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

1/4 of the Dodgers losses this year have been to the Pirates.

It’s even more than that now. First Pirates sweep in LA since 2000.

Josh Donaldson hurt New York Yankees didn't publicly support him after comment about Tim Anderson

poor guy

Aww.

Cano to El Paso free agency

couldn't have happened to a more wealthy guy

Girardi

Out

oof

https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/article/hero/Dombrowski_D_Getty_1052531664.jpg

tough out there for a team of DHs

it's kinda funny that they fired him after a win and then an off-day tho

Great back and forth Mets-Dodgers game today. Going to be exciting if they meet in the playoffs.

Last night Dave Roberts tried to use a position player to pitch in the 9th, but was not allowed to since it was only a 5-run lead. The bullpen coach put up a stink and the umpires eventually allowed the not-warmed-up actual pitcher to take warmups. The whole thing caused an eleven-minute delay. Embarrassing.

The impression I had was that it was clearly against the rules for him to take warmups but it would be insane to let the guy risk injury by pitching without warming up so the umps let the bullpen coach argue long enough for the guy to get some pitches in, avoiding a situation where the umps had to overtly disobey the rule

There should be more of a penalty, like a free runner at second or something. I agree you don’t want to risk a pitcher injury, but it’s a bad look. Sort of like when a team loses their challenge, but then their manager asks the umpires to review a play later in the game, and the umpires oblige.

Interestingly, in the game today, Roberts elected to review a pitch for catcher interference in a key spot. Down a run in the bottom of the 10th with 2 outs, Trea Turner was up with a runner on third. On review, it was ruled catcher interference, and Turner was awarded first. He subsequently stole second, but then Will Smith struck out to end the game. I would have thought you’d rather have Turner up with the game on the line.

Agreed. It should be a penalty that makes the team more likely to lose, not a penalty that creates an injury risk for a player who had no involvement in the mistake (or any player, frankly.)

TS: Joey Votto or Glenn Otto

another joe fired (maddon)

Already plotting the first episode of The Camus 'Cast with Joe Maddon

Maddon traded for the first overall pick in the draft (of 1992)

I was surprised to hear that Maddon was fired (mainly considering his long history with the Angels), but he's in the last year of his contract and hadn't really improved things on the field. His weird tinkering was suited for the Rays (a franchise that more or less exists for beta testing creative management strategies) but not for a team with the resources and talent of the Angels. Even with the Cubs I think he was getting away with a lot of his eccentricities because the team was too good to not win (until, of course, they stopped winning).

amazing last time I looked up the Angels record they were like 26-15 or something and I thought it was great that finally the two best players of the modern era were gonna get some playoff time

they're now 3 games under .500 lmao

i think he was valuable for the 2015/2016 cubs, but less as a strategic manager and more in terms of keeping the tone light and fun, which seemed to help keep the stress off of a team that was very young and didn't have much playoff experience

I still think about how Chapman very nearly blew the World Series and if they could have ever come back from that the next year.

Acuña's 2 HRs last night got a lot of the highlight attention but my favorite bit of last night's ATL game was this Michael Harris II catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/kyle-wright-in-play-out-s-to-sean-murphy

sick grab by a guy i have literally never heard of before

I've seen him make a few others where his reads/jumps off the bat are so good that the catches look a lot easier than they are and don't wind up in the highlights.

Is there trackman data on that it looks like he covered about 50 yards

The Rays’ Cowbell which speeds up just as every 2-strike pitch is delivered to the opposing team is one of the most annoying things in baseball. It’s like playing in a stadium of toddlers

I'm starting to feel really sorry for the Angels.

nah

They lose again via shutout, up to 14.

Still in second place.

AngeLLLLLLLLLLLLLLs and counting

Pff…

The guy screaming "He has two strikes, Tony!" after Tony La Russa intentionally walked Trea Turner on a 1-2 count to pitch to Max Muncy who proceeded to hit a three-run homer is peak chef's kiss. (via @NBCSWhiteSox)pic.twitter.com/C9yaR0ZdBU

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 9, 2022

is tony trying to get fired a month from now?

What would Hawk say?

It just took Shohei Ohtani to finely end the streak.

*finally

Acuña's 2 HRs last night got a lot of the highlight attention but my favorite bit of last night's ATL game was this Michael Harris II catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/kyle-wright-in-play-out-s-to-sean-murphy

― WmC, Wednesday, June 8, 2022 12:53 PM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

even better is the shot of Andruw Jones's reaction

At his current pace, Jose Ramirez will finish this season with:
105 extra-base hits
48 strikeouts
99 walks
108 runs
168 RBI
45 doubles
12 triples
48 homers
He's got a .294/.394/.647 slash line

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 11, 2022

White Sox fans chanted "FIRE TONY (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)" in Saturday's 11-9 loss to the Texas Rangers, referring to Chicago manager Tony La Russa.

The Sox blew a 5-0 lead in the 10-inning affair with the Rangers — contributing to the team's 11th loss in 17 games. The Sox currently sit in third place in the American League Central.

I am so glad this is going terribly for Larussa. Feel bad he’s taking the chi Sox season with him, but fuck him.

The rest of the NL East has woken up: Braves have won 10 in a row, Phillies have won 9 in a row, Marlins have 5 five in a row. The NL central on the other hand….

Larussa sucks but the White Sox record is more due to injuries, regression, and having way too many scrubs in the lineup than the managing.

Listen times are hard in the heartland

When was the last time that two teams in the same division had active win streaks of 10 or more games? Phils and Braves might get there. I have no idea how to check this.

matt carpenter is batting .286/.444/1.000 with five homers in 10 games

my fault for ever doubting him

6 hits, 5 HRs

At this pace, he’s gonna get 18 hits this season

Didn’t realize he played 130 games last year. He hit .169/.305/.275

it hurt my back just to watch him

i still have nightmares of his plate routine, which he does before every single pitch. the first thrust of his hips, the shuffling of the feet. the second thrust. the swing and a miss. ughhhh