the pitch clock is counting down to the MLB 2023 REGULAR SEASON THREAD

I’ve been laughing at this since I woke up and saw the quote

Here's Bryce Harper's full quote on Angel Hernandez's call tonight. He said it was "just bad."

“Just Angel in the middle of something again. It’s just every year, it’s the same story, same thing."

More here: https://t.co/7HcZts4vXf pic.twitter.com/KXIkdjouKg

— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) September 29, 2023

10-year-old Hayden Dorfman caught the helmet Bryce Harper tossed into the crowd after his ejection

Harper told security he wanted to sign it. Hayden said Bryce is his favorite player and this is "the best baseball game he’s ever been to"

(via @byalexcoffey) pic.twitter.com/4TDL7YORpi

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 29, 2023

this Hader stuff is weird

https://gazette.com/sports/colorado-rockies/josh-hader-usage-rules-hurt-padres-chances/article_4958dbcb-0434-5b5c-bcd2-43ba61a1397f.html

The move to bring top closer Josh Hader into the game was obvious to all, including Bob Melvin.

Just four outs separated the San Diego Padres from a crucial win over San Francisco in the National League postseason chase. And the skipper had a chance to deploy his bullpen weapon against left-handed pinch-hitter Michael Conforto.

But a usage quirk for the long-time Brewer turned Padre prevented the move. He has not pitched more than three outs in a regular-season game since 2020 and has been in charge of his usage — or lack of — in his final year before entering free agency. Many wondered what games the rest of the season could be more important with the club hanging onto playoff hopes by a thread despite underperforming. Pending free agency was the first assumption.

"It has nothing to do with the offseason,” Hader told local reporters. "It's the now, it's the health, it's the making it through the entire season — 162 games is not an easy task to do. You see guys work overloads. They get injured."

Melvin was asked after the game if Hader's rules warranted consideration in the tight game. The manager was left to explain a rule he did not make. He said they spoke about it, but left his comments short of confirming the closer said 'no.'

Games like the eventual 3-2 loss Tuesday are what Hader was brought in for. San Diego acquired him from Milwaukee Aug. 2022 for Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, Esteury Ruiz and prospect Robert Gasser. It was part of the club's playoff push that included a trade for Washington Nationals' outfielder Juan Soto — their run ended in the NL Championship Series in five games against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Conforto's two-run single off Robert Saurez, who was tasked to cover in Hader's absence, cost the Padres the game and moved them further away from passing the Chicago Cubs for the final NL wild card spot.

In his career, Hader has allowed left-handed hitters to hit just .146. For Saurez, it jumps to .162 but the biggest difference between the two is their overall production — Hader carries a 1.16 earned run average this year to Saurez's 4.05.

When pressed about his absence, Hader was sarcastic.

"Are we in a playoff race?" Hader asked reporters — at the time of the question, his team was on the heels of an eight-game win streak, though their playoff probability was still hovering around one percent.

what happens if he allows a couple baserunners in the ninth inning? does he ask to be removed because it's just too many guys he has to pitch to? it's tough being a one-dimensional player, i get it, but maybe you can expand that single dimension just a bit for *the team*?

The Padres roster is an impressive assemblage of players who on paper seem to be a win-generation operation but in reality is a dugout chock-full of toxic, self-absorbed clubhouse cancers. No maths/algo/quants are gonna solve that side of the equation.

I love bryce he's such a lummox. Any fanbase would be lucky to have him

yeah you can feel the palpable bad mojo from that team all the way up the coast here. i guess it's partly due to the disappointing seasons from some of their core stars but i think that's a squad which needs to be ripped down and built up again.

Think there was something out about them wanting to cut payroll to $200m so they’ll probably be looking to trade a few guys

Also re Hader, otming you both, but his motivation is very clearly keeping his arm healthy for free agency, clearly checked out months ago

they "need" to cut payroll bc of the debt ratio supposedly xp

looked at the Mets & how they offloaded all those guys and thought “That could be me”

Can't buy a pennant this year. Just ask the O's and Rays. :D

- hader, snell and profar are free agents
- pomeranz comes off the books
- machado will presumably opt out

that's a pretty good start to saving money/improving vibes

doesn't really seem like melvin has done a great job, but that seems to be a long-term issue with the padres, and i think jettisoning machado will help

gotta figure out what they're gonna do with juan soto tho (he has one more year and his arb is probably gonna be close to $30m)

Barring his world series win, nothing has improved the stock of Dave Roberts for me more than the current dumpster fire that is the Padres. Man knows how to get a team to play for the team.

Carlos Rodón has given up 5 runs to Kansas City in the bottom of the first inning so far. Two on, nobody out.

Pulled after 35 pitches, 5 ER bottom of the 1st and nobody out.

It's now 9-0. Yikes.

