The Official 2013 MLB Thread

[Jas_lov]

I wouldn't get too giddy about going against this Yankee lineup. It has about 2 regulars in it, Gardner and Cano. The rest might not even make the Dodgers roster.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

Bronson Arroyo is in his 519th game as a starting pitcher. He's never missed his turn in the rotation.

Sometimes to Boston's and Cincinnati's chagrin

SI

[Butter]

He's been pretty solid for the Reds. 2 years ago, he had a shit season, but other than that I've got no complaints about Arroyo.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

He's been pretty solid for the Reds. 2 years ago, he had a shit season, but other than that I've got no complaints about Arroyo.

Agree. And that was the year he had mono most of the year.

[Swaggs]

I like Arroyo, too. Another impressive Dave Littlefield/Pirates' move -- letting Arroyo go on waivers.

300+ starts and $67-million later...

[rowech]

The one thing I have noticed more lately with Arroyo is how much trouble he gets into once the opposing team starts getting at him the third time around. The opposing lineups grow to be a lot more patient. I would like to see the Reds just plan on using Simon on days when Arroyo throws and be prepared to bring him in once he gets into the 6th inning.

[miami_fan]

All right, basketball season is over. Heat won the title. Now it is time to check out the greatness of the Marlins. What? Their record is what? 23-49?! Well the year plus old stadium must be packed and the folks are having a good time. Let me see where they rank in attendance. Ah... okay...last huh? I see. Oh well I guess that is okay.

[cartman]

The Rangers take 3 of 4 from the A's, with yesterday's game ending in dramatic fashion on a close play at the plate. Of course, the one game they lost in the series was the one I went to.

[MrBug708]

Puig has pretty impressive opposite field power. He took a shoulder high pitch, at Petco, and went deep.

[molson]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

All right, basketball season is over. Heat won the title. Now it is time to check out the greatness of the Marlins. What? Their record is what? 23-49?! Well the year plus old stadium must be packed and the folks are having a good time. Let me see where they rank in attendance. Ah... okay...last huh? I see. Oh well I guess that is okay.

This is right before the first pitch.



Nobody likes the stadium, obviously, Miami residents should totally pitch in and help Jeffrey Loria build a new one.

[rowech]

Reds with a bad loss last night. I don't understand Dusty sometimes. I mean I really don't understand his thoughts. Leake is cruising having thrown 92 pitches but he pinch hits for him in the 9th already up 2-1. If it was Arroyo he would have let him finish. Not to mention Leake is as good as any hitter off the bench. He tries to bunt a runner from second with nobody out already up 2-1. He plays the infield in with the bases loaded and nobody out. Just play for the double play and accept you will have to go to extra innings. Not to mention it was clear Chapman was off warming up in the pen, then throwing his warm up tosses, and then from his first pitch. He really just has one sense of how to manage and can't adjust to any type of game situation which asks him to think some.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Puig has pretty impressive opposite field power. He took a shoulder high pitch, at Petco, and went deep.

Yeah, just keep talking about him to distract yourself from the real problem of the standings.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by molson

This is right before the first pitch.



Nobody likes the stadium, obviously, Miami residents should totally pitch in and help Jeffrey Loria build a new one.

Why is the MLB or other owners for that matter yelling and screaming about this? It's a total embarrassment and sets a great precedent for future local municipalities to reject public money to support local sports. Do they not see the damage this ass-clown is causing?

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Why is the MLB or other owners for that matter yelling and screaming about this? It's a total embarrassment and sets a great precedent for future local municipalities to reject public money to support local sports. Do they not see the damage this ass-clown is causing?

They do. I am pretty sure they let Loria know that he won't be getting the All-Star game any time soon if he does not straighten up.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

They do. I am pretty sure they let Loria know that he won't be getting the All-Star game any time soon if he does not straighten up.

Not going to do much for damage control if that's all they've "threatened" him with.

