2015 MLB Thread

[Whit]

Still, you don't start a player (especially a pitcher) who is throwing up and has stomach flu. Lyons could have easily stepped in and gotten to the 4th or 5th perhaps. Wacha's had some rest so we have to hope to get his best today. You'll know early on if he's getting ahead of hitters, keeping the ball down and the change-up is working. If not....well, let's just hope the wind is blowing in today. The Cubs strike out more than any team in MLB so I don't see Reynolds, etc being that much of a liability in that regard. We have to get solid pitching, period. The rest will take care of itself.

Honestly, the loss of Martinez and Yadi's lingering issues worry me more than anything. This team has been like a MASH unit all year and risen above the challenge but the playoffs are different and the law of averages has to come into play sometime. Lot's of ball to play, anything can happen.

Another game they could have won with a good start. Then the bullpen blew the rest, Adam W got hit hard last game, they were just at people. Even God made sure the last warm day of year that the wind was blowing out.

 

[Ace Bandage]

Soler hasn't even made an out yet in this series. 4H (2 HR) and 5 BB in 9 AB. Dude is really seeing the ball well.

Some of Maddon's moves make me scratch my head. I didn't understand pulling Soler and Schwarber. On nights like tonight, you can't have enough runs. I don't understand making defensive switches in the outfield. Unless Coghlan and Denorfia can scale walls and field balls in the bleachers, their gloves really don't matter with the wind blowing straight out. Why not leave in the power hitters and see if they can add to the lead?

I also didn't like playing Baez at shortstop over Castro. I assumed Starlin would move to short when Russell went down, but that was not the case. That almost ended up biting the Cubs late in the game. I guess it's not time to start doubting Maddon now... but sometimes it seems like he's trying to out coach himself.

 

[Jagger69]

Another game they could have won with a good start. Then the bullpen blew the rest, Adam W got hit hard last game, they were just at people. Even God made sure the last warm day of year that the wind was blowing out.

The wind was blowing out for both teams. One team hit six home runs, the other hit two. Besides Heyward and Piscotty, no one is hitting above .200 for the series. Our pitching, which has been the bulwark of our success all year, is breaking down. The wear on Siegrist and Maness is really starting to show. Molina shouldn't even be on the roster....dude is obviously injured. So many things going south for us right now. Still, if the bulldog can give us a solid outing and we go back to Busch, it's still our series to lose. Taking nothing away from the Cubs (really a solid young team....impressive) but, so far, we seem to be doing a pretty good job of doing just that.

Soler hasn't even made an out yet in this series. 4H (2 HR) and 5 BB in 9 AB. Dude is really seeing the ball well.

He's really a promising young player. Reminds me of Vladimir Guerrero.

 

[Ace Bandage]

Losing Russel's glove at shortstop (and his bat as well) is a huge blow defensively. Javi couldn't even throw the ball across the diamond yesterday. Both of his throws were low. One of them ended up being an error. Cubs cannot afford to make any mistakes. Scary to say that I trust Castro more, but there it is.

I don't like tonight's pitching match up at all: Lackey was dominating in his last performance and Hammel is notoriously unreliable. I do not have a good feeling about this game. I would not be surprised if the red birds won this one handily.

 

[barebeaverlover]

My salute to the calculator and slide rule geeks in the Dodger front office :thefinger

You've only had the entire season to acquire a dependable third starter. Now do you finally understand why you might just possibly need one?

Fucking morons. Go sit on your precious analytics.
Here's hoping the Dodger ownership group finds that failure as incomprehensible and inexcusable as I do.

:rofl2::goodpost: Same salute to all the slide rule geeks. They can sit on their slide rulers sideways.

 

[Jagger69]

Allow me to be the first to congratulate the Cubs on their series win over my Redbirds in the NLDS. They outplayed us, outhit us, outpitched us and definitely outmanaged us (how Matheny expected Siegrist to go multiple innings today when he had Lyons and Villanueva in the pen is totally baffling but....hey, it's history).

Whether they go on to win the NLCS or not, the Cubs future is very bright. Those of you who have been waiting over 100 years for a WS championship are closer than you have ever been. Of course, the Cardinals aren't going anywhere so you'll have us to contend with us for some time to come. I am concerned about the present club's ability from a management standpoint to take it to the next level and win it all. Everyone likes to brag on how many years in a row the Cardinals have been in the playoffs. Well, all I know is that the last time we won it all, Tony LaRussa was the manager, not Mike Matheny. Until Matheny proves he has what it takes to win it all, he's a failure in my book.

