MLB 2018: let the games begin!

[Brad]

The Mets are looking great so far; I’m enjoying this tremendously but the starters are not carrying their weight.  They’re averaging between five and six innings a start, which, if not remedied, will take it’s toll on the bullpen. 

[Dan Gould]

Yankee fans in panic mode certainly is entertaining but jeez, its ten games into the season.  Seven back in the loss column - if it got to that point after this series - is nothing this early.  If it were post- ASB, yeah that's a tougher row to hoe. But there's 94% of the season to go. 

[Brad]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

Yankee fans in panic mode certainly is entertaining but jeez, its ten games into the season.  Seven back in the loss column - if it got to that point after this series - is nothing this early.  If it were post- ASB, yeah that's a tougher row to hoe. But there's 94% of the season to go. 

Boone is like a deer caught in headlights. 

[ghost of miles]

55 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Yankee fans in panic mode certainly is entertaining but jeez, its ten games into the season.  Seven back in the loss column - if it got to that point after this series - is nothing this early.  If it were post- ASB, yeah that's a tougher row to hoe. But there's 94% of the season to go. 

The posters at PA aren’t really in panic mode—they’re a far more level-headed and baseball-savvy lot, in general, than, say, fans in Yankee Facebook groups, who tend to veer into Steinbrenner-ish straits of rage and desperation after bad or back-to-back losses. I think there’s a deeper concern, though, over the instability of the infield (Didi is the only regular starter right now), the consistency of the bullpen (a big problem last year), and how well the starting rotation’s going to hold up over the course of the season, what with CC knocking on the door of retirement and Montgomery still not a proven quantity yet. Stanton will surely start to hit better (good graph last night during the game on Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, A-Rod and Mark Teixera’s first Aprils as Yankees—all about as abysmal as Giancarlo’s has been so far), and I think Sanchez will, too—his swing just looks off to me right now. Just a lot of hype and expectations around this team, as opposed to last year when nobody expected them to go anywhere. The 2009 Yankees had an awful April and still ended up winning 103 games, but that was the result of an insane post-ASB performance—and that team had a much more solid core than this one does. Anyway, AL East could again come down to a 1-2 game margin, in which case too many early losses can come back to haunt you. But right now NY’s looking like a team that will be lucky to win 90. Too many questions that don’t appear to have any solid answers yet.

[Brad]

Let's face it: the starters aren't that great once you get past Severino and Tanaka, and Cashman -- at least so far -- has made the mistake many make: thinking that because the bullpen did it in 2017, they can replicate it in 2018.  You have to change it up from year to year to be successful. 

[ghost of miles]

Actually, the 2017 NY bullpen, despite its vaunted ERA and strikeout rate, blew 23 saves and had a 61% save-conversion rate—both among the worst for all MLB teams. It’s one big reason why they were a 90-win team instead of a 100-win team. I agree with you about the rotation, though I think that Gray will turn out to be a decent third starter. But with Drury out indefinitely and Andujar not looking ready yet, with Bird in his usual injury hiatus and second still up in the air as well (Gleyber Torres, please accelerate your development!), this team looks nowhere near division championship caliber, let alone ALCS or World Series. We’ll see how things are shaking out by the ASB, but there are serious issues that don’t seem readily solvable to me. Btw all of the good things said about Alex Cora when the Sox were rumored to be pursuing him seem to be panning out so far... smart of Boston to nab him from Houston. And J.D. Martinez hasn’t even really started to hit yet. 

[Dan Gould]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

Let's face it: the starters aren't that great once you get past Severino and Tanaka, and Cashman -- at least so far -- has made the mistake many make: thinking that because the bullpen did it in 2017, they can replicate it in 2018.  You have to change it up from year to year to be successful. 

There are 3 members of the bullpen who have been successful closers. The Sox have one.  The Yankee bullpen is going to be a major differentiation with the Red Sox over the course of the season.

And JD Martinez already looks like he has Green Monster-itis.  Like Jack Clark, the eyes go huge, the swing goes longer, and he never produces like he is "supposed to".

[JSngry]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769847-report-974-fans-attended-rays-vs-white-sox-game-at-guaranteed-rate-field?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

and on the flip side of the ugh record

[Dan Gould]

I just saw the 1-4-3 double play Colon started and I gotta say, there's  no excuse for that baserunner to get doubled off.  If it was a hit and run, fine, but the ball is in the air the whole way and even when he saw it fluttering toward the 2B he took off toward second.

Old days, he'd be fined.

Really old days, I don't know. But that was pathetic.

[ghost of miles]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769847-report-974-fans-attended-rays-vs-white-sox-game-at-guaranteed-rate-field?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

 I've been to minor-league games much better-attended than that... better call the Ghost of Bill Veeck-as-in-Wreck!  Also the worst name ever for an MLB stadium... sounds like a cheap motel chain or a shady used-car lot.  

[ghost of miles]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

I just saw the 1-4-3 double play Colon started and I gotta say, there's  no excuse for that baserunner to get doubled off.  If it was a hit and run, fine, but the ball is in the air the whole way and even when he saw it fluttering toward the 2B he took off toward second.

Old days, he'd be fined.

Really old days, I don't know. But that was pathetic.

My grandfather saw Bartolo Colon make a similar play back in the early 1970s!

[Soulstation1]

22 years ago 

Ryan pounded on Ventura’s skull 

[Brad]

11 hours ago, JSngry said:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769847-report-974-fans-attended-rays-vs-white-sox-game-at-guaranteed-rate-field?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

and on the flip side of the ugh record

There has to be some irony, somewhere, that the White Sox play at a place called Guaranteed Rate Field. 

