MLB 2023: how ya like it now?

[GA Russell]

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!

[ghost of miles]

1 hour ago, GA Russell said:

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!

I’ll bet he feels like a million!

[JSngry]

Rangers ain't ready yet.

Still haven't won a game where they have trailed after 7.

Choked it up in the 9th today.

It's a good team but not a great one. Not yet. 

[jlhoots]

Brewers beat Cubs 8-6 after trailing 6-0.

[Dan Gould]

On 7/3/2023 at 5:17 PM, JSngry said:

Rangers ain't ready yet.

Still haven't won a game where they have trailed after 7.

Choked it up in the 9th today.

It's a good team but not a great one. Not yet. 

Given where it has been its made major strides in a short period.

Tonight you get Bello, 6:10 your time and everybody can see what Boston has on MLB Network. 

 

They remain far away from the level that Texas is - and not winning a game after 7 but still having the record the Rangers do?  Those might be the wins that lead to championships but that is also not a little related to flat out luck.  The Red Sox have more come from behind wins than most teams and look where they are.

 

Edited July 5, 2023 by Dan Gould

[JSngry]

I still don't see the team overall having that killer instinct like the last great Rangers team had. The bullpen is still leaky and the RISP average is highly maddening. Moments of greatness mixed with moments of laxity at key moments. Sure they can take, but they can't get a walk off win, not even a late inning comeback. That ain't what you want 

They are indeed an exponentially improved one. But there is still basic some tightening up to do, imo. 

Expecting it to get done, just a question of how long it will take .

Per Herbie Hancock, you'll know when you get there... 

[Big Al]

10 hours ago, JSngry said:

I still don't see the team overall having that killer instinct like the last great Rangers team had. The bullpen is still leaky and the RISP average is highly maddening. Moments of greatness mixed with moments of laxity at key moments. Sure they can take, but they can't get a walk off win, not even a late inning comeback. That ain't what you want 

They are indeed an exponentially improved one. But there is still basic some tightening up to do, imo. 

Expecting it to get done, just a question of how long it will take .

Per Herbie Hancock, you'll know when you get there... 

This team reminds me of the '89 Rangers. That was a fun season but that team also had issues with RISP and bullpen. I expect they'll get overtaken by the Astros as always. I hope I'm wrong.

[JSngry]

Leaky? Did I say leaky?

Sorry, I meant pathetically, impotently porous.

My bad, sorry. 

[HutchFan]

The Braves look unstoppable lately. It's odd to see them with such a potent, power-hitting lineup. They've always been such a prototypical National League "pitching-first" sort of team. Not anymore.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether their regular season dominance continues in the playoffs. I've seen way too many early exits by the Braves to count any chickens before they're hatched.

 

[Dan Gould]

9 hours ago, JSngry said:

Leaky? Did I say leaky?

Sorry, I meant pathetically, impotently porous.

My bad, sorry. 

Yeah that was rough as I found out this morning since I went to bed on the pitching change before Hernandez's hit.

But what else is new that teams need middle/late relief help at the deadline?  I have no idea the state of the system for securing over-priced help in that area but I would think management would do what is necessary.

[JSngry]

That team needs a cometojesus meeting and understanding about what it means to get runners all the way around the bases. 

[GA Russell]

On 5/21/2023 at 6:38 PM, Ken Dryden said:

One of the things about collecting baseball cards when all seven series were individually published and issued during the season was noting how well Topps predicted the final roster for each team. Inevitably they would guess wrong on a few, especially for catchers, requiring them to add a note about the transaction on the back of the card. Poor old Merritt Ranew always seemed to be optioned to triple A in May, while other third string players would be released unconditionally and never spend another day on the field unless they entered coaching.

I remember Ranew!  I suppose from his stay with the Houston Colts.

I had this card in '62.

[Dan Gould]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

That team needs a cometojesus meeting and understanding about what it means to get runners all the way around the bases. 

Given what Carlin said about the purpose of baseball, "to go home," I am pretty sure everybody knows what it means to get runners all  the way around the bases. No appeals to Jesus needed. (Except as an expletive after another AAA player waves at a sweepah that is 4 feet off the plate.)

