2025 MLB Thread

[Cincydawg]

I was watching the Braves last night, which became less normal than usual for me for obvious reasons, and thinking "Why am I watching?  They are out of it."  Then I realized I enjoy the game itself independent of whether some team has good prospects of winning some trophy.

I think I enjoy baseball as a sport more than any other in terms of watching it.  

When the Braves are competitive, the tension starts to usurp that enjoyment.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Kershaw pitches his final home game.  He officially replaces Koufax as the best ever in blue.  Koufax was just like Randy Johnson- it took half their careers to figure it out, and then utter dominance the second half.  Kershaw was great from the start.

He's started 450 games and will retire with fewer than 100 career losses.  Best win% of any modern pitcher.  
1 MVP
3 Cy Youngs, 2 seconds, and a third.
Lowest ERA of any modern pitcher, besides Rivera, with more than twice his IP.
Nearly the same WHIP as Rivera, again in far more IP.
I mean Jesus, allowing baserunners at the same rate as Mariano Rivera as a starter for his CAREER.  WTF/!?

In my youth, there was Maddux, Clemens, Pedro, and Johnson.
In adulthood, there's Kershaw, Verlander, and Scherzer.  

[ELA]

Nobody except Scott Harris is shocked that literally every hitter continuing to perform above expectations was not a strategy for the second half, particularly once 3/5 of your rotation was out for the season

[MrNubbz]

 CLEVELAND (AP)George Valera hit a two-run homer in the third inning, José Ramírez had a two-run double in the seventh and the Cleveland Guardians became the first major league team to overcome a deficit of 15 1/2 games and take the lead in either division or league play, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-1 on Wednesday night.

[ELA]

Cleveland voodoo magic is undefeated 

[FearlessF]

[SuperMario]

CLEVELAND (AP)George Valera hit a two-run homer in the third inning, José Ramírez had a two-run double in the seventh and the Cleveland Guardians became the first major league team to overcome a deficit of 15 1/2 games and take the lead in either division or league play, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-1 on Wednesday night.

[img width=500 height=261.992]https://i.imgur.com/M6IhRJl.png[/img]

I'll be in house tonight! I think the most absurd part of all of it is how mediocre at-best their offense is, yet is 17-2 the last 19 games. This pitching staff is unreal. This is like the opposite of the 90's Indians where 1-9 in the lineup could mash, yet we had to try and win with aging Orel Hersheiser and Dennis Martinez and hope that Charles Nagy and Chad Ogea were enough.

[Brutus Buckeye]

[OrangeAfroMan]

A catcher has 60 HR.

It's impossible.  

[ELA]

Cleveland monkey paw offense remains on their BS

[OrangeAfroMan]

As soon as DET got up 1-0, it was over.

[MarqHusker]

It's a 1905 WS postseason.

[ELA]

As soon as DET got up 1-0, it was over.

The Athletic MLB show was discussing the Cleveland offense, and the weird narrative like they are overcoming a bunch of injuries or adversity.  it's just a very bad offense that they are winning in spite of.

Not only is it the worst OPS of any playoff team ever.  Its the 17th worst OPS of any team in the past 25 years.  The 16 worse, averaged a record of 61-101.  Their metrics are that of a 77-85 team.  I think you have to throw all conventional wisdom aside, and literally never pitch to Jose Ramirez.  He might not be peak roids Barry Bonds, but the gap between him and the rest of the lineup might honestly be wider.  If he doesn't get you, they literally have to rely on swinging bunts, and actual bunts.  I would truly never pitch to him.

[MrNubbz]

Well Cleveland went 8-5 vs the Tiges during the season