greatness in him today, but for how much longer? You don't build teams around declining players. And if he's asking for that much money, why would a club spend it on an aging player who might decline sharply without warning when the club can get younger guys at a better value who still have yet to peak?

Sorry Melky, but the odds are stacked against you. A team may pull you in on a short-term contract somewhere near the deadline for a push at the playoffs if a center piece goes down during the season, but that's an if. It may be time to start thinking ahead and move on to something new.

[RBP]

What kind of contract is he looking for? How much is he asking for and for how long? You get to a certain age and your physical abilities take a nose dive. It's a fact of life. He is a fantastic player, and he may still have that greatness in him today, but for how much longer? You don't build teams around declining players. And if he's asking for that much money, why would a club spend it on an aging player who might decline sharply without warning when the club can get younger guys at a better value who still have yet to peak?

Sorry Melky, but the odds are stacked against you. A team may pull you in on a short-term contract somewhere near the deadline for a push at the playoffs if a center piece goes down during the season, but that's an if. It may be time to start thinking ahead and move on to something new.

Do you agree that the equation has changed? I do see the point that the players are willing to accept the $500k years in exchange for the big pay day. But when the rules change and the teams say, "thanks for the cheap years, now go fuck yourself" then the promise has been broken.

I don't know, man. I look at Yu Darvish at 31 and Jake Arrieta at 32. That one is confusing to me. Yu got $21M a year for 6 years. Arrieta has better stats and hasn't been signed. https://www.mlb.com/news/comparing-free-agents-yu-darvish-jake-arrieta/c-264756428

[DemonGeminiX]

Is that really about the players though? Not to be a smartass, but maybe Melky should have gotten a better agent. The same with Arietta.

[RBP]

Is that really about the players though? Not to be a smartass, but maybe Melky should have gotten a better agent. The same with Arietta.

:lol: Arrieta is represented by Scott Boras. Which might be the issue. Boras will likely get him what he wants.

Not sure about Melky.

[DemonGeminiX]

Yeah, Boras is a fucking dick. But for some odd reason, the league puts up with him and he wins 9 times out of 10. More evidence that there's something wrong with this world.

The first article presents a scenario that's more of a wait-and-see situation. Are clubs trying to replicate the Astros' success? They could be. I don't know. Has the equation changed? I don't know.

Has that promise been broken? Were they given a promise to begin with? Was is it in writing? An actual legally binding promise? Do you see where I'm going with this? Talk is cheap, as you well know. Everybody in the clubhouse can be patting the new guy on the back and propping him up as he's slumming around with an entry level contract, but what's management doing? Are they saying anything at all, and even if they are, does it really matter if they do? Where did the expectation to make more money enter? I mean, sure with the last CBA, the negotiations favored the players, but were there ever any guarantees that contracts would be tendered in the player's favor when he hit free agency for the first time? I'm thinking that's more of a situational luck/agent/utility thing. If you got a Boras in your corner and your utility is in demand when you hit free agency....

As an outsider looking in, I'm thinking "boohoo, they get paid more initially than people that actually deserve it more". It's hard to take my opinion out of the mix when looking at the 'fairness' of the current system. But honestly, at the most basic level of understanding, sports are a meat market. If you can get good fresh meat for cheap, then you're sitting pretty. Maybe the Astros knew that and decided to take it to the extreme and see what would happen. Maybe everybody else is following in their footsteps now. Maybe the older skilled players are going to be thrown away and we're going to have sucky baseball for a while until all the talent starts taking reduced pay. Maybe prices will fall. We'll see.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Look, I have a really hard time when athletes whine about how much they are (or are not) getting paid. Salaries have risen in astronomical fashion over the last 20 years or so. It got to the point where a lifetime .242 hitting utility infielder that was only used 50 games a year was commanding a salary of $2 to $3 million a year. And of course the superstars had stratospheric salaries that were really beyond comprehension. All to play a game. At some point, the owners had to stop, they can't keep paying players $20 or $30 or $40 million a year to play baseball. As it is, baseball is the last affordable ticket of the 4 major sports leagues in North America, but it's slowly becoming less affordable. Add on to the ticket price the $8 beers and $7 hot dogs and $20 to park if you don't want to hike 3/4 of a mile to the stadium, and now suddenly you have an outing that will cost you and your family well in excess of $100 for a few hours.

Salaries need to come down. As CC Sabathia mentioned in one of the linked articles, GM's are looking to get more long term value from players for their dollars spent. And if the athletes keep whining about needing more money, then attendance will keep going down and then there won't be anymore revenue streams for these athletes, that in most people's opinions, are vastly overpaid.

[RBP]

All good points, guys. It will be interesting to see where this shakes out. Maybe the rookie caps will come up a lot (or at least include large performance incentives) with the top end contracts coming down?

[DemonGeminiX]

The Phillies have signed Jake Arrieta. Poetic justice given our last conversation involving him? Reportedly 3 years worth $75 mil.

[RBP]

The Phillies have signed Jake Arrieta. Poetic justice given our last conversation involving him? Reportedly 3 years worth $75 mil.

It's a weird deal. The Cubs were reportedly at 4 years $110 million in January. I think Boras might have screwed the pooch on a few guys; rumors were $200M for Arrieta at the winter meetings. And Moustakas only got a 1-year extension at $6.5M? What? Thanks, Scott. :lol:

The Tribune thinks the deal stinks. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-jake-arrieta-note-scott-boras-haugh-20180313-story.html

Forbes thinks it's a creative triumph. https://www.forbes.com/sites/waynemcdonnell/2018/03/12/creativity-and-patience-lead-the-phillies-to-jake-arrieta/

:dunno:

[DemonGeminiX]

We'll find out if it was a good deal or not when he pitches during the season. In the end, job performance is the only thing that really matters.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Opening Day! :cheers:

[DemonGeminiX]

Phillies @ Braves @ 4:00PM EST. Nola and Teheran are the starting pitchers. It's on TV. The only thing better would be if I was in Atlanta to watch it live and in living color.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Why would you want to watch the game and In Living Color at the same time? :confused:

[DemonGeminiX]

Cause Homey the Clown can make me laugh in between innings. :thumbsup:

[DemonGeminiX]

Boo, the Phillies lost.

