2018 regular-season game chatter

it's getting kind of weird, already. i understand locals doing it because he's a goddamn legend around here, but i don't get the national press/visiting announcers mentioning it all the time as well

― obviously DLC (Karl Malone), Sunday, May 6, 2018 11:04 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

bending over backwards to grade catchers on a curve is the new on base percentage I guess

if Yadi makes the HOF Jim Sundberg should activate his dormant Veteran's Committee campaign.

off-topic but i thought this was interesting. i never think of the blue jays as a powerhouse 80s team but they were just consistently good

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hffMszeDiB-Owy90TsTGOl-vmMY=/0x0:1273x371/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1273x371):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10797191/chart__12_.png

(sorry the STL line is highlighted; i grabbed from a cardinals blog)

what? pic.twitter.com/Kt2YEfQCij

— Parker Hageman (@ParkerHageman) May 8, 2018

glad i'm not watching the MIN broadcast, i guess

im sure that makes sense in his head

is that torii or latroy?

torii

Maybe giving him too much credit here, but I think he's talking about launching the ball by "cutting the ball in half" and generating backspin? Not sure about how that applies to Donaldson though, who seems the poster boy for this uppercut/fly-ball revolution

@TBrownYahoo
The Reds are nearing a trade for Matt Harvey. Very close, according to source.

yikes

done deal, for Mesoraco

interesting... i guess mesoraco is as damaged as harvey at this point if not worse

D Bundy's getting lit up, geez

Mesoraco looked like a potential beast at catcher for a minute but wow that was four years ago. he's making $13 million this year??

he signed a 4-year deal after his all-star season, 2015-18, i think

i think injuries/concussions kind of ruined things for him

the pride of punxsutawney

danny duffy's got a ten-run lead before he even takes the mound

Dylan Bundy faced seven hitters. He allowed four homers, seven base runners, two walks and seven runs. He did not record an out. His Game Score was -19, which ranks tied for the 13th worst of all time and the second worst since after 1940.

— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 8, 2018

yeah, but he built a lot of character

that's the kind of outing that has dr neal el attrache waiting by the phone

As you might've guessed, per @baseball_ref Play Index, Dylan Bundy is the first starter ever to allow 4 HR without recording an out. (Three starters allowed 3 HR w/o getting an out, the last Phil Dumatrait in 2007.)

— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) May 8, 2018

might need to update 'pitchers who are doing well' soon

ivan nova and lucas giolito have combined to throw 152 pitches in five innings

"Reds land Harvey" strikes me funny

like he's an orca

He has put on weight, yes

I'm sure Harvey will get bored up on Vine St. at 2am and probably drown his sorrows in some Cincinnati chili.

A drunk Harvey forgets what year it is and looks to a once familiar Skyline to try to reorient himself - a disastrous night follows

too bad we don't know literally anything about cincinnati other than their gross chili or we could keep the fun going

i still don't even know how to spell it

Pete Kozma's first plate appearance as a Tiger is a home run off Bartolo Colon.

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) May 9, 2018

aw shit, he just got kozma'd

giants swept in philly and obliterated the franchise mark for strikeouts in a four-game series with 55 (previous record was 44 vs. d-backs with johnson and schilling in 2003)

wow

strikeouts are cool i mean if you strikeout whats the worse you just missed on hitting a double that's all, keep on striking out i say

One player who is not striking out at all and showing the way is freaking Andrelton Simmons, who knew. He stands at a beautiful 6.2% K rate. To be fair, even when he was slashing .244/.286/.331 he wasn't a strikeout guy, but now on top of that his OPS is .921. While playing usual Simmons defense.

What a great trade for Eppler.

Make baseball fun again, they said, it would be fun, they said..... pic.twitter.com/tfdzTjXfWm

— 🦉Mike Clevinger 🌺 (@Mike_Anthony13) May 11, 2018

One player who is not striking out at all and showing the way is freaking Andrelton Simmons, who knew. He stands at a beautiful 6.2% K rate. To be fair, even when he was slashing .244/.286/.331 he wasn't a strikeout guy, but now on top of that his OPS is .921. While playing usual Simmons defense.

What a great trade for Eppler.

― Van Horn Street, Friday, May 11, 2018 12:57 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark

this one seems like a true win-win to me. swanson was playing well this year & shawn newcomb has been awesome too

Swanson was part of another deal iirc

November 12, 2015: Simmons traded by the Atlanta Braves with Jose Briceno (minors) to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Chris Ellis (minors), Erick Aybar, Sean Newcomb and cash.

December 9, 2015: Swanson traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks with Aaron Blair and Ender Inciarte to the Atlanta Braves for Gabe Speier (minors) and Shelby Miller.

Interesting coupla trades. Everyone wins except the dumbass Dbacks imo

yeah but there'd have been no room for him otherwise

find it interesting that even with dansby hurt they're not moving albies to short -- guess they want to avoid a ~controversy~. i'm not aware of evidence that dansby is actually a better fielder

speaking of the Wizard Ozhaino, here are your current ml home run leaders:

1. betts (13)
2. harper, gallo, albies, trout (12)
6. blackmon, machado, jramirez, pollock (11)

a newsletter to keep up with the rooks

https://tinyletter.com/ThisWeekInBaseballDebuts

Joey Gallo grounded out to the Houston Astros Right Side Monster. pic.twitter.com/x8u3heRUtj

— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) May 12, 2018

i know i sound like a stodgy ol' broadcaster but...is there any possible way to hit it to the left side? i know hitting to the opposite field is harder than it looks (i have a hard time doing it even when i'm playing softball) but even a really weak swing or a strong bunt toward 3rd could be a double

yeah I'd try a swinging bunt/baltimore chop but that just flies in the face of the anti-launch angle trend-metric zeitgeist we live in.

anti-

baseball fans who boo pitchers who throw over to first drive me insane. if i were a professional pitcher i would quickly face a class action lawsuit because someone would boo a throw over to first and i'd lose my shit and throw the ball as fast as possible into the crowd and ask them if they could at least understand that, and knowing my luck i'd probably hit some children. it turns me into rob dibble. just stfu baseball fans, you goddamn idiots

imagine booing every field goal attempt of the opposing football team

imagine joey votto as a pitcher being booed for throwing to first