~2024 MLB Thread~

[MrNubbz]

I definitely wish I could find the drunk Indians fan who was yelling at me and my son the whole way out of Progressive Field that raising him as a Tigers fan was child abuse, and they couldn't wait to get a piece of Skubal, but Detroit wanted no part of Clase

Sorry to hear that,no excuse specially with a child in tow

[MrNubbz]

A senior citizen caught John Kruk after smoking a cigarette after a game: "That's horrible, to see a professional athlete like you smoking."
"I'm not an athlete, lady, I'm a baseball player."

I thought that was a woman with a young child - but he did say it

[847badgerfan]

Milton ripped the roof off of the Ray's Tropicana field.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Milton ripped the roof off of the Ray's Tropicana field.

That's one way to get a new ballpark...

[FearlessF]

Milton ripped the roof off of the Ray's Tropicana field.

how about the brave's (Cincy's) practice field?

[GopherRock]

Milton ripped the roof off of the Ray's Tropicana field.

Your earlier remark about how the White Sox should have moved to Florida did not age well.

[CatsbyAZ]

The Dodgers are a game away from being eliminated.

Again, baseball's postseason is the least prudent one in all of sports, given how the games percentages are (the best team vs the worst team being a 60/40 thing vs and 90/10 thing with something like college football, etc).

Why bother with 162 games if you've just got a best-of-5 waiting for you at the end of it.  As a person with at least a decent understanding of statistics, I'd have major trouble being highly motivated to play hard. 

If Dave Roberts didn't sorely mismanage the pitching rotation and bullpen during the regular season, the Dodgers wouldn't be facing early exits these past three seasons. I don't know why Roberts isn't blamed more for this. 2022 in particular stands out, where he worked his starting rotation into the ground well after the NL West was decided and eventually won with a 22 game lead. Instead the LA Times (beat writers like Bill Plaschke) went after the Dodgers front office after the Padres knocked out LA.

With all that said, last night's "bullpen win" was pretty ballsy. 8 different pitchers across nine innings contributing to a shut out of the Padres. I've never liked my teams going to "bullpen games" as they've become more common these past few seasons. Say you plan on rotating in 5 middle relievers - all it takes is one of those guys to fall apart to blow the game open. Bullpen games are an undependable approach.

Game 5 tomorrow night in LA.

[GopherRock]

The Pohlads are selling the Twins.


https://twitter.com/MillerStrib/status/1844393483488072094

[FearlessF]

unfortunately, I don't have 1.5

[ELA]

Hopefully they add the double hook rule soon, which should help some.

A.J. Hinch has managed the bullpen extremely well, but that because they traded Flaherty when they thought they were done, Maeda has been terrible.  Multiple pitchers were on the IL.  So even when they were just whatever in August, they only had two healthy starters, one of whom had a half a (bad) season in AAA.

But yeah, I generally don't love it.  Particularly in the playoff when you are looking for these epic duals between starting pitchers.

I still like my idea to expand thep layoff to retain interest, but still reward the regular season.

You actually expand the playoffs to 8 for league.  I don't think the bye in baseball is an advantage.  Maybe if they go to the double hook rule, the ability to set your rotation would be a bigger advantage, but for now it seems like it just gets you out of rhythm.

So I would expand to 8 teams, and the 3 division winners are guaranteed a top 4 seed.  The higher seeded team hosts the entire Wildcard Series.  The lower seeded team always needs to win 4, but the #1 seed needs to win once, #2 seed twice, #3 seed thrice, and #4 seed also needs to win 4.  Just getting in is worth maintaining interest, and if you can go on the road and win 4 straight at the #1 seed, I'm good with that.

Then from the ALDS on, it should all be best of 7, but the ALDS should also be hosted entirely by the higher seed.

So you would have

AMERICAN

• #8 Twins at #1 Yankees
• #7 Mariners at #2 Guardians
• #6 Tigers at #3 Orioles
• #5 Royals at #4 Astros

NATIONAL

• #8 Cardinals at #1 Dodgers
• #7 Diamondbacks at #2 Phillies
• #6 Mets at #3 Brewers
• #5 Braves at #4 Padres

[ELA]

unfortunately, I don't have 1.5

Need a big weekend on the links

[SuperMario]

I definitely wish I could find the drunk Indians fan who was yelling at me and my son the whole way out of Progressive Field that raising him as a Tigers fan was child abuse, and they couldn't wait to get a piece of Skubal, but Detroit wanted no part of Clase

Sorry to hear this.. but it's not uncommon either. Drunk Cleveland sports fan is the reason I'm not at Browns games and the reason my kids upbringing being at cleveland sporting events is very different than my upbringing. Most Cleveland baseball fans are tend to be a better group, but you have a better chance at finding them during the regular season than the clown you came across that is probably there to get hammered and is there because it's "the place to be" during the playoffs. Good moment to teach your son what not to be in life. 

[ELA]

Sorry to hear this.. but it's not uncommon either. Drunk Cleveland sports fan is the reason I'm not at Browns games and the reason my kids upbringing being at cleveland sporting events is very different than my upbringing. Most Cleveland baseball fans are tend to be a better group, but you have a better chance at finding them during the regular season than the clown you came across that is probably there to get hammered and is there because it's "the place to be" during the playoffs. Good moment to teach your son what not to be in life.

It's also not a Cleveland thing.  I've been to one Lions game, and I'll never go back.  Same with the Steelers.  We actually had great conversations with the Cleveland fans around us, and it was 99% a great experience.  I wore my throwback Al Kaline jersey, and the woman behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I ever saw him play.  I said no, but he's Mr. Tiger.  She said "oh thank god, I'm 70, and if you saw him play, I feel even worse about how old I look"

The only guy around us who was probably overserved was simply over enthusiastic in rooting for his guys, and yelling at the ump.  In a 7-0 game, he actually just added levity

[OrangeAfroMan]

If Dave Roberts didn't sorely mismanage the pitching rotation and bullpen during the regular season, the Dodgers wouldn't be facing early exits these past three seasons. I don't know why Roberts isn't blamed more for this. 2022 in particular stands out, where he worked his starting rotation into the ground well after the NL West was decided and eventually won with a 22 game lead. Instead the LA Times (beat writers like Bill Plaschke) went after the Dodgers front office after the Padres knocked out LA.

With all that said, last night's "bullpen win" was pretty ballsy. 8 different pitchers across nine innings contributing to a shut out of the Padres. I've never liked my teams going to "bullpen games" as they've become more common these past few seasons. Say you plan on rotating in 5 middle relievers - all it takes is one of those guys to fall apart to blow the game open. Bullpen games are an undependable approach.

Game 5 tomorrow night in LA.

Statistically, there's no one to blame for a top team's early exit in the postseason.  The format is to blame.