2022 MLB General Season Chatter: Ghost Runners On The Half-Billion Dollar Infield

i don't really care what it's called as long as 2022 MLB is in the title somewhere for search purposes

― na (NA), Monday, April 4, 2022 1:34 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Hello also to additional wild cards, designated hitters, and SD and TX fighting for the most expensive infield possible.

woooo!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gnEZ8NFI-E

should've made a nebulous rolling rap thread-esque title indecipherable to everyone else

trick SNA normies into accidentally clicking on a baseball thread out of curiosity and then trap them here forever

come for the enigmatic thread title, stay for the willie mcgee highlights and baseball cards

They'll come to ILB for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your general chatter thread, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.

it's a small thing, but i don't want umpires giving explanations. much quicker and more dramatic to make a gesture

see also in hockey when they do a goal review -- much better to just have the ref point at center ice to denote a good goal

i want the explanations, but i want them to come via choppy telephone calls, with a new person on the other end of the line every time

Should be done more like an obnoxious gender reveal, where the people in the front rows are in a degree of physical danger from ill set-up explosive devices

habemus strikum

geez

…While…she…is…in…surgery…for…a brain tumor……………………,………:…? https://t.co/Q6rkTUYtCh

— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) April 4, 2022

Only one year left on the Albert Pujols contract

Holy shit. Had no idea about the brain tumour part!!!

former pirate great austin meadows to the tigers, btw; at $4m for 2 bWAR he was getting too pricey for tampa

Still no deal for Conforto. He turned down both a nine digit extension from the Mets last year, as well as qualifying offer this year, and now he might have to wait for the draft to pass.

that is brutal

although he was not great last year and probably should have taken the QO

Boras client? Didn’t this happen to a few of his guys a few years ago too?

Yeah, my guess is that Boras promised Conforto there would be a big market for him, even after the lackluster season.

I’m sure everyone looks at what he got for Hosmer and thinks well why not

sensible policies for a happier america

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/opinion/baseball-nationalize.html

Meanwhile Ramirez signs an extension at a massive discount.

Bleacher Report with some interesting predictatrons... including Manoah for Cy young (yes please!) and Roberts for MVP.

i guess we didn't do a predictathing this year, huh?

i enjoyed this result from the 2022 ZiPS projected standings

https://i.imgur.com/LYLNHK3.png

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-hopefully-not-horrifyingly-inaccurate-2022-zips-projections-american-league/

same record after 162 games, but somehow Jays have better playoff and WS odds?!

you can read the intro of the link for the methodology.

it involves running a monte carlo simulation with ONE MILLION virtual seasons.

https://awfulannouncing.com/schedules/your-2022-mlb-regular-season-broadcasting-primer.html

i am going to be watching so many free streams this year. fuck all of these billions of exclusive ways to watch things

happy opening day!

yeah i'll probably be streaming too. i don't think there's even a way for me to pay to watch white sox games legitimately without buying an entire cable package. i'll probably resubscribe to mlb.tv at some point later in the season when the price drops.

this is first year i won't be paying for mlb.com in...a long time.

the dealbreaker for me was the poor quality of the official mlb.com streams. i became accustomed to the the feed hiccuping and stuttering around every 5 minutes or so, almost always right as someone hit a ball or as runners were tearing around the bases. the official feed would often go all pixelated/low quality on me, i'd have to refresh the window several times per game, etc.

then, i'd switch to any one of the many unofficial streams, and it's almost always a perfect quality stream, zero interruptions the entire game, with the commercials removed. so much better. also, you don't have to move 1000 miles away from your favorite team to watch your favorite team's games that you paid for

btw, my go-to source for streams these days is

sp0rtsurge.net

ATLANTA -- Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. acknowledged an internal rift with former teammate Freddie Freeman during an interview late Wednesday, saying there's "nothing" that he'd miss about the first baseman.

definitely wasn't expecting this lol

i'd read Freeman got on his case a while back about admiring a home run that turned out to not be a home run and i guess he's been stewing about it since

very happy that today is here, even if my team is not playing today

i got MLV Extra Innings through DirecTV again this year for 139.99 and includes MLB.TV and i have never had an issue streaming

happy opening day from my family

https://i.imgur.com/S67FXmm.jpg

i'll be watching Waino pitch this afternoon!

VERY NICE! are you there right now? god, to hear the organ and see the clydesdales is just the best

going to the home opener in Milwaukee, pretty excited

KM you and I are now enemies until October

oh goodness no. I'm in Toronto. i just want to watch baseball, and I choose Wainwright over Witt.