:sad2:

[deebakes]

Cause Homey the Clown can make me laugh in between innings. :thumbsup:

firemarshall bill was amaze :rofl:

[deebakes]

and handy-man :bwaha:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Red Sox melted down and the Rox lost too! :woot:


:(

[DemonGeminiX]

Well, we won the 2nd game of the season... the Phillies' bullpen sucks. Everything else is alright...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Well, the Sox rebounded after blowing the game on opening day to take the last 3 from Tampa. Starting pitching is looking good so far for the Sox.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

BoSox blew out the Yankees last night 14-1 to improve to 9-1 on the season (with 9 straight wins), first time in franchise history they have ever been 9-1 :shock:

[DemonGeminiX]

The Phillies are .500.

[RBP]

BoSox blew out the Yankees last night 14-1 to improve to 9-1 on the season (with 9 straight wins), first time in franchise history they have ever been 9-1 :shock:

Probably the first time in franchise history they had two bench clearing brawls in one game... IN APRIL. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Rockies had a bench clearing brawl yesterday too :banana:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I know that they can't keep this pace up all season, but the Sox are now 15-2, won 6 in a row, outscored the Angels 20-1 in the last two games, and the starters have an ERA of 1.91.

[DemonGeminiX]

The Phillies have picked up their play. Their 10 - 7, going 7 - 3 in their last 10. They lost last night, but they look a helluva lot better than they did at the beginning of the season.

[RBP]

The count is now at 25 weather PPD this season. Most in 15 years last I heard, maybe longer now.

Also, the Cubs look like shit so far. At least Darvish is meeting my expectations. POS. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, not sure why the Cubs threw all that money at him, especially after he didn't do all that much for the Dodgers last year once they acquired him at the trading deadline :-k

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And the first axe falls already :lol: The Reds just fired their manager after their 3-15 start to the season.

[RBP]

Holy Smokes... the Yankees are now 7th in payroll? The Red Sox are outspending the Yankees by $66,625,267... so basically the NYY payroll + the Oakland payroll. :lol:

Payrolls for "our" teams

1. Red Sox $235,649,368
5. Chicago Cubs $182,968,289
15. Colorado Rockies $141,884,833
18. Minnesota Twins $132,393,990
24. Philadelphia Phillies $96,848,371
29. Chicago White Sox $72,177,640

Payroll tracker: http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/

If you use just the current 25-man roster, the 8-8 Cubs are the most expensive team currently. :facepalm:

[deebakes]

i am shocked the twins are that high, they tend to be on the bottom end :shrug:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:-k :-k

At this point in the season concerning the BoSox payroll:

:okwith:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Angels were on a 7 game winning streak and leading the AL West before Boston came to town. Then the Sox beat them 10-1, 9-0, and 8-2. Boston hit 11 home runs in the series and the three Angels starters they faced had a combined ERA of 1.51 coming into the series and the Sox tagged those three starters for 14 runs in 11-1/3 innings.

Like I said before, I know it won't last, but the Red Sox are on fire now. Their 16-2 start is the best start in the Majors since the Brewers back in 1987.

[RBP]

The Angels were on a 7 game winning streak and leading the AL West before Boston came to town. Then the Sox beat them 10-1, 9-0, and 8-2. Boston hit 11 home runs in the series and the three Angels starters they faced had a combined ERA of 1.51 coming into the series and the Sox tagged those three starters for 14 runs in 11-1/3 innings.

Like I said before, I know it won't last, but the Red Sox are on fire now. Their 16-2 start is the best start in the Majors since the Brewers back in 1987.

:giggle:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sean Manaea just no-hit the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Redsox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Redsox</a>. That’s called “earning it.”</p>&mdash; Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/987894752841551872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I watched the 9th. That kid was nervous as fuck. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, nothing like a couple of homer calls to keep the no-hitter going :rolleyes:

[RBP]

Yu v Jake watch. 4/24 update.

Darvish: 0-2, 6.86 ERA, 4.8 average start length
Arrieta: 2-0, 2.04 ERA, 5.73 average start length

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Darvish didn't pitch yesterday, it was Chatwood :-k

[RBP]

Darvish didn't pitch yesterday, it was Chatwood :-k

I never said he did. I was simply updating my rant status.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Oh, I thought you meant they were pitching against each other :oops:

[RBP]

Oh, I thought you meant they were pitching against each other :oops:

No, I am befuddled at paying $126M for Darvish rather than negotiating more with Arrieta.

[RBP]

Darvish made it out of the 5th this weekend! :woot:

Rough start for the Cubs pitching, but maybe they are on track now. 4 game sweep of the Brewers, allowing only 1 earned run in the series.

So... the big question for tonight. Rockies at Wrigley Field. Will there be retaliation for the 96 MPH fastball to Bryant's face? Beach clearing brawl early? Might get wild on the north side tonight.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yu Darvish, the second coming of Cy Young :thumbsup:

[RBP]

And out in 4.1 after giving up 2 bombs in the 5th. Good thing the Rockies only play long ball because of that unfair advantage at Coors Field. :|

Now in 6 outings, he has made it out of the 5th ONE TIME, pitching just 30 innings total. 0-3, with a 6.00 ERA. He's had 2 decent outings against the Brewers only.

From the Chicago Tribune:

In his four starts against teams other than the Brewers, including Wednesday afternoon’s outing against the Rockies in which he piddled down his leg for five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, Darvish kept alive his streak of failing to complete a fifth inning and now owns a sparkling 12.21 ERA.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Maybe only have him pitch against Milwaukee? :-k

[RBP]

$126M for Milwaukee only. :smh:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Rox have a weekend series coming up against the Brew Crew, can we borrow Darvish? :-k

[RBP]

The Rox have a weekend series coming up against the Brew Crew, can we borrow Darvish? :-k

Finders keepers. You can have him.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Finders keepers. You can have him.

