2018 regular-season game chatter

Well about that...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/14/opinion/new-york-yankees-evil.html

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/07/15/opinion/sunday/15hart/merlin_141223467_c71ae7d7-2023-4550-87e9-56e57221d9d3-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp

Hail Cashman

Orioles, White Sox, and Royals on pace to lose 106-116 games.

― Andy K, Sunday, July 15, 2018 9:03 PM

The Fangraphs projections have them all playing .400 or better the rest of the way.... and finishing with 105, 101, and 107 total losses, respectively.

“I would just say I don’t think the people that cover the Phillies will be laying on the beach Wednesday or Thursday” - @jaysonst on the Phillies

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) July 16, 2018

Cards-Cubs are the only game tonight. Has to be a makeup?

I think it was scheduled that way, not 100% certain. ESPN is broadcasting it -- I hope it's not blocked on mlb.tv.

it's a result of the new CBA:

As part of baseball’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players’ union, the 2018 season will include a shorter spring training, more off days during the season, and add four more days to the playing calendar. That means an earlier start to the season, in late March.

It also means the Thursday of the All-Star break will feature one game, a nationally broadcast game ala Sunday Night Baseball. According to a schedule given the Cardinals they will play against the Cubs at Wrigley Field that day, July 19. Teams can be selected only once during the span of the current CBA for that All-Star Thursday game.

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cards-to-open-season-on-thursday-march-in-new-york/article_4ba5b127-5165-5ccd-921d-aead92baad03.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

Top 10 most Home Runs as a teenager:

1. Tony Conigliaro (Boston) 24
2. Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) 22
3. Mel Ott (NY Giants) 19
4. Ken Griffey, Jr. (Seattle) 16
5. Phil Cavarretta (Cubs) 14
6. Mickey Mantle (NY Yankees) 13
7. Ed Kranepool (NY Mets) 12
8. Robin Yount (Milwaukee) 11
9. Juan Soto (Washington Nationals) 10 <-Turns 20 October 25, 2018
10. Harmon Killebrew (Washington Senators) 9

good list

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2018-trade-value-41-to-50/

kiley mcdaniel is doing the trade value series now

simmons is gonna be pissed

was really surprised to see jose ramirez no. 1 in light of how much bias baseball seems to show towards prospect pedigree, per kiley. but i guess the contract really is ludicrous.

it's steph curry-esque a little

yeah, even the 2022 and 2023 option years are $11 and $13 million, respectively

Choo ended a 52-game on-base streak last night, he's been flying under the radar...

good times in Chicago. first, a full 4-man outfield softball shift against Matt Carpenter:

https://i.imgur.com/5SJnsJM.png

never seen that before! (Carpenter chose to take the free bunt single to the absent left side of the infield:)

https://i.imgur.com/6Qj1cf4.png

then, Tim McCarver said something that I think everyone would agree with, especially Chicago Cubs fans:

You know, back in the 1950s the Cubs were awful, and when the Cardinals visited Chicago there were a lot of people who would show up just to watch Stan Musial hit. The same is true today, for Matt Carpenter. A large contingent of Cubs fans are here just to watch Matt Carpenter hit.

carpenter is really locked in right now, it's great to watch. musial a bit of a stretch perhaps

the bunt was pretty baller

the bunt was fuckin hilarious

do we have a thread about playing baseball?

not sure but I would post about my softball team in such a thread

same

you didn't try very hard, did you

playing baseball

lol i just realized it's in my bookmarks, thanks Mookie.

the pirates just wrecked corey kluber; what the hell is going on

Willians Astudillo was sent back to Rochester on Sunday.

the top defensive players of the year thus far: Matt Chapman and Kolten Wong

https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-defensive-index-rankings-released-through-july-15-2018

One pitcher in the top 25s!

Odor?!

I never see the guy... does he have a bad rep?

Pirates are on fire. 10 wins in a row!

lol @ both the bucs AND the rays having better records than the giants

Morbs: yes, he is supposed to be awful.

who thought the Giants would be better than mediocre this year?

the giants themselves, apparently

Source says @SFGiants expect to be "strategic buyers" before July 31 Deadline. Looking for controllable players, not rentals. Team has no plan to become a seller.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 24, 2018

The Giants are only 5.5 back after losing:
#1 SP Bumgarner - 61 games (broken finger, dirt bike crash)
#2 SP Cueto - 11 days/2 starts (sprained ankle)
#2 SP Cueto - 62 games (sprained elbow)
#3 SP Samardzija - 36 games (shoulder stiffness)
#3 SP Samardzija - currently on the DL (shoulder stiffness)

That's like 34+ games of minor-league call-ups filling in for the top 3 in their rotation.

If any of those gimps can get it together, the Giants could compete in that terrible division.

hanging around .500 with those injuries is way more than any giants fan could have asked for. but there's four competitive teams in that division...

Also they lost their closer (Melancon - flexor) & set-up man/back-up closer (Strickland - idiot) for most of the season. Who else...? Longoria? Pence (probably a net-positive)... They are basically a half-minor league team.

shit's gonna happen when you have one of the oldest teams in baseball. tbh they'd be better off if samardzija had been out the whole year

5.5 back is feasible, but they have three teams in front of them and they're already three games up on their pythag

i don't know where they're gonna get 'controllable players' tho -- they have no prospects to trade and the big leaguers are either untouchable or not very valuable. (maybe tony watson, with the way people are about relievers these days)

it seems churlish to bash them after how very successful they've been, but they seem intent on driving their aging, expensive team off a cliff

kinda think this is the last hoo-ra

The Reds have played some pretty wild and weird games this year.

Sergio Romo entered the game as a reliever in the 8th and got out of the inning. In the 9th he switched to 3B for one batter, and then shifted back to pitcher to get the save.

#SFGiants crowd reaction to Josh Hader entering the game pic.twitter.com/5UbEFq85QC

— Josh Holub (@JoshHolub) July 27, 2018

Been close to 20mins so far:

Currently in a blackout delay at Dodger Stadium as all the stadium lights have shutoff in the middle of the inning pic.twitter.com/geWXmguLaN

— Chase Henley (@henleychase) July 31, 2018

lmao 19-0 nats b5

Addison Russell makes a baaaad out at third in the 9th to give the New Pirates a win

He looked safe on all the replays I saw, but it was a mistake to try for third.

http://afropunk.com/2018/08/ozzie-albies-comforting-ronald-acuna-jr-is-the-perfect-alternative-to-toxic-masculinity/

that’s cute as hell