JOIN THE LIST FROGBS, let's fukken do this

also, check this out, lol

Noah Syndergaard calls #Angels new team to beat in LA, says slumping Mookie Betts "could use a protein shake" 👀 pic.twitter.com/n0WZke885U

— FAX Sports: MLB  (@MLBONFAX) April 5, 2022

is that real?!

shit. i posted on the hot stove thread that ke'bryan hayes had just gotten an eight-year extension. he struck out, missed a couple close plays in the outfield (it's very windy though), and just came out of the game with an apparent wrist injury. all in the first inning.

what list

oh, i was just kidding. the legions of people who don't understand that the cardinals are america's team

;)

Cheers from this Ruthian Omni Canine and Ever-Slumping Human Vegan
https://i.imgur.com/iocS7vH.png

whats a better nickname for Chicago, Scrubs or Cubes

<3 francisF

Scrubs is perfect

isn't posey mega rich from an early under armour investment or something

he wasn't pro under armour, or anti

so with not quite two weeks left only two team-level questions remain:

1) will the mets or braves get the bye

2) can milwaukee catch either san diego or philadelphia for a wild card (they're currently 3 behind both of them in the loss column; fangraphs gives them a 21% shot)

brewers and padres both finish the season with nine straight games at home while the phillies are on the road for their final 10. brewers' schedule *looks* easiest, but the good teams the other two face may have little to play for

it's the most boring end to a season that i can recall in the last decade or so?

pic.twitter.com/k7FCtNPjL0

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 24, 2022

La Russa, who turns 78 next month, took a leave of absence from the club at the end of August. The exact nature of his medical ailment wasn’t specified at the time, though it was reported that he would undergo testing on his heart. He was cleared to travel to Oakland a couple of weeks ago for a ceremony honoring Dave Stewart, though not to return to any kind of active duty in the dugout. It seems that, in the opinions of his medical team, La Russa hasn’t recovered enough to return to the team over the final days of the season.

La Russa’s contract runs through 2023, though his ability to actually serve as the club’s skipper next year could depend on how he recuperates. Cairo has been at the helm the past few weeks and will continue in that role down the stretch.

kinda wonder if they’re playing this up to allow him to r retire without losing face

or losing more face at least

Brewers still very much alive in the WC hunt. 1.5 behind Philly, 2 behind SD

don's out after the end of season

Don Mattingly and the Marlins have mutually agreed that 2022 will be his final season as the club’s manager, according to a press release from the team.

The team released a statement from chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman as well as Mattingly. Sherman’s portion reads: “We are fortunate to have had Don Mattingly leading our team on the field over the last seven years. He has represented the Marlins, our players, our fans, and the South Florida community with unmatched dignity and pride. Over the course of our recent conversations with Don, we both agreed not to pursue a new contract for the 2023 season and that the time is right for a new voice to lead our clubhouse. He will depart with the most wins and most games managed in franchise history and we are proud of Don’s many accomplishments, including winning National League Manager of the Year in 2022 when he guided the Marlins to the postseason after a 16-year absence.”

Mattingly’s portion of the press release reads: “Today I am announcing that I will not be seeking a contract extension with the Miami Marlins. After meeting with Mr. Sherman and discussing with Kim Ng, all parties agreed that it was time for a new voice for the organization. I am proud and honored to have served as manager of the Marlins for the past seven years and have enjoyed my experiences and relationships I’ve developed within the organization. I look forward to spending time with my family in Evansville, and to any future endeavors.”

Mariners were up 11-2 against the Royals, now down 13-11 after an 11-run inning.

Arod got big

Anywhere you can check online to get an estimated time for resumption of a baseball game? Not sure how long I want to wait on this Yankee-Red Sox game.

no

you can check the twitter account for the home team. once they have an estimate, they'll probably post it there. while waiting, you can engage in fun banter about what time the game might resume with other fans, who are very patient

Hey, good call.

Tonight's game is officially under a rain delay. We will update you with more information as it becomes available.

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 26, 2022

Anywhere you can check online to get an estimated time for the next New York Yankees tweet?

lindsey adler on twitter can give you a heads-up. she won't *know*, but she'll probably hear about things first

also, dallas keuchel has been DFA’d by the white sox
― mookieproof, Saturday, May 28, 2022

And released by Arizona (July 22), and released by the Rangers (Sept. 4). If that's it, his final season has to be among the worst ever by a major award winner:

2-9, 9.20 ERA, 44 ERA+, 5.52 FIP, 2.060 WHIP

He was almost equally lousy for all three teams.

With judge due up next inning, I was waiting there until they announced the game was done. It had let up a fair amount, but I guess the field was just too soaked to go on.