:nono:

Borrow, not keep :hand:

[RBP]

Cubs in yet another skid (lost last 5, swept by the Cardinals) after a 14th-inning walk off HR by former Cub Dexter Fowler.

[RBP]

:nono:

Borrow, not keep :hand:

Keep :x

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Cubs in yet another skid (lost last 5, swept by the Cardinals) after a 14th-inning walk off HR by former Cub Dexter Fowler.

Ouch, the Cards are in first place too, aren't they


Keep :x

:umno:

[RBP]

Ouch, the Cards are in first place too, aren't they

Yep. The Cubs were for maybe a day. Now 4th.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yep. The Cubs were for maybe a day. Now 4th.

That's okay, since starting 9-9, the Yankees are on a 15-1 tear and have caught the Red Sox. Yankees are only one game back now. :wha:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/5096ZNx.png

[Teh One Who Knocks]

BoSox and Yankees start a 3 game series tonite at Yankees Stadium.

[RBP]

BoSox and Yankees start a 3 game series tonite at Yankees Stadium.

And a 2019 game in London!!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And a 2019 game in London!!

:facepalm:

Enough with sending teams in any sport overseas for regular season games

[RBP]

:facepalm:

Enough with sending teams in any sport overseas for regular season games

Isolationist :hand: No different than Canada. :hand:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Isolationist :hand: No different than Canada. :hand:

:beatdown: I'll :beatdown: Canada :beatdown: you! :beatdown:

[RBP]

:giggle:

[RBP]

It's 7:10 NY to London, and 6:15 NY to LA. :shrug:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And your point? Does the EPL send their teams to play regular season matches in the US?

[RBP]

And your point? Does the EPL send their teams to play regular season matches in the US?

The fact that I don't know what EPL means might answer that. English Premiere? A soccer thing? :lol:

I understand your position and tend to agree that exhibition would be better.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, the English Premiere League :lol: Their top level soccer teams.

If it's going to be a 3 or 4 game series, okay I guess, but if their sending the Red Sox and Yankees over for one game during the regular season, that's just ridiculous.

[RBP]

:canada:
http://i68.tinypic.com/2afmjyu.png

:shock:
http://i67.tinypic.com/2yxg4lt.png

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:woot: New record!

[RBP]

:woot: New record!

7 earned runs and pulled without an out. I had never heard of "the dreaded infinity ERA" before. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I just looked at the box score, he only faced 7 batters :rofl:

[RBP]

:lol: with 4 HR and 3 were back to back to back bombs!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

CBS Sports listed him as being good for -19.1 fantasy points last night :lol:

[RBP]

On the Seattle kid, his last outing was 16 strike outs. The article said the only other pitcher to have a 16-K game and a no-hitter in the same season was Nolan Ryan. :shock:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Didn't realize he was that good, never really heard of him before :-k

[RBP]

I hadn't either. I watched the 9th, that kid was calm, cool, and laser focused. Threw 100 MPH fastball in the bottom of the 9th. Plenty of gas left in the tank.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Well, at least the Sox salvaged the last game of the series. I guess that's something.

[RBP]

Well, at least the Sox salvaged the last game of the series. I guess that's something.

Barely. The Yankees are on fire right now.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And thanks, the Rox lost the opener to the Brewers last night. We really could have used that Darvish rental I requested. :meh:

[RBP]

And thanks, the Rox lost the opener to the Brewers last night. We really could have used that Darvish rental I requested. :meh:

Did you hear? He's on the 10-day DL with "flu".

https://i.imgur.com/9rbghtz.gif

Edit: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-yu-darvish-flu-haugh-20180508-story.html

[RBP]

Well that's one way to eliminate Darvish's 5th inning problem. :lol:

Yu Darvish lifted after 4 innings in Cubs 3-2 comeback win over Braves

[Teh One Who Knocks]

There couldn't have been a comeback without Darvish, so he deserves the credit :nono:

[RBP]

There couldn't have been a comeback without Darvish, so he deserves the credit :nono:

The umpires deserve the credit for blown calls.

[RBP]

Red Sox pitcher dislocates shoulder during dugout tantrum

BOSTON — Red Sox pitcher Carson Smith dislocated his pitching shoulder during a tantrum and went on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, an injury Boston said could be major.

The 28-year-old right-hander was hurt when he threw his glove in the dugout after leaving Monday night’s 6-5 loss to Oakland. He entered with the Red Sox trailing 5-4 in the eighth, allowed Khris Davis’ leadoff home run, then retired three straight batters. Brian Johnson relieved to start the ninth.

:dunce:

[RBP]

Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo suspended 80 games, effective immediately, for PED violation.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Hard to believe that players roll the dice like that still with the penalties being so severe now. Robinson Cano got hit with an 80 game suspension a week ago for the same thing.

[RBP]

Hard to believe that players roll the dice like that still with the penalties being so severe now. Robinson Cano got hit with an 80 game suspension a week ago for the same thing.

That will cost Castillo $3.75M and eliminate any rental trades since it also prohibits playoff participation.

The Castillo one is baffling. Cano was caught with a steroid masking agent, but Castillo was taking the same thing as Lance Armstrong. It's blood doping that improves endurance but does not build strength of muscle mass. He's a catcher. Why?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1000173488454356994
Damn :shock:

[RBP]

1000173488454356994
Damn :shock:

Wow! Impresive.

(looks safe to me)

[Teh One Who Knocks]

In the slow-mo it looks like he tagged the toe before he made it to the plate.

[deebakes]

definitely safe :hand:

[DemonGeminiX]

Nah, he was out. That arm's a freakin' cannon.

[RBP]

In the slow-mo it looks like he tagged the toe before he made it to the plate.

That's what I saw on another reply, he slid into the glove before the tag on the leg.

