MLB Off-Topic

[Caulfield]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

regarding pitch clocks, I predict an uptick in lameass pickoff attempts to 1B, not even really to try to catch a runner off-guard or keep happy feet honest but rather instead as civil disobedience. or maybe I'm way off base. so pick me off lol

[CBoller1331]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Los Angeles Dodgers' Trevor Bauer has leave extended through April 29 by MLB, players' union

Jeez. Just suspend him or don't.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I know it's only April, but you have to wonder if the shortened ST has really impacted numbers early on.

Last 2 seasons the batting average in the league was around .245 (which was also down from around .255 we've seen for most of the 2010s).

Right now the MLB average is .230.

And despite some ugly games from starting pitchers, the ERA is at 3.69, down over half a run from the average the past few seasons.

I'm sure the trend won't continue, but no season has finished this way since the 60s.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Okay, I have a series of three different posts to make but because they are all different topics I want to keep them separate, so I apologize for triple-posting.

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I didn't get to watch the Giants game completely last night since I was dining out with my softball team, although the game was on in the background so I couldn't really prevent myself from knowing the outcome. But I'm only now hearing about the Giants "breaking another unwritten rule" when they tried to steal in the ninth inning and score aggressively in a 7-1 ballgame.

Why the bloody hell is this an unwritten rule? Why are the Nationals upset? I don't know if they're aware, but the Giants literally just scored seven runs in the second inning against them, so to say that this game was out of reach is absolutely asinine. In fact, I just looked back at line scores for this year and so far there have been twelve 6+ run innings (many more 5-run innings on top of that though, so maybe six runs is the threshold of unwrittenness). Even for unwritten rule standards, this doesn't seem to fit that mold in its entirety at all, but I already gave my opinion on the unwritten rule of running up a baseball score last time and I don't think it should exist.

I don't see the issue here. I don't know if others are sharing the same opinion that the Giants did something wrong at all, but if they are then I think it's feeding to the sensitivity that this last five-year stretch has shown to devolve into.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

NUMBER TWO:

Welp, I was looking up Miggy's stats, and besides the ridiculous career he's had I also noticed that he has 599 doubles as well. Would be cool if the 3,000th hit was a double, killing two birds with one stone. Or maybe it would be cooler if it came the at-bat after and he got to celebrate two different things the same day. He is actually 18th on the all-time list, and Bonds is at #17 with 601. I kind of like the single as the 3,000th hit though, no matter how exciting something like the extra base hit would be in that situation. The single keeps the moment on the hit rather than the play that is extended afterward, and it kind of encapsulates the bare minimum that you need in the statistic which likely brought you as far as you got. I'm of course overthinking this and Cabrera is just up there trying to rake, period.

After that, I started to look at the active hits leaders, and given their ages it lends to ask the question whether any of our active group can get to 3,000 hits after Cabrera. Some candidates would include Cano (2630 hits, 39 years old), Altuve (1783, 32), Machado (1445, 29), and Trout (1428, 30). I didn't include Freeman even though he is the same age as Altuve with about 60 hits less because he also has another year that he took to get there, which is another important thing to look at overall. Trout has taken twelve years to get to his number, but he's also been plagued with injuries and you have to feel like 2011 and 2020 combined don't even account for a full season's worth for him due to shortened time.

There are so many factors that lead to me thinking it couldn't happen, especially since some of these players just get walked too often or their strikeouts take away the right opportunity. Then again, they'll be restricting shifts starting next year, so you could see more successful moments and more plate appearance opportunities.

But even for young players who haven't yet even hit eighteen years old yet, I just wonder if they will ever have a chance at 3,000. Players aren't brought up as early as they used to be, they're rested much more, and many are retiring much earlier with their cash in hand or can't hang on long enough for older years (unless they're that good I guess, which a potential 3000-hit player definitely would be). For all we know, we may have hit the end of the 3,000-hit club after Miguel Cabrera. He'd be #33, and I'm willing to bet in my lifetime I won't see 35 appear on that list. Call me cynical, but there are too many factors working against the modern-day player (including their own approach) that make me think this. Perhaps the restricted shifts change my mind, or if they ever back up the mound... in which case I'll reserve myself the right to change my opinion on the matter.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

NUMBER THREE:

This is much shorter, but I wanted to bring up the umpires being mic'ed up after a replay review. I was all for it for the sake of transparency, but they're literally not doing anything different other than verbalizing whether the call stands or is overturned. They're not even doing the football thing where a call is potentially confirmed, but they're also not addressing why it was called the way that it was and what was seen. I don't understand what using the mic does that is any different.

