MLB 2018: let the games begin!

[soulpope]

5 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Welp, turn out the lights, 2018 New York Yankees.  You were a very good 100-62 team, but you're no world champion contender and not in the same league as Boston and Houston.  Great rookie years by Andujar and Torres, an MLB team home-run record, but a lot of fodder for the hot-stove league, that's for damn sure.  Please start by getting a new hitting coach.

Sums up my sentiments pretty much too .... not  sure about a new hitting coach, but for sure theres an urgent need for reliable starting pitching ....

[Dan Gould]

Well I have to start by pointing out that my prediction was accurate: the series was over in four games.

I have to give credit to Angel for at least one call - I think it was the sixth or maybe the 7th but Vazquez went into the half-crouch for the high fastball and the Sox pitcher missed his spot by about 2.5 vertical feet, but was at the bottom of the zone, clearly a strike and he got the call. Too many umps ignore pitches that cross the heart of the zone but miss the target by a lot. This one was tougher since he had to be blocking the ump a bit but he called it a strike as he should have.

Anyway I'll let you in on a secret: I don't stay up for this shit anymore. 6 am comes too early.  I haven't stayed up past 10:30 or so for any of these games. If I wasn't so gray already I am sure Kimbrel would have put many more gray hairs on my head after last night. 

Can home field overcome a better roster? We will see.

As for off-season that can be discussed in about three weeks. 

[Dan Gould]

Maybe what the Yankees need is better situational hitting, less all-or-nothing results.

In the DH era, The Yankees hit worse than this year's .249 only three times - 1990 when they lost 95, and 2013-14 when they missed the playoffs.  Obviously the homers made up for a lot of that but as they say things are different in October.

[ghost of miles]

12 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Maybe what the Yankees need is better situational hitting, less all-or-nothing results.

In the DH era, The Yankees hit worse than this year's .249 only three times - 1990 when they lost 95, and 2013-14 when they missed the playoffs.  Obviously the homers made up for a lot of that but as they say things are different in October.

Completely agree, and lots of posters at PSA would concur as well. But Boston simply out-managed, out-pitched, out-hit and out-played us in general. They were the better team in the regular season and clearly the better team in this series—NY was 0-3 in games where David Price did not appear.

The Houston-Boston matchup will be a great one. Also looking forward to Milwaukee-LA on the NL side of things. 

[JSngry]

21 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Maybe what the Yankees need is better situational hitting, less all-or-nothing results.

There seems to be a lot of that going around these days, not just with those guys.

[ghost of miles]

21 minutes ago, JSngry said:

There seems to be a lot of that going around these days, not just with those guys.

Some of it stems from the "three true outcomes" philosophy of walk, strikeout, and home run.  Not sure that I buy into it anyway, analytically speaking, but I find the practice of it makes baseball a less interesting sport to watch.  And teams like Houston and Boston certainly can hit for power, but they score in other ways as well.  Everybody scoffs at BA these days as an outmoded stat and talks about OPS, but it helps to have guys who can give you more singles and doubles as well--especially when runners are positioned to score.  Seems elementary, but whaddaIknow.

[JSngry]

12 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Some of it stems from the "three true outcomes" philosophy of walk, strikeout, and home run.  Not sure that I buy into it anyway, analytically speaking...

No, I'm with you, I don't buy into that at all, that's some more absolutist bullshit, eliminating nuance altogether...it's anti-reality and I'm not a fan. The object of the came is to score more than the other guy, and you do that either by getting people on and move as many of them as you can for as long as you can before you get three outs. Nothing more nothing less and/or having your pitchers prevent the other team from doing that more than your team. All this "ultimate" shit is clouding the mind and making people slaves to the goofy.

[Dan Gould]

Price vs Yankees:

.273 BA, OPS .774 across 42 games

Price vs Houston:

.208 BA, OPS .595 across 14 games

Much smaller sample size but unbelievably better results. Maybe it's finally time for him to win a post-season game. I'll still worry about all those righty power hitters aiming at the Monster though.

[paul secor]

I was relieved when last night's game ended with a Boston win. (Never thought I'd find myself writing that.)  The Yankees were a boring team to watch this year, though I'm sure that the fans who love home runs would disagree.