[Dan Gould]

Yankee dude is a punk-ass. 100% dirty slide. 100%.  When your spikes are up and kicked out at the players legs, it's dirty. He's lucky he isn't playing in Gibson's era or his bell would have been rung.  And forget his manager backing him up. When has any team said "well he deserved it, we're going to talk to him about that slide."

No, it's all about "hard but clean." Bullshit.

As Sargent Waters said in A Soldier's Story, "take your whoopin' like a man."  Put the bat down and trot to first base. He hit him in the freakin' shoulder.

Sox should treat him like the Rays treated Brian Daubach 20 years ago after he rushed in from first base to defend Pedro. Target practice from now on.

[soulpope]

30 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Yankee dude is a punk-ass. 100% dirty slide. 100%.  When your spikes are up and kicked out at the players legs, it's dirty. He's lucky he isn't playing in Gibson's era or his bell would have been rung.  And forget his manager backing him up. When has any team said "well he deserved it, we're going to talk to him about that slide."

No, it's all about "hard but clean." Bullshit.

As Sargent Waters said in A Soldier's Story, "take your whoopin' like a man."  Put the bat down and trot to first base. He hit him in the freakin' shoulder.

Sox should treat him like the Rays treated Brian Daubach 20 years ago after he rushed in from first base to defend Pedro. Target practice from now on.

Support of retaliation like this statement leaves me wondering .... they may be unwritten rules in baseball, but it is high time to amend some of these ....

Edited April 12, 2018 by soulpope

[Dan Gould]

Craig Calcaterra, who I rarely agree with, pretty much wrote exactly what I said:

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/04/12/and-that-happened-wednesdays-scores-and-highlights-174/

Except for the part about target practice.

(and that shit still burns me because Daubach did nothing wrong defending a teammate and the Rays got away with throwing at him over and over again every time he batted.)

So maybe I should just say, don't start nothin' won't be nothin'.

[ghost of miles]

BFD is my take. Not a great slide from Austin, but even Alex Cora wouldn’t call it “dirty” afterwards. I’ve watched it a few times and it doesn’t look at all intentional. (Whether it should have ultimately been ruled a double play under the new rule is another matter.) Brock Holt said “I said something I probably shouldn’t have said,” and I don’t know what Austin said, but it probably wasn’t “Hey man, I’m sorry about my inept slide,” which is what he should have said. But for Joe Kelly to try to hit him twice is pretty punk by old-school standards in and of itself. (Even the moderator of Over The Monster can’t stand Kelly.) If Kelly’s going to throw at Austin twice, expect him to come after you. It’s freakin’ baseball, all the way around. The best part of it was seeing Judge and Stanton calmly martial a huge scrum of players all the way back to the Boston dugout. 

As for the overall game itself, very good to see Stanton and Sanchez’s bats finally come to life. (Stanton’s 1st inning triple would have been a HR in any other park... and what was up wjth J.D. Martinez’ “where is it?” take on Sanchez’s followup home run?) And every 9th inning with Aroldis Chapman is an adventure... geezus.  

[Dan Gould]

I have no use for Kelly myself but I admire his stick-to-it-iveness.  Job worth doing should be done right. 

(Whatever Holt said is immaterial since no one threw punches at the time. And he's probably too mild mannered to just admit he was pissed off.)

[Brad]

If you come in spikes up in this day and age, you’re asking for trouble.  If this happened in the 60s or the 70s, it’s no big deal  

I’ve heard the spin from the NY media this morning. Blah, blah. Tonight could be interesting but I’m sure nothing will happen as I’m sure the umpires will talk to both managers before the game. 

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Craig Calcaterra, who I rarely agree with, pretty much wrote exactly what I said:

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/04/12/and-that-happened-wednesdays-scores-and-highlights-174/

Except for the part about target practice.

(and that shit still burns me because Daubach did nothing wrong defending a teammate and the Rays got away with throwing at him over and over again every time he batted.)

So maybe I should just say, don't start nothin' won't be nothin'.

So if somebody "starts something" this means automatically "payback " .... frankly speaking I thought we left stone age behind - but of course I could be wrong ....

[Scott Dolan]

Unfortunately, yes. Bunch of little bitches. It's definitely the most embarrassing aspect of baseball. 

[Dan Gould]

Can I get a general sense of the MLB thread denizens? 

Who has known what the blue W on the white background flag signifies for Chicago fans?  Is it really not common knowledge the history of this method of signifying to workers heading home after a day game what the result had been at Wrigley?

I bought my mom a W flag after the World Championship and she has had at least one neighbor inquire about it. Now, sitting in her office I just had an elderly gentleman knock on the door, he says he's a Red Sox fan, and has no idea what this flag he's driven past so many times is about. 

I mean, really? Not even after the WS people have no clue?

[Scott Dolan]

I have no idea what flag you’re talking about. But I’m not a fan of the Cubs at all, and I mostly pay attention to the game on the field more than the regional traditions that surround each team. Plus, being a Royals fan, I don’t see very many NL games. 

[JSngry]

I guessed that it was a "win" flag from back in the day. Looks like wiskerpledia agrees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubs_Win_Flag

Was it at Wrigley or at Comiskey where they actually flew each club's pennants to reflect real-time standings?

That kind of shit is throwback like a noahflukker.

[Brad]

Jim beat me to it but whenever they win they raise the “W.”  

I’m obviously not a Cubs fan but I love their history, the fans’ camaraderie and the ballpark, how it’s right in the community.  It’s all somewhat similar to the Red Sox.