2020 MLB Thread

[CatsbyAZ]

Only ten games into the season, have the Mets and Braves ONLY played each other (rhetorical question)? Way too much Mets Vs Braves on TV this past week.

[ELA]

Nothing like wrapping up the week with a 17-13 baseball game between two of the worst offenses in the majors

[Kris60]

Depends.

If you can shut out the team in the top, I like knowing you can go sac bunt-sac fly-win.

If you do that in the top, you are basically punting any chance at scoring 2, so you need to know you don't need 2.

I meant to reply to this earlier and forgot.  Your point is valid but I would still rather bat first and play defense second. One reason is I’ve never really thought you can plan for a sac fly.  You can hope for one but getting one is a totally different story.  Depending on where I was in the lineup I would still feel comfortable bunting that runner over in the top half of the inning.

I just like knowing beforehand if that runner standing on second is going to beat me, tie me, or just reduce my lead.

[OrangeAfroMan]

That's a good point - where you are in your lineup.  That is the real edge/deficit to extra-inning baseball - both the tradition kind and the newfangled kind.  

[ELA]

Yeah, what if Miguel Cabrera got the final out.  Do you pinch run for him next inning?

The other one, is if a team is tied in the bottom of the inning, has anyone seen them intentionally walk the first batter, being irrelevant, just to put a double play in play?

[OrangeAfroMan]

Yes, teams have issued an intentional walk.  I don't know how it turned out.  

The guy on 2nd thing is VERY statistically effective in shortening the game, and that's all it's designed to do.  We're looking for little strategies to gain an advantage, but it's all about who's coming up to bat.

The Fangraphs podcast I listen to, Effectively Wild, pondered that with the additional roster spot, do you want to have a pinch-runner player for that 10th inning.  It might make sense, and yes, you remove your big hitter on 2nd BECAUSE the situation is designed so that his batting spot doesn't come back around again.  The game will be over 99%+ of the time.

[CatsbyAZ]

Relaxing game between Indians and White Sox last night. First time I’ve watched the new Extra Innings Rules play out. Both team given runners at second to start the inning, scored as bases on errors to avoid giving the pitchers earned runs. Really incentivizes a lot of hitting strategy. For instance the Indians incorporated bunting to score the run that put them ahead 4-3. 5-4 Indians eventually outlast White Sox after a rain delay.

[ELA]

Reds player tests positive, remainder of weekend series vs. Pirates ppd

[ELA]

As a division opponent, I hate him, but Jose Ramirez is so much fun to watch

[MaximumSam]

Reds player tests positive, remainder of weekend series vs. Pirates ppd

[OrangeAfroMan]

Cardinals have played 8 games.
Most everyone else:  23 games.

[ELA]

Thank God Chicago traded Tatis Jr. to San Diego for James Shields.  This lineup is crushing us enough without him

[Kris60]

Speaking of Tatis I caught some of the Padres/Rangers game last night. Padres are beating them 10-3 late in the game and have bases loaded, and Tatis is at the plate with a 3-0 count. So, they buzz him a fastball which he hits out for a grand slam.

The Rangers got all butthurt because Tatis had the gall to swing away on a 3-0 pitch in a blowout. The unwritten rules of baseball gives me diarrhea.

[OrangeAfroMan]

All these stewards of the unwritten rules of the game are supposed to be old-school hard-asses, but things like the Tatis situation and not stealing a base when you're up big fly in the face of playing hard for 9 innings.  

It's traditional BS.  Just another instance of something having perceived value solely because it's been around a long time.