[JSngry]

59 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Given what Carlin said about the purpose of baseball, "to go home," I am pretty sure everybody knows what it means to get runners all  the way around the bases. 

 

You would think so, but the preponderance of the evidence right now is indicating otherwise. 

[Ken Dryden]

1 hour ago, GA Russell said:

I remember Ranew!  I suppose from his stay with the Houston Colts.

I had this card in '62.

The poor guy spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues and only had 594 at bats.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ranewme01.shtml

 

[JSngry]

So... AL Central? 

[Ken Dryden]

I enjoyed the Saturday broadcast of the Braves-Rays game, except one hapless Fox announcer kept saying a fly ball was heading to Michael Harris (who plays center field) when it is was actually going to Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field instead, a mistake he made at least twice. I'm surprised his on air partner didn't correct him...

[JSngry]

Fox is using AI now. Humans are too risky. 

[Dan Gould]

Is anyone else like me and couldn't care less anymore about the All-Star game?  Has nothing to do with the ill-fated tie game and subsequent changes, just ... who cares? I certainly don't and not at all like when I was much younger.

[JSngry]

Not really interested here either. 

[sonnymax]

I'm watching and I'll be enjoying it for what it is. Fun.

 

[Brad]

12 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Is anyone else like me and couldn't care less anymore about the All-Star game?  Has nothing to do with the ill-fated tie game and subsequent changes, just ... who cares? I certainly don't and not at all like when I was much younger.

I’m with you. Pretty meaningless and I dislike all this miking up players. I hate to sound like one of those how things were better years ago but players use to take this game seriously, not like they do now. 

[Big Al]

12 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Is anyone else like me and couldn't care less anymore about the All-Star game?  Has nothing to do with the ill-fated tie game and subsequent changes, just ... who cares? I certainly don't and not at all like when I was much younger.

I'm not sure I could care less. And I'm really tired of Rangers brass making a big deal about having 5 or 6 starters in the All-Star Game, especially when it ends up being a meaningless footnote on yet another heartbreaking season.

[JSngry]

51 minutes ago, Big Al said:

.. I'm really tired of Rangers brass making a big deal about having 5 or 6 starters in the All-Star Game, especially when it ends up being a meaningless footnote on yet another heartbreaking season.

It's this type of hype that is preventing me from spending any money on this team, specifically going to games, even on Dollar Hot Dog Nights, even with AC. They've gotten me watching TV again. Let's take it slow before we take it any further, ok? Let me know your true intentions. 

On that note (sorta)... I had a chance earlier this year to go to an Arlington Renegades USFL game. They play at the old The Ballpark. That was as sad as it was creepy...Bits and pieces of the previous glories were still present, but... Bits and pieces is all they were. And the bowl itself...gutted. Almost, which was even creepier.

If this team is truly committed to the long haul (whatever that means these days), then ok, let's make some new memories. But dammit, none of this inflated expectations just to suck(er) the dollars. Fuck that. Mean what you say. Deeds not words. 

And speaking of memories...the statue of Shannon and Cooper Stone is still where it's always been, not necessarily in disrepair, but not really kept up either. My granddaughter started to play in it, but my sib told her no don't do that, that's for somebody who died here. She's only 6, but she understood and said oh, soory, and got right down.

I mean, I still very much remember all that. It was horrible. And that statue is as moving as it ever was. In a lot of ways, it's more about the meaning of baseball as social fabric than any pennant or any player.

And they left it behind. They left them behind for the Fucking Arlington Renegades. The USFL.

Do I trust this organization yet?

No. 

[Dan Gould]

I've never heard of this guy but this is really slick.

https://www.mlb.com/news/tyler-rogers-rising-submarine-slider?partnerId=zh-20230714-970645-mlb-1-A&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20230714-970645-mlb-1-A&bt_ee=N3CgIBzQaSS771nFd0yA9kuwWtYzIawGHbe5FVNP4qUC1H9eVuuKj8EXWBw1HBmY&bt_ts=1689344703454

The rising slider.

https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/q_auto:best/mlb/pid8pwhidq90142mw9jn.mp4