The Best NL Central Fans in Baseball 2020

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

i 100% understand

but give john nogowksi and his mustache a chance. i want to see what he could do with consistent playing time

my (step)dad batted and threw left (and shot right in hockey). and he totally knew that batting left was an advantage, but supposedly when i first picked up a bat i did so righty and he either forgot or didn't feel like he could 'correct' me. also in minor league (8-10yos) he'd give me a quarter or something every time i pulled the ball. he was understandably trying to develop power but ultimately i was completely incapable of going the other way unless i was overpowered.

except this one single pristine time in high school when i waited on a curve and hit it to right. once.

these facts ended up featuring in his obituary because i'd have *totally* had a mark grace-like career had he coached me suitably

anyway my uncle dick hits right and throws left, and he was always an asshole when i was a kid because despite being a STEP-nephew i was better than his kids at sports

so you need to wow me, nogowski. mustache is probably a good first step

also at my (step)dad's memorial i mentioned that he was he was easily the smartest/brightest person i'd ever known and (hits right, throws left) uncle dick made a big scene of clearing his throat for joeks and i should have fucking *buried* him but wasn't prepared so i let it slide

christ what a (bats right throws left) asshole

andy k just in case you hit righty, don't tell me, because i want to continue to love you

i knew this one kid from wichita. he was in the same school as me, early on. i was the shortest kid in school and bullied by aaron, the school's known kickball king. well, this kid from wichita murdered aaron. and then i was the best at kickball after that. that was 1989. he was right-handed but kicked lefty

fuck aaron

Exactly. And not only that, but Aaron was also against switch thrower/batters. It was fucked up

who in history ever more deserved to die

ooh, i'm moses's half-brother, i can make a magical asp weakly kick a ball. fuck you; sign on the mantle or no, you're the eldest son and yr fuckin weak

john nogowksi may be the lovely dust through which GOD works his purpose

yes! this is exactly what i see in nogowski. his OBP will surprise you, as will god's plan for the bucs

All John Nogowski needed was to go to a good organization.

— Sen. Lemon Gogurt (R - MS) (@Ugarles) July 7, 2021

NOGOWSKIMENTUM

John Nogowski 2021 wRC+ on July 4th: -30

John Nogowski 2021 wRC+ on July 9th: 122

— 🥇 (@SteeloCity) July 10, 2021

#nogowski

he's good! he's not exceptional, i don't thin, unless he pulls a luke voit.

but he's pretty good! will always root or nogowski

Finally gave in and have been watching and listening to the Reds a bit on radio the last month or so, including a couple of the games against the Brewers this weekend.

Got to say the Brewers catcher Omar Navarez really reminds me a bunch of John Kruk when he is batting.

not only is nogowski now hitting .452/.489/.548 with the pirates, he's also wearing the number 69. a cult hero in the making

for some reason, seven of the 15 major leaguers ever to wear 69 did so with pittsburgh

i'm telling you, this nogowski is the answer

Got to love the Reds once AGAIN showing signs of being decent then coming out of the Allstar break fumbling and stumbling.

Their bullpen is trash.

reds are suddenly only two behind the padres for the second wild card and still have nine games remaining vs the pirates

who they have done pretty well against...80 something to 20 something runs this season so far?

reds are "sneaky good"

Reds bullpen gave away a boodle of games early on (I think at least 7-10 games in the last couple innings). The additions via trade and getting Lorenzen healthy seems to have bolstered that part of the club.

They have a very deep lineup and bench. They really have to find a place for Moustakas to play since Farmer and India have played so well. Going to have to find a place for Senzel too who is starting to rehab in Louisville this week.

Their starters are also clicking right now.

jon lester OUTDUELS brandon woodruff