I remember reading a quote from Charlie Lau: "Nobody should hit .200. Anybody should hit .250. He's probably turning over in his grave after the past season.
Chris Davis hit .168, the lowest average in baseball history for a hitter who had enough at bats to qualify for the batting title - not that he had to worry about a batting title. .168!!!!  I watched a Yankees-Orioles game late in the season and Paul O'Neill made the comment that he couldn't understand what was going on with Davis. He said that Davis was still doing all of the same things he did at the beginning of the season - why didn't he or someone on the Orioles coaching staff say, or he himself decide, you have to make some changes. I guess he doesn't care. He has four years and $92 mil. left on his contract. Self respect be damned.
And don't get me going about shifts. (But I will.) All of these guys hitting .220 coming up to bat against shifts and their attitude is, I won't change what I do. I'm a power hitter. No - you're a lousy, incompetent hitter. No one wants to say that.
End of rant.

[JSngry]

13 minutes ago, paul secor said:

And don't get me going about shifts. (But I will.) All of these guys hitting .220 coming up to bat against shifts and their attitude is, I won't change what I do. I'm a power hitter. No - you're a lousy, incompetent hitter. No one wants to say that.

You did, and I'll second it.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quokeel.shtml

That shit be forgotten. But that science is still true, will always be true. Motherfuckers done got all cloudy-headed.

Let me say it again - slaves to the goofy.

[paul secor]

Amen.

[Brad]

It’s the way they teach baseball in the minors these days. They’re looking for power guys, both hitting and pitching. That is why you rarely see hitters change their approach after they have two strikes. 

Although I’m not a Yankee fan, when one of the NY teams are in the playoffs, the area is a bit more alive and when the Yankees exit, things grow a bit quieter and you realize that it’s the end of summer (LCS and WS notwithstanding) and that winter is not far off and the restlessness you have inside of you for watching a game, for hearing John and Suzyn (if you’re a Yankee fan) or Gary, Ron and Keith (if you’re a Metropolitans fan), won’t be stilled until the snow disappears and spring appears. 

[Dave Garrett]

Anyone heard anything recently about Roger Angell's health? His last piece that appeared in the New Yorker was in May. Last season he had five pieces covering the Yankees' October run and a couple more after that to wrap up the Series. 

Of course, he did turn 98 in September, and it really would not have been a surprise if his long tenure at the magazine had ended at any point during the past several years. If we've seen his last byline there, he will be missed.

[soulpope]

6 hours ago, paul secor said:

I was relieved when last night's game ended with a Boston win. (Never thought I'd find myself writing that.)  The Yankees were a boring team to watch this year, though I'm sure that the fans who love home runs would disagree.

Probably boring is a bit too harsh but the team never got into a (positive) groove and even while amassing 100 wins you always got the impression things could turn sour within a day .... 

Edited October 11, 2018 by soulpope

[Brad]

In today's Times, 

Seeds of the Yankees Loss Were Planted Last Winter

A choice quote:

"For all the times Girardi was criticized for managing a middle-of-May game as if it were October, Boone twice managed October games as if it were the middle of May."

[Dan Gould]

25 minutes ago, Brad said:

In today's Times, 

Seeds of the Yankees Loss Were Planted Last Winter

A choice quote:

"For all the times Girardi was criticized for managing a middle-of-May game as if it were October, Boone twice managed October games as if it were the middle of May."

And yet, if Barnes had blown up in his inning, I would have been pissed that Cora had managed like it was an elimination game instead of a game in May. Setting aside the "pull him before it goes to hell" mentality that isn't open to much debate, what of Cora pulling an effective pitcher after 65 pitches and only five innings, for questionable relief options?

Joe Maddon nearly ruined 2016 by pulling Lester early.  If a starter is cruising and your bullpen isn't lock-down I say ride him longer, not shorter.  Hell if he was willing to use Sale as he did, he should have let Porcello go, and have Sale ready to shut down a threat.

[paul secor]

It's interesting that one of the reasons for which Girardi was supposedly let go (besides the fact that Cashman wanted a yes man) was that he had a poor rapport with Gary Sanchez - benching him for poor defensive play, etc.  Boone let Sanchez have pretty much free rein this season and look what happened.

And isn't it time the Yankees cut Brian Cashman loose? He's been the GM since 1998, inherited a very solid team and manager - both put in place by Gene Michael - and has had one winner in the past 15 years, despite having a very large payroll every year. Time for some new blood there.
Cashman on Gary Sanchez during the playoffs: "“I think he’s our best game-caller". That's a joke. (And a knock on Austin Romine, who's a better defensive catcher and generally acknowledged as a better pitch caller.)  Before baseball put limits on trips to the mound this season, Sanchez used to be out talking with the pitchers almost every inning. I had the sense that there were times when  he didn't know what was going on. The biggest laugh was when he'd go out to talk with Tanaka. One guy only speaks Spanish, the other only speaks Japanese (not a criticism - I only speak English - just a reality). No interpreter was present. What was that about?