Was also fun to watch the BA leader contest (and with it the triple crown) play out with both judge and Xander in the game

Here’s a look at all three balk calls in one batter from Marlins pitcher Richard Bleier.

🎥 @BaseballDoesnt pic.twitter.com/og54ECdiaE https://t.co/SJOJd7hYbf

— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) September 28, 2022

ngl i have no idea what he was doing wrong there

shoutout to the mets tho for managing to lose to the marlins in a game where an opposing pitcher balked three times in one AB

ngl i have no idea what he was doing wrong there

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, September 28, 2022 12:20 AM (ten minutes ago) bookmark

I’m not familiar enough with him to know whether this was a case of the yips or if he always has this motion and has just never been called before, but he’s definitely not setting himself before throwing the pitch

his glove doesn't come set but the last one is really ticky tack

it’s the kind of thing where if you’re called for it once you have to at least be on your best behavior the rest of the game ok

White Sox manager Tony La Russa is expected to announce his retirement tomorrow, according to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. La Russa, who turns 78 years old on Tuesday, has been absent from the team since late August due to a medical issue.

cardinals and pirates are finishing the season with six straight games -- three in st. louis and three in pittsburgh

i guess this is because the lockout messed with the schedule? because that's weird

Same with the Guardians, six straight home games against the Royals

going into today's games:

>200 IP

Alcantara: 228.2
Nola: 205.0
Mikolas: 202.1
Bieber: 200.0

there are another 10 with 190 or more, and not sure who is pitching today/tomorrow

Manoah's at 196.2, but I don't think he's getting another start till the playoffs.

the only time the pirates had consecutive 100-loss seasons was when they did it three straight from 1952-54

. . . until now. this would also be three in a row had the 2020 season not been truncated; they were on a pace to go 52-110

There’s always next season.

also mike matheny has run out of missouri teams to manage

When you've got an hour to spare:

https://www.mlb.com/news/mookie-betts-300-game-bowling-for-30th-birthday

sharing this because i know everyone will agree but cardinals fans are being whiiiiiiiny as fuck right now (for those of you saying "right now??" i will say "_particularly_ right now, ok?"

Viva el whinos (weinos?)

Cards are a team near the bottom of the misery index for me, along with Dodgers, Yanks, and Braves, maybe some others. They’ve got a couple trampled flowers in their rose garden.

re: Spencer Strider

He’s pitched for nearly a year so where’s his 10 year $230 million extension

― Michael F Gill, Friday, September 2, 2022 9:47 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

I might be wrong but i imagine those massive extensions will mainly be for position players. Too much injury risk with any pitcher

― Karl Malone, Friday, September 2, 2022 10:12 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

He ended up getting a six year extension for $75 million, only guaranteeing 1 year past free agency.

*sorta* feel for the cards -- i mean they did actually win a (shitty) division, rather than finishing third. but i think their pain falls well short of the mets'. and also try not giving up six runs in the ninth

kind of alarmed at how good and young and locked up the braves are tbh

the barves: hot, ready, and legal!

Is this the first team that's extended so many young players? Seems like a new and welcome concept to me. Hard to argue with Anthopolous' talent radar at this point.

Braves in a really good spot apparently, but would suggest teams that do this as a rule will eventually get dinged by a 1-2 season wonder. Would the Mets have been right to do this with Ike Davis after one good season?

Bellinger is the biggest example of how things could go wrong. Scott Kingery got a six year/$24M extension before he even played a MLB game and that went south pretty fast, even if that is pocket change compared to other deals.

Not sure how well our “Wander Franco will be an MVP by 2025” thread will age tbh

oh any number of things could go wrong! but as previously mentioned, braves rookies posted more WAR than several entire teams. and isn't it nice to have a young player do well and then offer him good money as opposed to waiting three years and then trading him away for garbage?

unfortunate that the whole franchise is basically a fount of racism tho

Agreed on both fronts.

MLB.com has a poll up for 2022's signature moment. For the regular season, they've got Pujols' 700th and Judge's 62nd--sounds right. For the post-season, it's the combined no-hitter and Harper's NLCS-winning homer. I won't get into the first again, but I'd definitely go with Alvarez's G6 HR over Harper's, and maybe even with his HR over the Mariners in G1 of their ALDS.

Not Realmuto's HR in WS game 1?

That'd be a contender too, but personally, I found both of Alvarez's home runs majestic and thrilling.

doesn't schwarber seem like he should be at least 34 years old? i was just reading something that mentioned he debuted in 2015 and it seemed impossible, like...was he 29 when broke in or something? but no, schwarber was 22 in 2015!

i think it's the beard

Vogelbach seems like he should be 40 fwiw

Rob desantis is only two years older than me.

Some white people do be looking like that