8 of those runs are Rodón’s (left bases loaded with nobody out)

man the cubes have really cubed

ooooh the Crew walked 'em off

They gave it a good go tonight

good riddance

I am lending my support to the Padres in the game against the White Sox specifically for the period of time piece of human detritus Mike Clevinger is pitching. They have put 4 runs on him in the first already. Good job fellas, keep it up!

Chased after 1.2 with 6 ER 🫡

Brewers Cubs game is amazing so far

Agreed, lots of plays at the plate. I got a 7 day MLB trial to watch this last series. Good game.

I was kind of thinking it favors the Brewers for the Marlins to have to play that final game Monday. Being from the far North suburbs, I'm not mad if
the Brewers go to the World Series. Brewers are family. I like Craig Counsell too.

Really expected the Rangers to finish the collapse after giving their fans a few weeks of hope after the big plummet.

Rest in peace Mariners 2023, kept it going right to the end

I was watching some Rangers Mariners game and a Jonah Heim stepped to the plate in front of Cal Raleigh. The commentary mentioned that Heim is a switch hitter, like Raleigh. I knew Adley Rutschmann and Patrick Bailey are also switch hitting catchers, statmuse tells me that there is a surprising amount (or it was to me, anyway!) of switch hitting catchers in the league this year:

https://i.postimg.cc/kGTtqs0z/IMG-0119.jpg

A website that claims to be an authority on catchers suggests they are rare:

Switch hitting catchers are pretty rare in the major leagues, as there have been less than 100 in total since the late 1800s.

One of my favorite players of all time, who was not on the Cubs, was the great switch hitting catcher Mickey Tettleton. He was absolutely fearsome, massive power and a total walk machine and one of the inner circle sluggers on those fun 1990s Tigers teams, the ones with Cecil Fielder and Rob Deer and Travis Fryman and Tony Phillips. As I'm sure I've noted here before, he also had the chillest and illest stance of all time.

Speaking of the cubs, it was a pretty fun season and if a couple of things had gone right they would have slipped into the postseason. Probably wouldn't have gone anywhere, but looking forward to next year. Especially if they can sign a good free agent or two and re-sign Bellinger.

This was my first session following from start to finish. Surprised by how many games I watched in the end, but the thing I learned - and I really didn’t get - is how thin the margins are between 82 wins and 88 and how most teams aren’t that far away from either number.

And also? Umpires are a disgrace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqNLWKfSgMk

This video might be of interest, the dude was a real singular character

I will watch this in a bit. I do hope the Cubs re-sign Bellinger btw, guy had a great year in Chicago, but can probably also get a kings ransom in free agency so who knows.

Buck out

BREAKING: Buck Showalter says he will not be back as Mets manager.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) October 1, 2023

gabe to queens imo

Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield.

Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation.

Our deepest love and thoughts are with… pic.twitter.com/ah5kV2Yt8j

— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 1, 2023

Thank God the regular season is over today, I don’t think I can take any more forced apologies by young Mariners

Cal Raleigh’s statement … pic.twitter.com/AI0oP4z7zU

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) October 1, 2023

wtf

Joey Votto has been ejected from the game in St. Louis after the first inning. pic.twitter.com/U45NY1wHPe

— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) October 1, 2023

And that's how Joey Votto's career might end? Getting tossed out of the game over ... what exactly?

That is beyond bizarre. And not knowing any details, I have to really question that umpire.

there was a bad called strike in his at-bat

i mean, yes, you can’t argue balls and strikes, but have a fucking sense of the game shane livensparger

George Kirby, Disgusting 73mph Knuckleball. 🦋

That movement. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/qzFXWoDUjw

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 1, 2023

“don’t talk about my momma”? need some jomboy lipreading on that votto clip

xp otm, zero sense of occasion. Am watching Giants-Dodgers game and Kruk & Kuip were fairly scathing about umpires needing a new rule to stop them calling an automatic strike on hitters at the plate

Votto too gracious:

I cannot holler at the umpire from our teams bench. He was completely justified in ejecting me.

For those that wanted to see me play today, I am sorry.

— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) October 1, 2023

Initially scored as a triple with an error

Quick lap around the bases. pic.twitter.com/5cXVC9kGtE

— Houston Astros (@astros) October 1, 2023

Kyle Tucker no longer has a home run. It remains a triple. This is the fourth official scoring change of this thing. Incredible.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 1, 2023

Three games still going, two of them in extras…regular season’s almost over.
If you have stats to pad, pad them now! 🔔🔔🔔

xp if that game is in houston the official scorer says fuck it and gives him the homer

Right, 1000% pettiness by the scorers in AZ.

oh no! he in no way deserved a homer, the AZ scorer was eventually correct, not petty

i'm just saying the scorer in houston would have overridden propriety

uh Kirby might want to keep throwing that knuckler

Dick Mountain getting his one and only win as a Padre