[JSngry]

1 minute ago, paul secor said:

One guy only speaks Spanish, the other only speaks Japanese (not a criticism - I only speak English - just a reality). No interpreter was present. What was that about?

When Yu Darvish was here, mound conferences were interesting, especially when Beltre joined in. But I can say that there was a bit of communication through tones, looks, and gestures, everybody was there to play, right? A pitcher and catcher have to be able to communicate, by any means necessary. And when Ron Washington came out there, there was no doubt about what the message was. Never.

What we learned about Yu was that although he didn't necessarily "speak English", he learned enough to communicate during and about the game with his teammates. I gotta think it's like being in an "international" band. You take what you have and use it to work together.

[Dan Gould]

2 minutes ago, paul secor said:

It's interesting that one of the reasons for which Girardi was supposedly let go (besides the fact that Cashman wanted a yes man) was that he had a poor rapport with Gary Sanchez - benching him for poor defensive play, etc.  Boone let Sanchez have pretty much free rein this season and look what happened.

And isn't it time the Yankees cut Brian Cashman loose? He's been the GM since 1998, inherited a very solid team and manager - both put in place by Gene Michael - and has had one winner in the past 15 years, despite having a very large payroll every year. Time for some new blood there.
Cashman on Gary Sanchez during the playoffs: "“I think he’s our best game-caller". That's a joke. (And a knock on Austin Romine, who's a better defensive catcher and generally acknowledged as a better pitch caller.)  Before baseball put limits on trips to the mound this season, Sanchez used to be out talking with the pitchers almost every inning. I had the sense that there were times when  he didn't know what was going on. The biggest laugh was when he'd go out to talk with Tanaka. One guy only speaks Spanish, the other only speaks Japanese (not a criticism - I only speak English - just a reality). No interpreter was present. What was that about?

Come on Paul, haven't you heard of the international language of pitching?  Slider, split, it can't be too hard to understand.

In a very short period of time the Yankees have developed exciting young players.  Cashman should get credit for that. The team has room now on the payroll to make a big splash this offseason - what I don't really know but the team is now constructed a lot like the Cubs and Red Sox.  Cost-controlled young players augmented by some expensive veterans. Maybe the flexible payroll is more on ownership than Cashman or maybe its both. It still makes them able to afford impact talent on the market.

I personally think the best thing they could do is cut Sanchez loose on someone because I don't see him learning to catch anytime soon and its a major problem in too many ways that won't be helped even if he becomes a steady 30 homer/.250 hitter.  Wasn't that Girardi's problem that as a former catcher he couldn't stand to watch a guy that bad behind the plate?

[Brad]

We are in an era where GMs don’t want a strong independent manager but one they can control and where they, the GMs, make the decisions and the managers get along with the players and don’t publicly criticize them.  Old guys are out and younger guys in. I can’t speak for other cities but those are the kinds of managers we now have for both NY teams. 

That is why guys like Girardi were shown the door. The Yankees said that even if Girardi had won the WS, they would have made the change. He was here 10 years and maybe the players weren’t listening to him anymore. Maddon is rumored to be thinking about a switch and it was definitely time for Sciosia to leave. 

[JSngry]

6 minutes ago, Brad said:

We are in an era where GMs don’t want a strong independent manager but one they can control and where they, the GMs, make the decisions and the managers get along with the players and don’t publicly criticize them.  

Oh, great, Jerry Jones for everybody then.

Y'all vomit out back, ok?

[Dan Gould]

On 10/9/2018 at 5:39 PM, Matthew said:

No way! Hernandez's replacement is even worse... Joe West!

You make a joke and two days later its true ... ALCS umpiring crew has no Angel Hernandez, but Joe West is crew chief.

[JSngry]

Y'all vomit out back, ok?

[ghost of miles]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

You make a joke and two days later its true ... ALCS umpiring crew has no Angel Hernandez, but Joe West is crew chief.

Wow--so sorry to hear that.  The only upside of the Yankees losing for me is that I've got so much work on my plate for the next several weeks that not being as intensely engaged with the playoffs will be somewhat of a blessing.  But Houston-Boston promises to be a great match-up, and I'll be following it as much as possible--just unfortunate that Joe West will have such a prominent place at the party.

[Matthew]

Joe West? Amazing, you know an umpire is bad when players call out West, by name -- no anonymous player quotes, players willing to be named. It's a short list of umpires who are that bad, the only others I can think of are Hernandez, Eric Gregg and Dave Palone.