That one time in Toronto is sounds like maybe there was more excitement in making the call happen, but I don't think that was necessarily what anyone wanted when they were hoping that they'd do exactly that. They don't have to do it each and every time, but knowing that they would do so time-to-time would certainly be nice.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

As for your second point, I want it to be a home run.

He'd be the only player whose 1st, 1000th, 2000th, and 3000th hits were home runs.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

As for your second point, I want it to be a home run.

He'd be the only player whose 1st, 1000th, 2000th, and 3000th hits were home runs.

That's actually really cool.

And you know what, the home run works as well as the single in my setting, because the play ends when it goes over the fence. It also gives him that better "curtain call" status since he gets to leave the field after. Granted, this will be more than just a curtain call haha.

So yeah, I'll take that: home run, and hopefully in the same game a double (not just "the same day" either because they play two today). That's also a cool stat that I never heard.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Miguel Cabrera joins the 3,000 hit club!

Now that I saw it, you're right TC9... would've preferred the home run. I'll take it either way, though. Still hoping he doubles in this game. We'll see if he plays Game 2 of the DH at all. Maybe just at the DH position, for that matter.


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You know, there actually was another OT thought that had come to mind for me, and it was after I saw the Tim Anderson infraction and suspension. What is up with this appeal process thing? I understand that everybody gets their say in the court of law and such and such, but what the hell is he appealing and how does that process actually work out? "Your Honor of the MLB commissioner's office, the camera may have shown me flip off Guardians fans but I was really trying to give them a thumb's up. Please consider this appeal." Like... I don't get it. And it gives them the right to play in games that frankly their right was stricken from. This is especially iffy with starting pitchers who get to find their favorite matchups going into their next start or two.

I get it when there is something that is left up for viewer discretion as to the subjectivity of the moment, but he literally flipped them off. The only thing he could be appealing, I imagine, is reducing the penalty from a game suspension to maybe a fine. If that's what he is doing, then okay I guess I get it. It's funny to see that virtually every non-PED suspension is always appealed though instead of kind of being like: "You caught me red-handed, and I must pay the consequences." He kind of said that in a statement anyway though, so I really don't know what he is appealing then after all.

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Okay, I have a series of three different posts to make but because they are all different topics I want to keep them separate, so I apologize for triple-posting.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I didn't get to watch the Giants game completely last night since I was dining out with my softball team, although the game was on in the background so I couldn't really prevent myself from knowing the outcome. But I'm only now hearing about the Giants "breaking another unwritten rule" when they tried to steal in the ninth inning and score aggressively in a 7-1 ballgame.

Why the bloody hell is this an unwritten rule? Why are the Nationals upset? I don't know if they're aware, but the Giants literally just scored seven runs in the second inning against them, so to say that this game was out of reach is absolutely asinine. In fact, I just looked back at line scores for this year and so far there have been twelve 6+ run innings (many more 5-run innings on top of that though, so maybe six runs is the threshold of unwrittenness). Even for unwritten rule standards, this doesn't seem to fit that mold in its entirety at all, but I already gave my opinion on the unwritten rule of running up a baseball score last time and I don't think it should exist.

I don't see the issue here. I don't know if others are sharing the same opinion that the Giants did something wrong at all, but if they are then I think it's feeding to the sensitivity that this last five-year stretch has shown to devolve into.

There is definitely a point where stealing a base or advancing on a sacrifice fly with a big lead is unnecessary, but a six run lead ain’t it.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

There is definitely a point where stealing a base or advancing on a sacrifice fly with a big lead is unnecessary, but a six run lead ain’t it.

