2013 MLB Thread

[Spectral]

I'll be excited to quote this when it's June and the Nats have the best record in baseball. Then again in July, August, and September.

I deserve to be heartily mocked for this.

[belfpala]

I deserve to be heartily mocked for this.

On the bright side, at lest you take responsibility for your predictions, unlike most sports commentators.

[conscript]

I deserve to be heartily mocked for this.

Still not an awful prediction. That division is garbage outside of Atlanta. Who would have thought the Nats would be awful as well. Remember that time they sat their best pitcher in the playoffs on an innings limit to prevent injury even though there is no evidence an innings limit could ever prevent a repeat injury because they thought they would just keep winning in the future and winning now was less important? Lolz

[Spectral]

Still not an awful prediction. That division is garbage outside of Atlanta. Who would have thought the Nats would be awful as well. Remember that time they sat their best pitcher in the playoffs on an innings limit to prevent injury even though there is no evidence an innings limit could ever prevent a repeat injury because they thought they would just keep winning in the future and winning now was less important? Lolz

Headdeskheaddeskheaddesk.

Although to be fair, people have overstated the likelihood of Strasburg making a difference in that series. I was at the game that Strasburg would have started, and there was just zero offense that day. They were shut out, so it wasn't really going to matter who was pitching. In any case, that series loss didn't have much to do with missing out on one quality start, since the pitching was basically fine anyway. They'd basically won the series anyway until Drew Storen came along and screwed that pooch remarkably hard.

It's kind of impossible to know if shutting him down for a month is relevant in anyway to long term health, but Strasburg has been healthy (aside from a minor right side strain) this year, and has pitched very well. The Pitch f/x data shows him still popping the glove at 95.4 MPH average on his fastballs, and he's sporting a 3.3 K-BB ratio. I can't really complain about the handling of Strasburg.

The underrated factor in this team going in the shitter is what's transpired with the bench. Davey Johnson learned a lot from Earl Weaver with regard to using situational players and platoons, and had great success with a bunch of guys last year like Tyler Moore, Chad Tracy, and Roger Bernadina. Those guys have been awful this year. Like, holy fuck, what is that level awful. Tyler Moore managed to deliver 1.4 wins below replacement in only a little over a hundred at bats. His .151/.195/.283 slash line basically means he shouldn't ever see the majors again. Edwin Jackson was a nice fourth starter last year, while Dan Haren is now one of the most washed up pitchers I've ever seen.

On the bright side, the core players are fine. Ian Desmond appears to have kept his power gains from last year, and looks to be an elite shortstop going forward, roughly a 4-5 win player. Harper has struggled a bit after a monster start, but he's still a 20 year old hitting .271/.371/.517. We're all spoiled by him, Machado, and Trout, but those are remarkable numbers for a guy that age. Gio is one of the best pitching values in baseball. Strasburg looks to be an anchor, Zimmermann is one of the best third starters in baseball, and Anthony Rendon looks like a legit major leaguer. I still think this team has a bright future, but this year has been just painful to watch.

/end Nats rant

[Elbren]

Zack Greinke has a "few words" to say about Ryan Braun:

"The main thing is, yeah, he lied to us," Greinke said. "He forced us to lie for him, threw people under the bus in order to help himself out and didn't care, blamed others for his mistakes and it’s just a lot of things you don’t expect from people."

...

"Oh, yeah, 100% believed him. Everything was so convincing. He had people to blame. He seemed like a really good guy. He was a good teammate at the time. You don’t know the guys that he was pinning it on. I'm not positive, but I think everyone 100% believed him at the time. Especially the next year, he looked just as good as the year before. His numbers his whole career, Hall of Fame numbers. How could you not believe him? He was so convincing."

"Not even talking about the player. It’s just the person. Just the fact that he was willing to use anyone that got in his path. The closer you were to him, the more he would use you. It's just disappointing that a human being could be like that."

[koodledrum]

Greinke doesn't strike me as the type of guy who'll speak out like that too often, clearly he felt he needed to have his money's worth and by god by the looks of it he got it and then some, credit to the guy for nailing his colours to the mast and putting it out there, he could easily have done the whole "yeah I'm disappointed" bit and looked like he was glossing over it. No one can accuse him of sugaring the pill though, you get the feeling the next time he's pitching and Braun steps in, Braun's getting beaned, he'll be used to it by then (I'll predict Braun leads the league next year in HBP) but that's gonna be a solid fastball right between the numbers - especially since Greinke is now team mates of Matt Kemp who in his own right is pissed with Braun!

[kidsafe]

Greinke is definitely a bit of a headcase and will say some passive-aggressive things from time to time. He had some choice words when he left KC for the Brewers IIRC.

[draynay]

it isn't like anything he said there wasn't true though

[Elbren]

Anyone else see David Ortiz go apesh#t in Camden Yards Sat. night?