[molson]

It's still surprising to me that there's not more people in Miami willing to see baseball for $5 or whatever. Ya, I know the team's not competitive, but I'd imagine most of the baseball fans in Miami are transplants anyway who wouldn't be Marlins fans even if they were good. I used to love going up to Montreal on long weekend trips, and I would always catch an Expos game or two - major league baseball, super cheap seats near the field, cheap beer. And I don't even consider myself a really huge baseball fan - but if I can take part for $5, I'm in. The Marlins are never going to get the jet skiing/nightclub crowd, but jebus, you have to really try in order to get that few people.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Pedro goes yard, 4th consecutive game

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by molson

It's still surprising to me that there's not more people in Miami willing to see baseball for $5 or whatever. Ya, I know the team's not competitive, but I'd imagine most of the baseball fans in Miami are transplants anyway who wouldn't be Marlins fans even if they were good. I used to love going up to Montreal on long weekend trips, and I would always catch an Expos game or two - major league baseball, super cheap seats near the field, cheap beer. And I don't even consider myself a really huge baseball fan - but if I can take part for $5, I'm in. The Marlins are never going to get the jet skiing/nightclub crowd, but jebus, you have to really try in order to get that few people.

I wonder if part of it is that the stadium was obviously built with a bit of fraud (hence the SEC looking into it), so the folks of Miami are deciding to say screw the Marlins for that as well as the team sucking.

[MizzouRah]

Hey Rangers.. get the fck out of St. Louis!!!

[cartman]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Hey Rangers.. get the fck out of St. Louis!!!

That was a nice sweep for the Rangers. Although I would trade all three wins for just one more strike in Game 6 a couple of years back.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by cartman

That was a nice sweep for the Rangers. Although I would trade all three wins for just one more strike in Game 6 a couple of years back.

Monkey Paw hears your wish. The 4th inning walk from Matt Holliday now comes on a 3-1 count instead of a 3-0 count. Enjoy your extra strike!

[JonInMiddleGA]

I see where the Cubs have DFA'ed Carlos Marmol ... and it made me curious.

There are 50 pitchers in the majors this season that have a worse WAR than Marmol. More than 20 of those are relievers.

I'd have to figure that means somebody will be willing to take a flier on him for the major league minimum.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by cartman

That was a nice sweep for the Rangers. Although I would trade all three wins for just one more strike in Game 6 a couple of years back.

Yeah, I have a good friend who's a diehard Rangers fan, she was like.. I was going to text you.. but then I thought.. a sweep still means nothing to that World Series loss.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I see where the Cubs have DFA'ed Carlos Marmol ... and it made me curious.

There are 50 pitchers in the majors this season that have a worse WAR than Marmol. More than 20 of those are relievers.

I'd have to figure that means somebody will be willing to take a flier on him for the major league minimum.

The Cardinals should. That is if Dave Duncan was still the pitching coach.

[cartman]

I was just driving back from dinner with my aunt, and we were listening to the Rangers-Yankees game. Two outs, bottom of the 9th, and Ichiro is up. With the count 1-2, my aunt says "Ichiro doesn't hit home runs, right?". I told her nope, he's a slap hitter.

Of course not more than 5 seconds later he hits a walk-off home run.

[Jas_lov]

Ichiro hitting the walk-off HR just capped off a very strange game. The weak Yankees lineup hit 4 solo HRs, 3 off Darvish. Ichiro, Gardner, Jayson Nix and Hafner all homered. On the other side, Kuroda gave up 2 HRs to Leonys Martin. I guess that's baseball.

[MizzouRah]

Now I do like Houston.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by cartman

I was just driving back from dinner with my aunt, and we were listening to the Rangers-Yankees game. Two outs, bottom of the 9th, and Ichiro is up. With the count 1-2, my aunt says "Ichiro doesn't hit home runs, right?". I told her nope, he's a slap hitter.

Of course not more than 5 seconds later he hits a walk-off home run.

Ichiro typically uses a slap-hitter approach, but he can turn on a pitch better than most when he decides to do so. Watch him in batting practice sometime - there's a good reason why his M's teammates always wanted to see him take part in an All-Star game home run contest.

[tucker rocky]

Seems the NL Central division race is tightening up, the Cubs have moved into 4th place, 14 1/2 back.

[rowech]

Close the book on Cueto this year and get his motion changed. This is getting old.

[Logan]

Book is closed on Matt Harvey for the night: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R (solo HR), 0 BBs, 11 Ks. He should be starting the ASG at Citi Field right?

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Dear Chris Capuano: please keep pitching this well for the rest of the season.

Um, yeah, about that?

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Logan

Book is closed on Matt Harvey for the night: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R (solo HR), 0 BBs, 11 Ks. He should be starting the ASG at Citi Field right?