Exactly.

And what do you say if you lose the lead?

"Hey, no fair! We weren't trying!"

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

There is definitely a point where stealing a base or advancing on a sacrifice fly with a big lead is unnecessary, but a six run lead ain’t it.

Well, here is what I'll say, although it is definitely not the issue at hand here:

In youth recreational baseball/softball, running up the score is definitely be frowned upon and you can tell why there is already a stark difference between the two with regard to skill differences, emotions, etc. especially if run differential is not a factor in something like seeding.

But the problem that occurs here is not when it's a six-run lead, it's when it's a 16-run lead. It's when the other team's pitcher can't throw strikes and the catcher can't catch those pitches, and when the ball is put in play the outfielders have a better chance at catching a cold than catching the ball. Them getting out of an inning is best served with mercy by leaving bases early and such, though to me that is the greatest insult that you can offer up as an opposing team personally.

Although you should sometimes operate on stations time to time or not advance on wild pitches because of the easy safe advancements, I'm suggesting the alternate: aggressively challenge for the next extra base on a single. Try to steal on a catcher that has a chance to gun you out. Go for the suicide squeeze. Attempt a hit-and-run. Why? Because although there is a chance that you'll advance safely like you would from that next walk or pitcher error, you are putting yourself in a position to be put out. You're not "running up the score" here, you are giving the defense opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't have off the batted ball or due to the fact that the batters aren't able to hit the ball because of a walk or hit batsmen.

So when the Giants tried to steal and advance home, what was the end result? Did a run score? No, they got out. Maybe this was an out that the Nationals could've gotten on their own, but it's another chance that they have at getting an out all the same. They shouldn't be angry at them, they should be thanking them. The inning would've otherwise gone on. What if after the bloop single the next two batters got hits? Estrada scores anyway. Do they want that? Do they want station-to-station lineup movement to score the run, or do they want a chance for the inning to end if they can take it?

It's almost as if they would've been less upset if Estrada advanced on a wild pitch than if he tried to steal, and that's the thing that I think they have so very backwards, regardless of the lead amount. All this being said, this was a six-run lead. I'm not saying that's "nothing," but it's also possible to come back from. They can't be upset in this situation here. If they stop shifting and they throw a position player on the mound, then they've truly stopped competing and they can attempt to bark about unwritten rules. Until then, they have to sack up. They're big boys making big money.

As far as the sacrifice fly goes, that is taking away from your own teammate's average and RBI count. Always advance on those.

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Although you should sometimes operate on stations time to time or not advance on wild pitches because of the easy safe advancements, I'm suggesting the alternate: aggressively challenge for the next extra base on a single. Try to steal on a catcher that has a chance to gun you out. Go for the suicide squeeze. Attempt a hit-and-run. Why? Because although there is a chance that you'll advance safely like you would from that next walk or pitcher error, you are putting yourself in a position to be put out. You're not "running up the score" here, you are giving the defense opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't have off the batted ball or due to the fact that the batters aren't able to hit the ball because of a walk or hit batsmen.

That’s why I never understood the outrage over the Tatis grand slam on a 3-0 count with a big lead a few years ago. Why on earth would the manger give him the take sign, he should be up there hacking away. Yeah maybe he hits a Hr but maybe he makes an out and ends the inning quicker. If you’re goi g to be mad about something be mad he took the first three pitches

[Master Live 013]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I will give props to MLB for their YouTube channel having freely available recaps of each game and clips of important moments (like Cabrera's 3000 hit). Well done. Quite the shock that the NBA doesn't do it as well.

[l3ulvl]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

NUMBER TWO:

Welp, I was looking up Miggy's stats, and besides the ridiculous career he's had I also noticed that he has 599 doubles as well.

1 more and he's in the club with Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols. That's it, that's the list lol. 3000 hits, 500 HRs, 600 doubles.

It's amazing to me that Pujols and Cabrera played at the same time. It's like in tennis how Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic all played at the same time, that's a crazy era of tennis, and it's still going

Pujols and Cabrera are at their end, but still, we saw all time legendary hitters play at the same time, that's incredible