I will never understand things like this Jon Lester of Chicago Cubs trying 'Jordan-to-Pippen bounce' in unorthodox attempt to solve throwing problem

Fun going into the season without your #1 and #3 starters...

BREAKING: Albert Belle arrested in Scottsdale during a spring training game.

2 counts of indecent exposure
1 count of DUI (using liquor, drugs or vapors)
1 count of Extreme DUI (BAC of .08 or more) pic.twitter.com/3zMgRczQi3

— Matt Rodewald FOX 10 (@Matt_Fox10) March 26, 2018

Those pictures of "athlete after he's retired and developed a substance abuse problem" never cease to surprise me (in a sad way).

.08 is an extreme DUI? Believe me once I grew up I am definitely a designated driver/stay at a hotel/don't drink at all guy but I thought a .08 was pretty much right over the legal limit. Also is a vapor just an E-cigarette?

I'm putting way too much thought into this Belle press release!

Unless there's been a change recently that Google isn't picking up, I think there's an error in that tweet.

What I'm finding for Arizona law is
Standard DUI .08 - .14
Extreme DUI .15 - .18
Super Extreme .20 +

Yeah, .15 is the extreme DUI mark in AZ. I'm guessing there's an error with that tweet.

On a related note, when did Albert Belle turn into Fred Sanford?

I like this better that the "excessive" designation we use in my state.

But over a .30 should be Double Secret Super Extreme DUI.

I don't EVEN wanna know what sort of secret handshake goes with that :lol:

Looks like a guy who hit the Vina a little too hard.

+1

Marlins couldn't wait one pitch before falling behind

Nice.

On a pace to allow 1700 runs this year.

Since the Reds are postponed, I'm casually watching Angels / A's strictly because of the Ohtani hype. Quickly noticed that Scioscia has Trout batting 2nd. WTF? An old, veteran manager embracing sabermetric lineup strategies? WHOA!!! Tons of respect.

umm ... he hit 2nd in the order more frequently than any other spot last year
(71 games there, vs 41 in the third spot, and 2 at leadoff).

2016 was actually the unusual one, hitting 3rd more than 2nd.

Career, 2nd is his most frequently used spot (422 of his 925 games played)

edit to add: It has also produced a lower OPS, lower tOPS, lower BA, and lower OBP than the 294 games where he's hit 3rd.

That's cool. I don't think I've checked in on Angels game or lineup or anything of that sort in years. Just happened to notice today. I apologize if I sounded like I thought Scioscia was breaking new ground, I just assumed Trout batted in the traditional 3 hole.

And those circumstantial numbers are also very interesting, which is why small sample sizes are fun.

You're cool, korme. I still wish for the days when the Reds were the traditional opening game before anyone else. I still have my daily journals/logs/scrapbook from the 1975 and 1976 seasons!

{melodramatic}That's it. LA's season is over! Can't win with Kershaw, at home in the opener. We are done!!!{/melodramatic}

Cardinals sign Greg Holland to a 1 year $14 million contract.

Shores up an area of need. And a great contract to boot.

Finally!!!

Winker leading off and Hamilton batting ninth.

It's an Easter Miracle!

Is Joe Panik the new Kevin Elster?

That actually kind of brought to mind the question of "what constitutes small sample size" when I saw it.

I mean, we're talking about a fair chunk of his career ABs overall at this point, and he's not exactly a newcomer now. Is it still 'small sample size" or is it enough to be an actual thing?

I don't know that I think he necessarily approaches the plate differently but perhaps the situations he comes up in, the approach pitchers take with him (i.e. hitting 3rd he would have a great chance, by whatever margin, to have runners on base ahead of him), so on & so forth. Maybe hitting him third would actually make sense ... depending upon the performance of whatever #3 hitter appears when he bats second of course.

Wo, great call back! That fucking opening day in 2000...

I am so very ok with how this season's first two games have played out.

Back to back 1-0 losses at home?

sheesh. Hard to believe that the NLCS Champs are scoreless through 18.

Luckily, the Cubs are scoreless in their last 14.

Well...technically they are scoreless through their last 20 innings. :D


Sorry, gotta get it in now before reality sets in.

Great question

Minnesota Twins upset Chance Sisco of Baltimore Orioles bunted vs. shift in 9th

Laughable outrage by the Twins. If you think a guy shouldn't bunt, maybe you shouldn't shift.

Bunch of whiners.

O's playing baseball the wrong way

What unwritten rule was violated here? I know there's one about bunting during a no hitter, but if they're working to get baserunners, why wouldn't he take advantage of the shift to help do just that?

That stuff irritates me to no end. I don't care if it's 1 run, 5 runs, or 30 runs, a perfect game or no hitter, if bunting increases your chances of getting on base, then you should absolutely do so.

Each team is given 27 outs. Not "24 and three more if it's a close game".

The shift is bad for baseball. But it’s legal and so is bunting.

Maybe the Twins will throw at him next game. Baseball once again proving it has the dumbest collection of athletes.

18 innings later...:banghead:

Pirates are the best team in baseball. Lol

That's the thing that made no sense to me ... if he's not supposed to go beyond standard effort cause "the game is over" or some such then WTF is there a shift on?

They brought that on themselves & the hitter did exactly the right thing.

Someone said it was because it was a one hitter...

Feel like if you're going to make the effort to shift, a player should make the effort to take advantage of that. What's he supposed to do? Aim it directly at a player on the field so it doesn't break up the precious 1-hitter?

LOL

One for the record books.

Yeah, Dozier's comments were just silly. There was no reason for him to not bunt there. Hopefully, Molitor says something to him about it.

That's like saying the zone is bad for basketball or football.

A zone defense in basketball is mostly used more because of your own personnel limitations in a matchup rather than what the other team does.

There isn't a really good analogy across sports, but I'd actually say it's closer to the reason why there are rules in the NFL for formations. Being able to do it creates a massive advantage.

Being able to do "what" creates a massive advantage? Use a shift?

If that's the case, I fail to see how you can ever describe something as creating a massive advantage when the other team is free to do the exact same thing.

As for your analogy, there aren't rules in the NFL for defensive formations, are there? In an effort to defend, you can do whatever you'd like with your 11 players: put them all on the LOS if you'd like, you can use 6 defensive backs to cover only 5 eligible receivers, you can have 6 guys standing up and rushing the QB, etc.

If everyone can do it therefore it doesn't create an advantage then we have no need for rules at all. Everyone is free to do it.


My football analogy was for offensive formations.

Now I'm even more confused with what you're trying to argue.

Getting ready for my season back into a Roto league I was a charter member of the league back in 1988. The guy who started it decided to get out of the old one and start a new one. He got 5 of the original 8 owners back in the fold.
It is NL only, 12 players 5x5. Avg, hrs, rbis, sbs and wins, era, saves, Ks, WHIP. It is an auction where we have %260 for 23 players.

I could use some of your guys local knowledge and get some sleepers, prospects (we have an 8 player reserve draft at the end) and guys that are a must get without breaking the bank.

I don't see how anyone could have a problem with the shift. I've got more of a problem with major league players who can't for their lives, beat it. I guess that's what I get for watching the last 4 years of Ryan Howards career.