He had a 3-0 count in his AB. Didn't even bother crouching into his stance for the 4th pitch and started walking toward 1st base almost before the ball even got to the plate. Umpire called strike and Ortiz got a little pissy. He got caught staring at the next pitch for a strike (it was borderline but Ortiz was still pissing and moaning) and then swung over a split finger fastball for the strikeout. He went back to the dugout and went absolutely livid.



Completely destroys the dugout phone, almost hits Pedroia with his bat, not to mention everyone around them with all of the flying plastic/metal.

I'd be absolutely shocked if he doesn't face some kind of suspension.

[draynay]

its funnier when pitchers destroy shit with a bat, 50 HR guys getting mad with a bat is less comical and more dangerous

[koodledrum]

We all know Geinke can open his mouth, but it's rare to see someone in any professional walk of life go in that hard & stiff on someone though, that's both barrels and doesn't hold anything back.

As for Ortiz, from my watching of the video it actually looked like he was calling for time but it wasn't granted, I can also see his point, that pitch was up and wasn't a strike the umpire basically did whatever he could to make Ortiz look a prick, the only thing he didn't do was take the mask off to bark at him but after that pitch was called he had to put the ball in play as he was going to be called out on strikes. The only issue I have with his response is location, had that been at Fenway I'd have no problem with it, go right on ahead, but it's at Camden Yards, you can't do that shit in a road ballpark it's not very respectful, if you're going to beat the hell out of something, go get that asshole powerade cooler he's always jawing everyone!

Pedroia's face there though is priceless, but later on when he's trying to calm him down, it's that mixture of trying to get the job done all the while with the thought running through his mind "dumbass, you saw what he's just done to that phone, he'll throw you from Baltimore to Boston if this doesn't work!" cos Ortiz was running pretty hot.

[conscript]

A-Rod's suspension expected to be the rest of 2013 and all of 2014. All of the remaining suspensions could be announced this week.

[koodledrum]

Yeah I saw that the league office was looking to announce them all this week so that all relevant suspensions will be served this season without "leaking" into next year, with the noted exception of Arod who they'll go for as long as they can stick on him since they know they've precious little chance of getting an arbitrator to agree to a lifetime deal.

Alfonso Soriano got the walkoff single for the Yankees, Will Meyers really should have been beaned for his bat flip on his first homer today though, totally uncalled for and I think Matt Joyce got the retaliation from it (atleast from the gameday log, he was HBP).

[Masqerader]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/ey...d-lifetime-ban

[conscript]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/ey...d-lifetime-ban

I really, really hope he tries to fight it and loses resulting in the lifetime ban.

[Spectral]

A-Rod's suspension expected to be the rest of 2013 and all of 2014. All of the remaining suspensions could be announced this week.

The Yankees have to be delighted that he's suspended before he returned. They're off the hook for a lot of money.

[koodledrum]

If he's suspended all of next year that certainly fits in with the goal to get under the luxury tax that's for sure.

[Stommped]

They would still owe him $60M after the suspension is over. Sounds like a pretty great deal for A-Rod and I would be surprised if his lawyers let him fight it. I said last week A-Rod for sure will get a portion of his remaining contract, but I thought maybe a years worth. Instead he will only be losing a year and a half's worth of salary, how could get a better result?

A-Rod should be asking where he signs.

[conscript]

They would still owe him $60M after the suspension is over. Sounds like a pretty great deal for A-Rod and I would be surprised if his lawyers let him fight it. I said last week A-Rod for sure will get a portion of his remaining contract, but I thought maybe a years worth. Instead he will only be losing a year and a half's worth of salary, how could get a better result?

A-Rod should be asking where he signs.

Ya A-Rod would be an idiot to not take a year and a half vacation and then come back for his $60 million. There isn't a win in this for him if he fights it. Sure he might play a few more games and make a few more dollars, but as soon as he refuses and demands a hearing, all of this stuff is going to become public. Every shred of evidence about his use, all of the stuff about him trying to buy off people, all of his interference with the investigation, god knows how much other stuff baseball has been sitting on. All of that will hit the desk of every major sportswriter in America. Overnight A-Rod will go from pretty much universally hated to being the most vilified athlete of his generation along with Michael Vick. If you're A-Rod, you want this to go away quietly into the night and come back in a couple years. Stirring the pot isn't going to help anything. But this is a guy who went to a doctor who has ties to steroids for a second opinion this week. Ya, there is going to be drama around this suspension lol.

[Haloswin]

Im so glad I got rid of cable and got Direct TV. having MLB network to watch is so much better than ESPN. I love their annalists. I can listen to Brian Kenny and Herald Reynolds fight all day long. Also having 3 matinee games a week to watch is another plus.

- - - Updated - - -

Puig is a douchebag. No one outside of LA likes him. Im surprised he hasnt gotten one in the earhole yet. Gius like Puig are the reason I wished Pedro Martinez still pitched.

So he could run away when they charged the mound? Pedro Martinez was a giant coward, unless of course it was 100 year old Zim he was fighting.