The Best NL Central Fans in Baseball 2020

was it over the sound of canned boos?

real talk if there were fans they probably would've pushed him back into the field and it only would've been a triple

"yeah there's an advantage,"

Getting laid at home?

I joke, but you know with these fools it's true.

So what is the temp in the room about the 7 innning game?

I'm kinda thinking this...have the 7 inning game during the week like Sunday night games to Thursday. Then on the weekend play 9. Playoffs always play in 9. I'm not a purist though, I think they ought to realign completely by region to make the weekend regional series a travel thing (once past the plague).

maniacs

If the #Reds get their way, it won't just be cardboard cutouts in the stands at games this season. @ctrent reports that the team has formally pitched a plan to the state for fans at GABP in 2020. https://t.co/1xY3vFmdd7

— The Athletic Cincinnati (@TheAthleticCIN) August 10, 2020

#STLCards mamager Mikr Shildt, driving a Yucon to Chicago, says it reminded him of Legion Ball.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 15, 2020

willie mcgee will attempt to remote bench coach, when possible

Cardinals coach Willie McGee will not return to the bench when the team resumes play, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. He has opted out of the remainder of the campaign.

McGee, an MLB veteran who spent 13 of his 18 playing seasons in St. Louis, has tutored the club’s outfielders since 2018. The 61-year-old will attempt to fulfill some of his duties remotely.

The decision comes as the Cardinals try to make it through a COVID-19 outbreak that has spread to many of the team’s players and coaches. McGee has not tested positive, per the report. He says he’s particularly concerned with contracting the disease since he has high blood pressure.

and unfortunate news for the reds :(

SATURDAY: Games scheduled for today and tomorrow between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates has been postponed after a Reds’ player tested positive for COVID-19. There have been no more positive tests beyond the one for the Reds, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman (Twitter links). Given potential exposure during yesterday’s game, there’s more than enough reason to push tonight’s game at the very least.

MLB issued a press release announcing the cancellations, which read: “Following a positive test for COVID-19 by a Cincinnati Reds player, tonight’s scheduled game, as well as tomorrow afternoon’s contest, between the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park have been postponed to allow for additional testing and to complete the contact tracing process. Major League Baseball will continue to provide updates as they become available.”

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/08/reds-player-tests-positive-for-coronavirus.html

What's the next date all 30 teams will play?

I am looking forward to this Cards game so we can see the effects of "rust."

yeah, the next few weeks are going to be a beatdown. the return of the 1997 cardinals

The Redbirds is back!

CIN-PIT postponed today and tomorrow

welp, whatever this 2020 season is for the cardinals, the most important stretch is right now. 5 games against the cubs over 3 days, none of their starting pitchers are at regular season strength, almost all the starting position players were all minor leaguers 2 years ago, and half of the bullpen appearances are MLB debuts

pirates team fWAR:

hitters: 0.0
starters: -0.3
relievers: 0.8

better than the red sox for just a third of the cost = successful season!

pirates more than tripled their playoff chances with a sweep of the brewers this weekend

(from 0.2% to 0.7%)

supposedly josh hader (!) said the brewers are considering not playing tonight (!)

all of the NBA playoff games just got canceled

it is pretty weird to get that news via josh hader though

what would *really* move the needle is if the packers struck as well, but they don't play for two and a half weeks

i'm pretty stunned!

The Brewers have decided not to play tonight’s game.

— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) August 26, 2020

Chicago Cubs

Acquired 1B/DH José Martínez from Rays for two players to be named later or cash considerations
Acquired LHP Andrew Chafin from Diamondbacks for a player to be named later
Acquired LHP Josh Osich from Red Sox for a player to be named later
Acquired OF Cameron Maybin from Tigers for INF Zack Short
Cincinnati Reds

Acquired a player to be named later from Astros for LHP Brooks Raley
Acquired OF Mark Payton from Athletics for cash considerations
Acquired RHP Riley O’Brien from Rays for LHP Cody Reed
Acquired OF Brian Goodwin from Angels for LHP Packy Naughton and a player to be named later or cash considerations
Acquired RHP Archie Bradley from Diamondbacks for INF Josh VanMeter and OF Stuart Fairchild
Milwaukee Brewers

Acquired three players to be named later (reportedly RHP Brandon Ramey, RHP Israel Puello and RHP Juan Geraldo) from Phillies for RHP David Phelps
Pittsburgh Pirates

Acquired RHP Tyler Bashlor from Mets for cash considerations
Acquired LHP Austin Davis from Phillies for a player to be named later and cash considerations
Acquired international bonus pool space from White Sox for OF Jarrod Dyson
St. Louis Cardinals

None

i am very glad and sad that the cubs got jose martinez. i love that guy, so i'll enjoy getting to see him play more. cubs fans should be very glad that the DH is in place in the NL, because holy shit, he is even worse at fielding than brad miller