Only if Puig decides he doesnt want to pitch

[Lathum]

Harvey must really hate his bullpen.

[BishopMVP]

Jose Iglesias recorded his 50th hit of the season with a 2nd-inning single on Thursday night in just his 118th at-bat of 2013...Elias says that since the 1st rookie standards were set in 1958, Iglesias’ 118 AB are the fewest by a rookie at the time of his 50th hit in a season

Obviously going to regress from the .420 average and 1.020 OPS, but he's driving the ball much more, and the low K rate and infield hits should keep piling up (at a lower rate) with how fast he gets out of the box. Considering there were questions whether he could bat .200 coming into the year, it's extremely encouraging. Combine it with Xander dominating AA, and I love the potential for the left side of the infield the next 5 years, even with Middlebrooks' struggles this season.

[molson]

And how about the Red Sox generally this year, geez. I don't think they'll keep a .600 pace but I just love how they've been rewarded for that Dodgers trade.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Obviously going to regress from the .420 average and 1.020 OPS, but he's driving the ball much more, and the low K rate and infield hits should keep piling up (at a lower rate) with how fast he gets out of the box.

I know this isn't the same and all (split over two seasons, not quite the same rate) but ...

Former Tigers & Braves outfielder Josh Anderson
2007 ... 24/67 for Houston
2008 ... 18/55 for Atlanta thru early May ... to get to 42 for 122 (.344 avg)

From that point forward, he was 90 for 364 (.247) ... retired from the minors just two years later.

Point being, I've pretty much given up trying to project a career based on the first couple hundred AB's in the majors.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I know this isn't the same and all (split over two seasons, not quite the same rate) but ...

Former Tigers & Braves outfielder Josh Anderson
2007 ... 24/67 for Houston
2008 ... 18/55 for Atlanta thru early May ... to get to 42 for 122 (.344 avg)

From that point forward, he was 90 for 364 (.247) ... retired from the minors just two years later.

Point being, I've pretty much given up trying to project a career based on the first couple hundred AB's in the majors.

As well you should - a couple hundred AB's is a small sample size.

[cartman]

Wade Davis of the Royals set a MLB record today of throwing 69 pitches and only recording 3 outs.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Um, yeah, about that?

There's a reason I was pleading with him.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Point being, I've pretty much given up trying to project a career based on the first couple hundred AB's in the majors.

But I'm not projecting him being even a .300 hitter, and BB rate and K rate need many fewer at-bats to be predictive than batting average When Samples Become Reliable | FanGraphs Baseball . Coming into the year the thought was if he could bat .230 he would be an average SS, if he bats .260 he's a borderline all-star, and if he bats .300 he's Ozzie Smith 2.0. (Keep in mind that offensive stats, particularly at SS, have declined precipitously the past couple years, and over half the teams in MLB are averaging less than .300 OBP from the SS position.) So I'll hold off on anointing him Ozzie Smith, but this has greatly increased the chance that he can hit at least .230 going forward and be a legitimate starter.

[JPhillips]

I knew the Reds struggled in June, but their .235/.300/.381 line for the month is really awful.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I knew the Reds struggled in June, but their .235/.300/.381 line for the month is really awful.

They were just talking about how Dusty said he wishes the team would be more aggressive on the first pitch and they pointed out to him that they are the most aggressive team in baseball when it comes to swinging at the first pitch but dead last in batting average on the first pitch.

I would have fired him right then.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Dear George Brett,

Thank you for teaching Hosmer that it's OK to try to hit a homerun.

Sincerely,
Royals fans

[rowech]

Brook Jacoby should be fired before noon tomorrow. The Reds offense is totally inept at this point.

[frnk55]

Cubs win!!!!

[Dutch]

Witnessed the first American Leaguer to ever hit the ball into the Sting Ray fish tank today. Miguel Cabrera joins Luis Gonzalez (Dodgers - 2007) as the only players to successfully scare the ever living crap out of our 30 or so rays. Congratulations!

[kingfc22]

So how long before Davis is linked to some story around PED's?

[Suicane75]

Puig in the All-Star game? Yay or nay?

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Mike D

Witnessed the first American Leaguer to ever hit the ball into the Sting Ray fish tank today. Miguel Cabrera joins Luis Gonzalez (Dodgers - 2007) as the only players to successfully scare the ever living crap out of our 30 or so rays. Congratulations!

Nice that you and 74 others witnessed that.