[RBP]

Yu Cutler is on the DL again, having an MRI today. Must be a strained vagina.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/uh8007a.png
https://i.imgur.com/i1NrIjz.png

[deebakes]

got to go a long way down the list to find the twinkies :unimpressed:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

got to go a long way down the list to find the twinkies :unimpressed:

:empathy:

[RBP]

Cubs teammate who knows Yu Darvish best says pitcher believes fans ‘hate’ him

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-teammate-who-knows-yu-darvish-best-says-pitcher-believes-fans-hate-him/

According to Gimenez — who played with Darvish in Texas and knows him better than anyone else in the Cubs clubhouse — the pitcher is having a hard time dealing with the criticism he’s hearing and reading as he serves his second stint on the disabled list of the season.

And now a quiz.

He is said to have "one of the best arms I have ever seen" and "has all the tools". He got a huge contract and massively under-performed. He frequents the DL and is pouty and emotional.

Am I talking about:

a) Yu Darvish
b) Jay Cutler

???

[DemonGeminiX]

:hand:

Not enough information. We need to know if he's a closeted homosexual married to a beard or not to make the distinction.

[RBP]

good point. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Cubs teammate who knows Yu Darvish best says pitcher believes fans ‘hate’ him

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-teammate-who-knows-yu-darvish-best-says-pitcher-believes-fans-hate-him/

According to Gimenez — who played with Darvish in Texas and knows him better than anyone else in the Cubs clubhouse — the pitcher is having a hard time dealing with the criticism he’s hearing and reading as he serves his second stint on the disabled list of the season.

And now a quiz.

He is said to have "one of the best arms I have ever seen" and "has all the tools". He got a huge contract and massively under-performed. He frequents the DL and is pouty and emotional.

Am I talking about:

a) Yu Darvish
b) Jay Cutler

???

:hater:

[RBP]

:hater:

Before the sensitive snowflake article came out, the best description I heard was a commentator who said Darvish looks like he's trying not to disappoint someone. "You have to have a certain amount of swagger to pitch at this level. Look at Justin Verlander. He looks like he's walking the red carpet when he goes to the mound".

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:lol:

He's yours for awhile now :hand:

Unless they decide to try and trade him (no chance) or DFA him and eat the contract.

[RBP]

I want him to succeed, of course. But from what I've seen so far, and what I saw in last year's world series, do I want that guy on the mound in this year's world series?

https://i.imgur.com/GKKSGOZ.gif

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/gOa15nX.png
https://i.imgur.com/KTZ2VeI.png
https://i.imgur.com/RF95RAp.png

[DemonGeminiX]

"the clutchiest clutch to ever clutch"

Riveting sports writing.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

"the clutchiest clutch to ever clutch"

Riveting sports writing.

It's just the weekly power rankings, not a Pulitzer Prize entry :slap:

[DemonGeminiX]

They're justifications for positions in the weekly power rankings. He could have come up with something better. :slap:

[DemonGeminiX]

3 - 7 in the last 10. Dropped two in a row to the Cubs. What the hell? They were riding high not too long ago.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

3 - 7 in the last 10. Dropped two in a row to the Cubs. What the hell? They were riding high not too long ago.

Reality set in? :-k












8-[

[DemonGeminiX]

:fire:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:dance:

[RBP]

3 - 7 in the last 10. Dropped two in a row to the Cubs. What the hell? They were riding high not too long ago.

West coast swings suck, then straight to Chicago. That's a tough schedule.

[RBP]

3 - 7 in the last 10. Dropped two in a row to the Cubs. What the hell? They were riding high not too long ago.

They got back on track and are playing great! Current trade rumors favor the Phillies for Machado. :shock: Are you willing to give up the farm system?

[RBP]

What a dick!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This guy tried to strip sack Gerardo Parra <a href="https://t.co/jnSHiGW1Tl">pic.twitter.com/jnSHiGW1Tl</a></p>&mdash; SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSGiants/status/1012475551653683201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[RBP]

Do you guys have an opinion on Luke Heimlich?

[Godfather]

Interesting case. Guy plead guilty to a disturbing crime, molesting his 6 year old niece at age 15, has now been passed over in the 2018 MLB draft despite being a star, but the Royals have shown some interest in signing him. I found these bullet points for anyone like me not up on the case:

* He plead guilty and was legally convicted.
* He denies his guilt and says the plea bargain was to avoid a family-destroying trial.
* He completed everything the court asked him to do.
* There’s a chance he didn’t really do it.
* There’s also a chance that he did do it.
* Statistics are not on his side; most sexual abuse allegations are true, especially from children as young as the reported victim (age 4-6).
* Nonetheless, it is entirely possible that he didn’t do it.
* Even if he did do it, he was 15 at the time. With proper therapy, recidivism for offenders in that age cohort is quite low from everything I’ve read. He’s unlikely a threat to society at this point even if he did do it.
* He has the right to make a living.


This guy paid for crime, then went on to be a college baseball star, and an academic one too... I've been argued with a few times for defending 13-15 year olds being tried as adults for crimes. So would I be a hypocrite to say I'd stay away from him as a baseball GM? From a business perspective: what would the dynamic be like in the locker room and with your fan-base? Would you accept this guy as a teammate and as a fan? How much does that matter to your business as a major league team? There's already a lot of bad press out there with athletes who've beat their wives being allowed to play - is this a double standard, or a step in the right direction to pass this guy over? I can't help but think of how the prison system handles sex offenders because it's universally viewed as one of the most sickening crimes... Then again, I don't always agree with underage people being registered as sex offenders for life (specifically in more consenting cases like exchanging nudes, not molestation, but that's a whole different debate we've beat down many times).

It's just a ton of baggage for a league that drafts and retains more talent than any other major sports league. A 15 year old molesting a 6 year old niece... maybe he deserves a chance to go to law school or whatever and have a career, but when it comes to something as public as giving him a contract to play in the MLB, I don't think I could do it. Curious to hear your thoughts RBP.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Do you guys have an opinion on Luke Heimlich?

