2013 MLB Thread

[Elbren]

That was against my team. Apparently he made the decision 3 hours before first pitch. Bert Blyleven, hall of fame pitcher and the color guy on our TV broadcast basically said he would have been pissed. Pitchers have to get prepared mentally, and messing with that is a no-no. Also, isn't the veteran supposed to pitch the first game of a double header? For two reasons, so the younger guy can see how the batters were approached, and so that you have a better chance of not blowing your 'pen the first game.

Not 100%, but I believe that veterans get their choice of when to start in a double header. At least that's been the case the past couple of times w/ the O's.

[belfpala]

Not 100%, but I believe that veterans get their choice of when to start in a double header. At least that's been the case the past couple of times w/ the O's.

I think that's tradition, and Nolasco chose the first game. Loria decided to switch it. If Redmond or the pitching coach had made that decision, that's different. But the owner?

[draynay]

League gives up another run, whatever, fine, I just hope they don't let him into any one run games

[kidsafe]

[belfpala]

Nice catch!

This website is fun, for baseball nerds: http://www.mlbgifs.com/

[koodledrum]

AJ Burnett strikes again huh! Man the guy can flat out pitch, but he's batshit crazy and well, I think he struggled mightily in New York that's for sure but on a good day I sure as hell wouldn't want to be facing him on the mound - gimmie Verlander, Dickey, Felix or Lincecum but I ain't stepping in against Burnett!

CC got the win tonight after going 8 passable against the Jays, Travis Haffner going deep and getting a triple to do most of the damage, Joba Chamberlain getting the save....

[Elbren]

AJ Burnett strikes again huh! Man the guy can flat out pitch, but he's batshit crazy and well, I think he struggled mightily in New York that's for sure but on a good day I sure as hell wouldn't want to be facing him on the mound - gimmie Verlander, Dickey, Felix or Lincecum but I ain't stepping in against Burnett!

CC got the win tonight after going 8 passable against the Jays, Travis Haffner going deep and getting a triple to do most of the damage, Joba Chamberlain getting the save....

Travis Hafner hit a triple??? Did they physically lose the ball for 10 minutes? lol

[Åmbulance]

I'm seriously SHOCKED how well the Red Sox are doing. I fully expected more of the same from last year. Bucky and Lester are maybe the best 1/2 right now in the bigs. Seriously worried thought about Lackey returning tonight. But man the AL East is looking to be the best division this year, and if for some reason Toronto turns it around, it will be a 5 team race.

[koodledrum]

Travis Hafner hit a triple??? Did they physically lose the ball for 10 minutes? lol

Ball carried over Rasmus' head into centre, bounced off the wall and back over his head - not really the best played ball he's had!

Boston's doing well now, but it's only April, the division's real solid though, potential for atleast 4 really good teams in there with maybe all 5 being over .500, but we'll see where it all irons out at the end of the season.

[belfpala]

Jim Thome hit TWO triples a couple years back. That was pretty epic. (the first was a one-in-a-million shot that hit a weird corner on the outfield wall and bounced probably 100 feet at a right angle, away from all the outfielders. Anyone else in the league, even Hafner, would have easily had a inside the park HR).

[Amsden]

I think the AL West is going to be tough all season. The Rangers and A's don't seem to have much drop off at all from last year, and when the Angels get it turned around it's going to be a fight to the end.

Also Seattle are almost experts in the art of spoiling, nothing ruins a good streak like a random series loss to the Mariners...

I don't expect much from the Astros this season, but we'll see.

[draynay]

I remember Tony Gwynn hitting an inside the park grand slam

it was pretty terrible

this was not young 50 stolen base Tony Gwynn... this was late 90s big Tony

[belfpala]

Here's that Thome triple from 2010... http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=9456535

Pretty epic.

[koodledrum]

Haha that's awesome, it's also not a million miles away from what I imagine I'd be like trying to leg out a triple... (Maybe a bit harsh on myself there) That was a hell of a shot though, 340+ft right off the scoreboard!

[Elbren]

Found this on another site. Apparently, the Braves are stuck in a 20-year TV deal that goes until 2029 ... and it only pays them a little more than $10 Mil. a year. O.o

For those of you who may not be sure how bad that is, the Dodgers new TV deal pays them roughly $240 Mil. per year.

[Skarsguard]

Found this on another site. Apparently, the Braves are stuck in a 20-year TV deal that goes until 2029 ... and it only pays them a little more than $10 Mil. a year. O.o

For those of you who may not be sure how bad that is, the Dodgers new TV deal pays them roughly $240 Mil. per year.

I don't keep up with the Braves but doesn't Turner own them and isn't there tv deal with TBS that is owned by Turner?

[koodledrum]

Pretty much - problem is with LA and say Boston & New York you're going to have premier markets, Atlanta on the other hand is not a premier market, they'd never be able to make as much as the Dodgers even if they weren't tied into that deal.

Man what was with the Yankees last night, I know everyone can have an off night, but beaten 9-1 by the ASTROS, jeez that's hard to take.

[kidsafe]

Pretty much - problem is with LA and say Boston & New York you're going to have premier markets, Atlanta on the other hand is not a premier market, they'd never be able to make as much as the Dodgers even if they weren't tied into that deal.

Doesn't matter if you have a premier market or not. Braves, Cubs, etc. games are shown nationally on TBS and WGN from time to time, so I highly doubt the $10-20m figure is accurate. It's even quoted as being inaccurate in that article.

I know the Giants contract is just as long, if not longer than the Braves contract and the annual payout is dynamic based on viewership and commercial revenue.

[Elbren]

I don't keep up with the Braves but doesn't Turner own them and isn't there tv deal with TBS that is owned by Turner?

The team was sold in '06/'07 to Liberty Media. The TV deal and sale of the time happened at the same time.

Doesn't matter if you have a premier market or not. Braves, Cubs, etc. games are shown nationally on TBS and WGN from time to time, so I highly doubt the $10-20m figure is accurate. It's even quoted as being inaccurate in that article.

I know the Giants contract is just as long, if not longer than the Braves contract and the annual payout is dynamic based on viewership and commercial revenue.

That's the problem. From what I've read, the Braves deal doesn't change based off of any of those (or similiar) criteria. They're just getting the $10 - $20 Mil., with sources saying it's closer to $10 Mil.

Hell, even the Astros' tv deal is paying them around $80 Mil. Not only have they been bad for awhile now, but I'm pretty sure their current 25-man roster gets paid less than A-Rod. lol The Phillies are on an older TV deal that expires next year and even they are getting $35 Mil.

[conscript]

I really wish the Tigers would stop putting Bruce Rondon on the mound in relief. Dude is awful. He can throw 100mph. Super. It has zero movement and guys just smack it all over the place. He has already cost the Tigers two games this year with shitty relief appearances. All the speed in the world isn't going to save his pitches if they are basically beach balls served up to hitters.

LOL at the Cubs chariman threatening to leave Wrigley because they don't make enough advertising money because he can't put in a video board. Do it. Move the Cubs. Do they actually think that is a threat people will take seriously? The Cubs are freaking terrible and have been terrible for years. No one goes to see the Cubs, they go because its Wrigley. I've been there. The road fans so outweighed the home fans it was pathetic. It was like sitting in Comerica it was so bad. Move the Cubs and their attendance is going to plummet instantly. All the ad money in the world isn't going to make up the losses going from a highly attended stadium to wherever the hell they'd play.

There is a reason the Cubs sold 36000 tickets last year per game and the Sox sold 24000. Its the name on the stadium, not the name on the jersey.