(sorry for crappy formatting of the trade acquisitions above)

cubs are the only team over .500 in the division

i follow a pittsburgh sports history twitter account that mainly concentrates on five- or ten-year anniversaries, and while the 1960 and 1990 pirates weren't bad and most of the other teams still won at least 60 games, it feels like an endless onslaught of X Years Ago Today Pirates Throttled By _______

also all the hopeful sidebars on prospects who obviously never panned out ('john wehner has new approach at plate' etc.)

adam wainwright is unstoppable

i was completely wrong about him, a couple years ago. i just thought he was _done_. for a while, he really was cooked, it was sad to watch. his recent run has been wonderful to watch. who knows how long he can keep it up, how much luck is involved (i'm too afraid to look up his peripherals), or how long it will take before he gets injured for perhaps the final time. but i'm enjoying it now. i never thought i'd be saying this, but he seems like a lock for another year (maybe even 2??) contract and a spot in the rotation in 2021

and i don't think anyone is going to be satisfied unless both yadi and wainwright say their farewells in front of a live audience

i knew that if i waited long enough, my annual prediction of jon lester's demise would eventually come true

you know what team is bad? the pittsburgh pirates

now watch them blow their four-game lead for the top draft pick

was it ever decided how draft order would be determined?

reverse alphabetical by city/state name, i believe (congrats blue jays!)

I really hope the Reds make the post season with a losing record and then turn around and knock the Dodgers out the fxxxin playoffs. That would be hilarous!

Payback for '81...

https://i.imgur.com/cQ8V7sX.png

Thom Brennaman has resigned as a Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, he told WCPO on Friday, one month after he used an anti-gay slur on the air.

fuck off for life brennamans

so, devin williams

small sample size obv, but 1.1 bWAR (1.4fWAR) as a reliever is impressive even for a full season, let alone 60 games, and 18.7K/9 is o_O

he's outperforming his xFIP, which is 1.00

O_o

As now, looks like MLB will actually might get a couple of match ups they would want.

Dodgers/Giants
Marlins/Cubs

Marlins/Cubs isn't a rivalry game, but it is the first time they have met in the playoffs since Bartman, so his shadow will be discussed ad nauseam for the same dudes that pounded beers at the Cubbie Bear before the Freddy Jones Band.

imo it’s not a marlins playoff game without the guy in the shirt who always sits behind home plate

That dude used to show up at a lot of sporting events, he was a camera regular at Heat games when LeBron was there too.

feel like it would be somehow fitting if all four NL central teams lost

JT Riddle has elected free agency, thus ending one of the greatest mysteries in recent Pirates history.

Despite hitting .149/.174/.224 (.398 OPS) and committing four errors, Riddle appeared in 23 of 60 games, playing 3B, SS, 2B, 1B, LF, RF and CF.

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) October 6, 2020

he slept with the owner

https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2020/10/21/21524717/the-cardinals-have-not-won-a-trade-since-2016

the worst division in baseball, in 2021

the only division to ever produce four playoff teams, and yet

it's weird what one acquisition will do, but with the arenado addition it seems like the cardinals will have an excellent defense in 2021. this is someone else's breakdown:

Elite: Arenado, Bader
Great, but a step below: Goldschmidt, DeJong, O’Neill
Really good and maybe better: Edman, Carlson
Old/unclear: Yadi/Knizner

i love how this just assumes that yadi's coming back. but yeah, he is.

i'd edit that to:

Elite: Arenado, Bader
Great, but a step below: DeJong, O’Neill
Really good: Goldschmidt, Edman, Carlson
They still don't run on him, so: Yadi
Why is this baseball man on the field: Fowler

when stevie nicks released 'edge of seventeen' i thought it ruled and also i thought she was referencing a certain four-time batting champion

Sometimes to be near you
Is to be unable to hear you
I'm a few years older than you
(I'm a few years older than you) my love MADLOCK

this is only of note for big pirates fans (hi mookie!), but 1B john nogowski was traded to the pirates for cash considerations after being DFA'd by the cardinals.

nogowski had no position on the cardinals (Goldschmidt at 1B, a logjam of mediocre 4th outfielders, where nogowski was attempting to fit in as well)

he's a really interesting player - very little power but excellent contact and walk skills. and i think he walked more than struck out and put up above-average production in pretty much every level of the minors, too. also fun to watch and seemingly a good dude. he had the very best spring training this year and played his way onto the team. then he got almost zero playing time in the majors.

he probably won't pull a luke voit or a randy arozarena or a tommy pham or an adolis garcia, but it also wouldn't be surprising if he turned into a solid everyday player for the bucs, and at almost no cost - probably the kind of player that would eventually lead them back to contention.

i'm sorry but i deeply distrust players who bat right and throw left

except for rickey henderson