I'm all for trying to save people when they're choking :dunno:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

What a dick!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This guy tried to strip sack Gerardo Parra <a href="https://t.co/jnSHiGW1Tl">pic.twitter.com/jnSHiGW1Tl</a></p>— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSGiants/status/1012475551653683201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I hope they tossed his ass

[RBP]

I'm all for trying to save people when they're choking :dunno:

:slap:

[RBP]

I hope they tossed his ass

They showed an on-field security chatting with him later. I am not so sure they did. He should be banned from the park permanently.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:slap:

:dance:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Four teams in MLB with 50 or more wins and they're all in the American League.

[RBP]

Interesting case. Guy plead guilty to a disturbing crime, molesting his 6 year old niece at age 15, has now been passed over in the 2018 MLB draft despite being a star, but the Royals have shown some interest in signing him. I found these bullet points for anyone like me not up on the case:

* He plead guilty and was legally convicted.
* He denies his guilt and says the plea bargain was to avoid a family-destroying trial.
* He completed everything the court asked him to do.
* There’s a chance he didn’t really do it.
* There’s also a chance that he did do it.
* Statistics are not on his side; most sexual abuse allegations are true, especially from children as young as the reported victim (age 4-6).
* Nonetheless, it is entirely possible that he didn’t do it.
* Even if he did do it, he was 15 at the time. With proper therapy, recidivism for offenders in that age cohort is quite low from everything I’ve read. He’s unlikely a threat to society at this point even if he did do it.
* He has the right to make a living.


This guy paid for crime, then went on to be a college baseball star, and an academic one too... I've been argued with a few times for defending 13-15 year olds being tried as adults for crimes. So would I be a hypocrite to say I'd stay away from him as a baseball GM? From a business perspective: what would the dynamic be like in the locker room and with your fan-base? Would you accept this guy as a teammate and as a fan? How much does that matter to your business as a major league team? There's already a lot of bad press out there with athletes who've beat their wives being allowed to play - is this a double standard, or a step in the right direction to pass this guy over? I can't help but think of how the prison system handles sex offenders because it's universally viewed as one of the most sickening crimes... Then again, I don't always agree with underage people being registered as sex offenders for life (specifically in more consenting cases like exchanging nudes, not molestation, but that's a whole different debate we've beat down many times).

It's just a ton of baggage for a league that drafts and retains more talent than any other major sports league. A 15 year old molesting a 6 year old niece... maybe he deserves a chance to go to law school or whatever and have a career, but when it comes to something as public as giving him a contract to play in the MLB, I don't think I could do it. Curious to hear your thoughts RBP.

Thanks, GF. Nice review. My opinion is that his case was adjudicated and he fulfilled the obligations of the plea agreement. As far as I can tell, the sealed juvenile record was forced out by an Oregan newspaper and otherwise would have remained out of public view. I also have to assume that the plea deal was made specifically with sealed records that go at 18 in mind.

As far as the kid and his career, I think he fulfilled his obligations. If there is any lingering question, all states have sex offender treatment programs with specifically licensed treatment and assessment professionals. Have the kid assessed by a professional. If they determine he poses no threat, it's done. (My opposition to the public sex offender registry, its devastating effects on people who have served their time, and almost zero public benefit, is no secret.)

Having said that, I completely understand the idea of a locker room distraction. I have expressed that the biggest reason not to sign Colin Kaepernick is that significant risk of losing focus on football for the distraction. A similar risk applies here, but that says more about the media than the kid. Kaepernick is not going to suddenly go silent and will feed the trolls. This kid wants nothing more than for it to go away and to be allowed to play baseball. Huge difference.

I say professionally evaluate him, and if clear, sign him with a very detailed explanation as to why. It's the right thing to do.

What is not the right thing to do? This:

https://i.imgur.com/2uJrvKl.png?2

[RBP]

Four teams in MLB with 50 or more wins and they're all in the American League.

Saw that, wow... and including the Mariners? I did not see that coming.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/e578YqN.png
https://i.imgur.com/8qMGunw.png
https://i.imgur.com/IKd0EuI.png

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Already two 60+ win teams in the AL and the top 4 teams in all of MLB are in the AL as well. Then you have the AL Central division where the 2nd place team is 9 games under .500 and is still only 8-1/2 games out of first :facepalm:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

9 in a row for the BoSox...65 wins and it's not even the All-Star break yet :woot:

[RBP]

9 in a row for the BoSox...65 wins and it's not even the All-Star break yet :woot:

Sale was lights out again. They are killing it. The Yankees may have over 100+ wins and have to play a wild card game. :shock:

Did you see the (former BoSox manager) Francona bullpen story? Wow. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's been a long time since both the Sox and Yankees were both good in the same season.

I didn't see the story, where was it?

[RBP]

It's been a long time since both the Sox and Yankees were both good in the same season.

I didn't see the story, where was it?

The Indians were ahead of the Reds 4-0, but the Reds were mounting a 2-out rally in the 9th. Francona didn't want struggling reliever Cody Allen to face Joey Votto after he walked the bases loaded, so he called to the bullpen to get left hander Oliver Perez ready. But out of the bullpen comes right hander David Otero. Francona has this WTF look of confusion on his face!! Turns out Francona called to the pen asking to get "OP" (Perez) ready, but the bullpen coach heard him say "OT" (Otero). Otero gives up a long double to Votto to win the game.


http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24062229/cleveland-indians-chalk-meltdown-bullpen-miscommunication

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:lol: :facepalm:

[RBP]

I know, right!! :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Maybe he'll start using full names instead of initials now :rofl:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Just saw that with his 12 K's last night, Sale passed Roger Clemens to set a new team record of most strikeouts before the All-Star break (188 to 186).

[RBP]

Just saw that with his 12 K's last night, Sale passed Roger Clemens to set a new team record of most strikeouts before the All-Star break (188 to 186).

