MLB Off-Topic

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Those Braves pitchers played nationally on TBS 5 days a week and were in the playoffs every year, too.

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Good point, BTW there is NO MLB player today who has a national ad campaign at all. There may be a couple in a group with guys from other sports but that doesn't really count.

I think that fact alone is quite telling.

[steelerfan]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

As a fan of a team who has played in both leagues (Astros), I'm pretty indifferent about the DH and whether it comes to the NL.

That said, I'd be more upset if they got rid of the DH in the AL than if they added it to the NL.

I see the merits of both sets of rules but probably slightly favor the AL rules.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Plus man, some pitchers can hit. I'd rather that they worked on finding a remedy to train pitchers to become better hitters than to do with the DH. You are really cutting out some notables here. Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke, and German Marquez are reaching base more successfully than your precious Brett Gardner and Greg Bird (heck, Marquez has a higher OPS than Gary Sanchez, so what say you there?). Don't pretend like there isn't excitement and drama when a pitcher comes up to bat. They are not all automatic outs, and it makes it that much more special when they do get a hit.

This is not serious, right?

[BleacherBum2310]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

First off, I think any type of "this guy HAS to win the MVP" talk in July is premature...lot of baseball to be played. That said, I was surprised listening to MLB Network radio this afternoon and they basically said Mike Trout is the "probable" AL MVP. Trout is the best player in baseball...but Betts is having a tremendous year on a historic team. If the voting was held today, he'd win.

Betts is right there with Trout but and if vote was held today I don't doubt he would win because sportswriters love their narratives but I don't agree with this why should having JD Martinez,Chris Sale, Xander, etc have an impact on an individual award.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Plus man, some pitchers can hit. I'd rather that they worked on finding a remedy to train pitchers to become better hitters than to do with the DH. You are really cutting out some notables here. Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke, and German Marquez are reaching base more successfully than your precious Brett Gardner and Greg Bird (heck, Marquez has a higher OPS than Gary Sanchez, so what say you there?). Don't pretend like there isn't excitement and drama when a pitcher comes up to bat. They are not all automatic outs, and it makes it that much more special when they do get a hit.

9.5 times out of 10, there is absolutely not.

The most recent pitcher plate appearance I even remember is Archie Bradley's triple in the wild card game last year.

[BleacherBum2310]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Meh. I took this out of the article more than Trout's Q-score.



It's just difficult to transcend the sport if you don't play for the Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox, Dodgers, or Giants. The Angels are a bit of an afterthought for many reasons. Trout's lack of stardom is a product of the Angels as much as it is of baseball. And Trout just doesn't seem to want to be that type of star.

nailed it. people will point to his personality but that doesn't really add up to me. The one year they made the playoffs he was everywhere. It's more that the Angels really just stink.

[CBoller1331]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Plus man, some pitchers can hit. I'd rather that they worked on finding a remedy to train pitchers to become better hitters than to do with the DH. You are really cutting out some notables here. Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke, and German Marquez are reaching base more successfully than your precious Brett Gardner and Greg Bird (heck, Marquez has a higher OPS than Gary Sanchez, so what say you there?). Don't pretend like there isn't excitement and drama when a pitcher comes up to bat. They are not all automatic outs, and it makes it that much more special when they do get a hit.

Totally agree. It just hard now that basically every level of baseball takes advantage of the DH rule, so a lot of these guys never have to hit until they reach the bigs, which is why they are such bad hitters. I guess I just made an argument to implement the DH in both leagues....but i too would rather see pitchers learn to hit better.

[steelerfan]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Pitchers didn't get the job because they can hit. They are no better at it than I would be. Thinking you can train them up is a pipe dream and discredits the abilities of a truly good hitter (just as believing that Jose Altuve can be trained to become a serviceable pitcher is dreaming).

The few that can hit - they can pinch hit with DH rules.

[daflyboys]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I don't get the strategy argument, never really have. For one, I don't tune in to see the managers, so the idea of their job getting easier or harder means nothing to me in a vacuum. Secondly, the bases are loaded, we're down 2 runs, worst hitter in a 2 mile radium steps up to the plate, we pinch hit...I dunno, that's not really strategy to me. Especially in 2018 where pitchers are barely allowed to pitch, and are taken out of a game at the first sight of trouble after 2 turns through the lineup, the question of whether to let the pitcher hit is almost always going to be answered by putting a better hitter in his place, it's just a forced pinch hit appearance.

It almost always comes across as a "I don't want the game to change" kinda thing.

Well, just because you don't get the strategy argument, doesn't mean this isn't an actual thing.

The game has always gone through rule changes, of course, more intensely in the origins era (which are actually quite interesting to read about). I think that the opposing viewpoints in here probably those on a larger scale. There's going to be fans on both sides. Not sure if the MLB will pay attention to something like that and therefore keep the DH as is or if they'll succumb to try to generate more offense with the additional bat. I'll stay a fan either way, but would rather see it stay as is.

[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Totally agree. It just hard now that basically every level of baseball takes advantage of the DH rule, so a lot of these guys never have to hit until they reach the bigs, which is why they are such bad hitters. I guess I just made an argument to implement the DH in both leagues....but i too would rather see pitchers learn to hit better.

That's not true. Until you get to college, pitchers play positions too. Some pitchers will be two way players in college, but that's somewhat uncommon. The only time they won't hit through high school is if they pitch, and that's not always the case. I know I used the DH to hit for a position player more often than my pitcher.

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[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Pitchers this year are hitting .113 with a .288 OPS. The worst average of all position players is catchers at .232, and OBP of .304. Don't get how that's fun to watch. At most, maybe give teams an option. DH no matter what, but who is the DH is up to the team. You can put your starting pitcher in as the DH, and if he comes out of the game, you can put in a permanent DH, use pinch hitters, or have bullpen hit. Though that's probably too complex.



Lets say the year is 2022 and DH rule is in both the AL and NL, do we one day see a time where the leagues don't matter? Meaning it's like NBA and NHL where all teams play each other every year?


I know that's probably a very unpopular thought, but I like being able to see every team every year instead of having instances where your team might not visit a ballpark in over a decade.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Those pitcher stats are why I assumed that part was sarcastic. That and comparing Brett Gardner to 3 pitchers, who at a quick glance he has as many walks as any of them have plate appearances. It couldn't be serious.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Without looking it up, I honestly can't tell you the last pitcher to hit a home run.

[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Without looking it up, I honestly can't tell you the last pitcher to hit a home run.

Michael Lorenzen. Hit HRs in three consecutive ABs

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[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Michael Lorenzen. Hit HRs in three consecutive ABs

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That's probably not right, but he sticks out. Lester hit one a few starts ago too.

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