:tup:

He holds the single season SO record for the White Sox. I think that record was over 100 years old when he broke it. Fastest ever to 1500 strikeouts also. He's awesome.

NOW... will he have the juice left in October this year or do the fans plan for end of year mediocrity again?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1017218797915107328

[Teh One Who Knocks]

68 wins for the BoSox at the break, not too shabby.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Nothing like going back 7 years and digging up Tweets from back when he was a 17 year old :roll:

https://i.imgur.com/i5rY4yt.png

https://deadspin.com/serving-up-a-three-run-homer-is-somehow-only-the-second-1827676441

[RBP]

I'll never understand. a) he was 17. b) these guys don't have agents who scrub their social media? really?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Damn, so the Dodgers get Manny Machado from the Orioles...that tilts the power for sure in the NL now.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/uEsoQrB.png

And that was on a bad team.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

by Kevin Skiver - CBS Sports


A July 17 baseball game in the Mexican League gave us what might be the single-worst call in baseball history. That phrase is frequently used for hyperbole, but two umpires agreeing that a swinging strike is a ball has to seriously be considered, if only for the pure consistency of how horrific the call is.

Take a look and determine if it's an exaggeration for yourself.
1020096712659042305
This was on the second pitch of a game between the Diablos Rojos del Mexico and the Algodoneros de Union Liga. Clearly, the umpires hadn't reported to the diamond yet.

It seems impossible for one umpire to mess this up, let alone two. And yes, strike zones vary depending on the umpire, but this one didn't look so far off the black either.

https://i.imgur.com/j5NvZrX.png

Come to think of it, maybe he did hold up.

Hey, we've all had those moments when we fall asleep on the job. Sometimes you just need your buddy to pick you up. When the catcher (rightfully) stopped in his tracks before throwing the ball back to the pitcher and asked for an appeal, the home plate umpire obliged. Unfortunately, when the home plate umpire appealed to the first base ump, he only confirmed the call. And in a weirdly confident manner.

How do you even argue this as a manager? That's got to be the most helpless feeling ever. The Diablos Rojos went on to lose 10-2, presumably because it was completely impossible to keep playing after that.

Ulises Domínguez Solís and Rodolfo Pastrana Tejeda -- the umpires responsible for the call -- were suspended for the rest of the season the day after the call occurred, which only reinforces this as the potential worst call ever. It's not often umpires end up suspended for calls, but it's not often calls get messed up to this level.

[RBP]

Wow. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Wow. :lol:

It was close, that's why they appealed to 1st base :tup:

[DemonGeminiX]

You're staring straight forward. How the hell do you miss the swing?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

You're staring straight forward. How the hell do you miss the swing?

:nono:

It was a judgment call, it's hard to tell if he broke the plane or not when it happens in real time :hand:

https://i.imgur.com/j5NvZrX.png

Even with this still frame view that we get to see after the fact, it's still almost too close to call whether he held up or not. [-(

[RBP]

:lol: definitely too close to call.

I learned something about that this weekend. Javier Baez asked for an appeal on a check swing. The umpire denied the appeal and called him out. I have never seen that before, but I checked the rule. The umpire can deny an appeal.

Baez and Joe Maddon both got tossed over that argument. :lol:

[RBP]

There are few things that manage to cause adult sports fans to disregard common courtesy more than the prospect of receiving a $23 baseball for free in a stadium setting.

Sure, it’s a thrill to catch a baseball at a big-league game. And while an adult doesn’t need to go out of his or her way to give a baseball to a kid (though that would still be nice!), few take kindly to adults grabbing baseballs that were intended for children.

Seriously, don’t do what these two Cubs fans did during Sunday’s game at Wrigley Field.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When going to a baseball game, DON&#39;T be this guy. <a href="https://t.co/pAeiRN6Q2X">pic.twitter.com/pAeiRN6Q2X</a></p>&mdash; Cut4 (@Cut4) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cut4/status/1021147509849305089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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When first base coach Will Venable tossed a baseball to a young fan seated in the first row, the ball got away and bounced beneath the seat. That was when a middle-aged man in the second row grabbed the baseball and gleefully handed it to the woman next to him.

Thankfully, the Cubs took notice to these fans’ behavior and made sure the young kid not only got himself a baseball but also one-upped those Adult Baseball Fans.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A <a href="https://twitter.com/javy23baez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@javy23baez</a> signed ball should take care of it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EverybodyIn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EverybodyIn</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YzUlG8qfN">pic.twitter.com/4YzUlG8qfN</a></p>&mdash; Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1021134802580393989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A separate baseball and an autographed Javy Baez baseball would certainly do the trick.

But please, let that be a reminder to all sports fans: Don’t be any of these people.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s a bunch of crazy fans stealing foul balls &amp; other items from children and women. <a href="https://t.co/Ba1OHTdXIz">pic.twitter.com/Ba1OHTdXIz</a></p>&mdash; Crazy Fan Takes (@CrazyFanTakes) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrazyFanTakes/status/1017453228164833280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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[Teh One Who Knocks]

People are assholes :|

I went to Bandimere on Saturday for the NHRA Mile High Nationals and in between races and stuff they have guys with t-shirt cannons shooting them into the various sections of the crowd. They shot one in our direction but they way overshot it and it ended up way back. A little later on there was a guy a few rows in front of us that came back to his seat telling the people he was with that there were adults that tackled a kid to get the stupid free t-shirt. :|

[RBP]

:facepalm:

The social media world teed off on an adult fan who snagged a baseball obviously thrown to a little kid in the Wrigley Field crowd at Sunday’s Cardinals-Cubs game.

Social media got it wrong.

Within 24 hours, the man condemned as selfish and unthinking because of the viral video was being hailed as selfless and thoughtful by the boy’s family, fans seated nearby and the Cubs organization.

All told, according to the Cubs, the man wound up with four balls during the game. Three went to kids, according to nearby fans, including the one who appeared to be slighted in the clip.

“I spoke to the boy’s mother today and can confirm the man did not steal the ball from the boy, based on information we received from his mother,” Cubs spokesman Julian Green said in a statement. “Unfortunately, a video that was quickly posted and unverified has made a national villain out of an innocent man who was attending his first Cubs game to celebrate his wedding anniversary.

“In fact, the man gave several balls to children in the same section and his wife as an anniversary present. We hope this first experience won’t ruin his trip to Chicago and Wrigley Field and we invite him to come back soon.”

The man does not wish to be exposed to the public more than he already has been, Green said. But he issued a statement through the Cubs.

“I would like to thank the Taylor family, Chuck Mycoff, and all the people around us at the game who spoke up on my behalf,” he said. “The story they share is what truly happened. I helped the young man get a ball at the beginning of the game. We were of the same mind that any more that came our way would be passed to the others next to us.

“Many foul balls came our way that day and were happily shared among the children in our area. The ball in question was passed on to one of those children. No one left disappointed. I am not ‘that guy’ that the media and social media made me out to be. Once again thank you to Chuck Mycoff, the Taylor family and everyone around me that came to my defense. You are all heroes to me.”

The mother of the boy, who sat in the first row along the right-field line with his grandparents, said it was OK to share the surname Taylor but hoped to protect her family’s privacy beyond that.

Through the Cubs, she issued a statement absolving the man in the second row of wrongdoing no matter that fans whipped themselves into a frenzy because of what they thought they saw in the video.

“What they didn’t see is that our son already had a foul ball and what they didn’t know is that our son had already decided that if he got another ball that he would toss it to the little boy behind him,” one of the boy’s parents said through the Cubs.

“There were many foul balls in that section that day and they were happily shared with many deserving fans. The fans in his section left the game giddy with excitement from a great game, most of all our son, who had one of the best days of his life.”

Corroborating that view was Chuck Mycoff of St. Charles, who was the bystander (or bysitter) with the folded arms and blue shirt next to the fan in question who grabbed the ball and handed it to the woman next to him in the damning viral video.

“The whole world is calling this guy the most evil guy in the world for being a ball thief,” Mycoff said by phone. “The fact of the matter is, he got balls for three kids.

“Television and social media read it the wrong way and made up a story. … It’s crazy. That guy helped that kid get a ball earlier and he got other kids balls.”

Viewers of the video saw Cubs first-base coach Will Venable clearly tossing a ball to the kid in the too-big cap, only to have the man in the second row take it from under the seats. And that can’t look good.

Condemnation of the grown-up was swift, strong and unwavering. He has yet to be publicly identified.

“Our son and family doesn’t consider that baseball stolen, and we hope that in the name of good sportsmanship, the fan who received that ball can be left alone,” the boy’s parent said in the statement.

Even as online outrage snowballed during the game, the Cubs sought a happy ending for the incident. They gave the youngster a ball signed by All-Star Javier Baez and posted a picture of him with two baseballs on the team Twitter feed.

What the Cubs’ tweet didn’t explain is from where the second ball came.

Some assumed the Cubs gave him two. Mycoff and others seated nearby tried to set the record straight on Twitter, but they didn’t make much headway in countering the popular narrative.

“Here’s what it was,” Mycoff said. “In the first inning, somebody fouled a ball off the screen over the Cardinals dugout. The guy jumped up. I tried to catch it too. He jumps up. It hits his hand and bounces right into where the tarp and the wall are, right in front of these people (in the front row), where the kid is. So he calls to the dad: ‘Hey! Hey, grab that ball real quick for your boy!’ So the guy grabs it and gets ball for the boy.”

Three innings later came the incident with Venable’s toss into the stands, which everyone saw.

“It fell down under the seat, was down between my legs,” Mycoff said. “The guy picked it up and the 12 seconds of video looks like he just callously gave it to his wife and ignored the kid. What it doesn’t show is the (grandmother) had already said: ‘He'’ already got a ball. If we get any more, we’ll give them to somebody else.’ And the guy turned and handed it to his wife, who then in turn handed to a kid next to her that she didn't know. They didn't keep it.”

Three innings later, according to Mycoff, the out-of-towner from South Carolina got another ball and gave it to yet another youth.

“So he gave two balls to the kids next to them that they didn’t know, helped the kid in front of us get a ball, and he’s being made out to be a villain,” Mycoff said. “He did the right thing. He gave the kids baseballs.”

The counterpoint to the stream of invective toward the fan didn’t gain much traction until David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago and WMVP-AM 1000 tweeted late Sunday night — seven hours after the incident — that Cubs sources told him the widely circulated video clip and subsequent media reports based on it didn’t tell the full story.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I spoke with people from the Cubs. The man who grabbed the ball on the widely seen video had actually already helped the little boy get a ball earlier. The young man has a game used ball and a Javy Baez ball. All is well. Guy is A-OK so let it go people.</p>&mdash; David Kaplan (@thekapman) <a href="https://twitter.com/thekapman/status/1021238617786765312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“The man who grabbed the ball on the widely seen video had actually already helped the little boy get a ball earlier,” Kaplan said on Twitter. “The young man has a game used ball and a Javy Baez ball. All is well. Guy is A-OK so let it go people.”

Kaplan and Eddie Olczyk had Mycoff on their ESPN 1000 show Monday, but it has been difficult to reverse first impressions that already have cut a wide swath across the national consciousness.

“The original video looked terrible,” Kaplan told the Tribune. “The amazing thing is we’ve reported all this now and there are still, I mean, tweet after tweet (saying) ‘This guy only gave the kid a ball out of guilt.’ He (got the kid a) ball before the video was even taken. People refuse to admit it.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m the bald guy next to him and he did give that ball to the kid and gave 2 more he got to the kids on the other side of him. Know your facts!!!</p>&mdash; Chuck Mycoff (@cmycoff2) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmycoff2/status/1021151856414920704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mycoff, a ticket broker who provides corporate travel and hospitality to major events around the country, said he wound up at Sunday’s Cubs game with his wife because his tickets went unsold. The South Carolina couple got their tickets from another online source and it was mere chance he was sitting next to them.

So, too, was what happened, even if it wasn’t what it looked like. It followed an all-too-familiar pattern of taking what one sees at face value and passing judgment without necessarily knowing what happened before, during or after.

“Well, I’m getting a lesson in what happens in social media,” Mycoff said. “The only reason I got involved at all is because the story was so wrong.”

[RBP]

Madden conceding the game AGAIN tonight. I'm just not sure I understand. They were only down by 6 (7-1) in the top of the 8th and he brings in the back up catcher to pitch again. He even let Rizzo pitch the last out of the 9th. All laughing and joking.

Here's an idea, stage a rally and fucking win the game with actual relief pitchers. You have the highest run total in the National league. You don't think you can get 6 in 2 innings?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Madden conceding the game AGAIN tonight. I'm just not sure I understand. They were only down by 6 (7-1) in the top of the 8th and he brings in the back up catcher to pitch again. He even let Rizzo pitch the last out of the 9th. All laughing and joking.

Here's an idea, stage a rally and fucking win the game with actual relief pitchers. You have the highest run total in the National league. You don't think you can get 6 in 2 innings?

:empathy:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Just read a stat that seemed a little unbelievable....at the current pace the BoSox are on track to win 113 games this year. Boston has only won 100 or more games THREE TIMES in club history and not since 1949. I would never have ever believed that if I hadn't read the stats.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/kVFwtxd.png
https://i.imgur.com/sff5MO1.png

[RBP]

Just read a stat that seemed a little unbelievable....at the current pace the BoSox are on track to win 113 games this year. Boston has only won 100 or more games THREE TIMES in club history and not since 1949. I would never have ever believed that if I hadn't read the stats.

I just calculated that yesterday, oddly enough. I had them at a 112 pace. Amazing.

[RBP]

Cole Hammels & cash to the Cubs for a prospect and player to be named later.

Hopefully a change of scenery will do him good. Right now he sucks, despite his previous glory.

Also, if you get the chance, check out the end of the 9th in today's Diamondbacks/Cubs game. Wow.

[DemonGeminiX]

Don't get me wrong, I love Cole Hamels and I always will, but he can't have much longevity left in the league. It's been 10 years since he won the World Series with the Phillies. He came into the league in '06. He's 34 now. Pitchers don't last forever.

Chase Utley's retiring after this season's done. He came into the league in '03 and is 39.
Jimmy Rollins is out.
Ryan Howard's done, even if he doesn't want to accept it. Currently a free agent, and the only contracts' he's fielding nowadays are minor league appointments.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Satchel Paige pitched until he was 59 :hand:

[DemonGeminiX]

Today? With the amount of force that they throw with, and the firepower that's swinging at their pitches? No way. Not today.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson pitched until they were 46 and Roger Clemens until 45 [-(

[DemonGeminiX]

:hand:

No.

[RBP]

Ahem.

https://i.imgur.com/p1cqnnq.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Is that Bumblebee Man from the Simpsons? :-k

[RBP]

Yes.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:woot:

[DemonGeminiX]

Ahem.

https://i.imgur.com/p1cqnnq.jpg

He's 5 - 9 with a 5.02 ERA.

[RBP]

You're just jealous because you aren't nicknamed "Big Sexy". :hand:

[DemonGeminiX]

:-s

How do you know?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/EHdC2Cg.jpg

How would you like to be known as this guy? :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/pPVTJfa.png
https://i.imgur.com/e5B5s3q.png
https://i.imgur.com/83UdmOV.png

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/xy9opmG.jpg

[RBP]

Credit to Goof!!

https://i.imgur.com/1Sx4iX1.jpg

Alex Roriguez sparks controversy by saying Darvish was a distraction by being in town. Maddon had to respond defending him.
Interesting facts... Darvish chose to disregard the team doctors and travel to Texes where is own doctors gave him a worse diagnosis. :-k
Anthony Rizzo was reported to have asked Darvish "when he was going to get back in the game". Wait, what? Rizzo is a class guy and a true leader, he wouldn't say that about a legit injury.

Research suggests that patients with anxiety or depression are more than twice as likely to exhibit multiple unexplained somatic symptoms as those without anxiety or depression. Just saying.

The reporters in LA called him a "head case". I believe they are correct.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yankees/Red Sox - four game series at Fenway this weekend with game 1 tonite. Sox are up by 5-1/2 over the Yankees but anything can happen when these two teams play and Sale is missing his start tonite because he's on the 10 Day DL with a back strain.

[DemonGeminiX]

15 - 7

Jeez.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I was getting dejected because I get live score updates on my phone. First time I checked it was 3-0 Yankees in the first inning and the next one that came in said it was 4-0 Yankees. :(

Then the next time I checked one and it was 10-4 and that made me happier :lol:
1025185014756110337
1025295925164564480
He entered the game with a 2.06 ERA and left with a 3.50 ERA after that :shock:

[RBP]

Some ridiculous scores lately. Now it's the Brewers losing 21-5.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Some ridiculous scores lately. Now it's the Brewers losing 21-5.

Including the Yankees/Red Sox and Brewers/Dodgers from last night there was also:

Texas 17
Baltimore 8

Washington 10
Cincinnati 4

Four teams scored 10 or more runs last night, ridiculous.

[RBP]

It's conceding games, I think. Why use the bullpen? Let's make a joke of this my using position players to pitch.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

4 game sweep and a 9-1/2 game lead in the division :woot:

[RBP]

4 game sweep and a 9-1/2 game lead in the division :woot:

I watched a good bit of that series. Impressive.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's kind of a vindication...I was watching some 'expert' on CBSSports.com talking about how Boston isn't that great of a team, they've been getting all their wins beating up on bad teams, blah blah blah. He said the series with the Phillies and Yankees would bring Boston back down to earth.

I hate all those 'experts' with a fucking passion :lol:

[RBP]

:lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Sale's gonna miss his 2nd start in a row now though :|