Anyway, congrats once again.

Now I'll be rooting for the Astros. Feels strange but they're all I have left.

Otherwise, it's hockey season. Let's go Blues!! If the Cubs can do it, so can you! LOL

 

[Ace Bandage]

Classy as always, Jagger. :hatsoff:

Cubs won a postseason series against the best team in baseball. I couldn't be happier. Still a tough road ahead, but these kids seem to be taking everything in stride. Can't wait for Saturday.

 

[maildude]

If the Jays hold on....it might take the nasty smell of the Tigers out of my nose...

 

[barebeaverlover]

The 7th inning between the Jays & Texas may be the craziest inning I've seen in 50 years of watching baseball. Just crazy.

 

[feller469]

Can't give a good team extra outs. Blue Jays took advantage. It was a crazy inning.

 

[Jagger69]

Classy as always, Jagger. :hatsoff:

Cubs won a postseason series against the best team in baseball. I couldn't be happier. Still a tough road ahead, but these kids seem to be taking everything in stride. Can't wait for Saturday.

Thanks, Ace. I think they are still looking for that ball that Schwarber hit off Siegrist....in Michigan probably. Man, did he tattoo that thing! Kid is scary powerful. Cubs seem to have some mojo going but they still have a long way to go. I love baseball so I'll be watching no matter what. Proud of what the Redbirds were able to do in the regular season but they have been holding on for a month and a half and the Cubs have been surging so the better team definitely won. Good luck going forward....you're gonna need it. We'll get you next year.

The 7th inning between the Jays & Texas may be the craziest inning I've seen in 50 years of watching baseball. Just crazy.

I totally agree. As crazy as it was, the umps got the call right but, in the end Bautista took things into his own hands, literally. I was disappointed to see the reaction from the Jays' crowd by pelting the field with debris. Rangers blowing a 2-0 lead after winning the first two in Toronto has to be one of the biggest choke jobs or greatest comebacks in MLB history. Jays proved to be the better team in the end and they will cause a lot of problems whomever they play going forward. Gutsy performance.

Now....Let's go Astros!!

 

[barebeaverlover]

Thanks, Ace. I think they are still looking for that ball that Schwarber hit off Siegrist....in Michigan probably. Man, did he tattoo that thing! Kid is scary powerful. Cubs seem to have some mojo going but they still have a long way to go. I love baseball so I'll be watching no matter what. Proud of what the Redbirds were able to do in the regular season but they have been holding on for a month and a half and the Cubs have been surging so the better team definitely won. Good luck going forward....you're gonna need it. We'll get you next year.



I totally agree. As crazy as it was, the umps got the call right but, in the end Bautista took things into his own hands, literally. I was disappointed to see the reaction from the Jays' crowd by pelting the field with debris. Rangers blowing a 2-0 lead after winning the first two in Toronto has to be one of the biggest choke jobs or greatest comebacks in MLB history. Jays proved to be the better team in the end and they will cause a lot of problems whomever they play going forward. Gutsy performance.

Now....Let's go Astros!!

Jagger-the Cards won the most games in baseball-they went down fighting. They're a model organization. Too bad about the injuries-I wanted to see 2 healthy teams go toe to toe.

The umps got it right-too bad the fans didn't. That was disgraceful throwing garbage on the field. Encarnacion & Bautista are the 2 longest serving position players on the Jays. I guess it's right that they get the 2 biggest hits. The 3 pitchers today are all home grown & under 25. Sanchez should be a starter next year.

 

[John_8581]

Looks like the Texas teams are out of it.

Blue Jays and Royals have been battling all year....

 

[darkwarrior3007]

And then there was one more Division Series left. I hope for a happy ending and a series with the Cubs.

 

[zeeblofowl_1969]

And then there was one more Division Series left. I hope for a happy ending and a series with the Cubs.

Go Dodgers!!

 

[zeeblofowl_1969]

How many times will the Rangers drill Bautista for that bat flip next year??
Over under is 4.
My oh my.

 

[Ace Bandage]

Toronto came across as completely classless yesterday. Maybe I'm an old school guy, but that bat flip by Bautista was fucking ridiculous. He deserves to get nailed for that down the road. And what's with the players celebrating on the field immediately after the HR? The game is still going on. That wasn't a walk-off. The fuck are you doing? Act like you've been there before. I know it's been 22 years but goddamn. Could you see a player on the Cardinals doing a bat flip like that in a key situation? No. Could you see Cardinals fans throwing shit on the field like that and delaying the game? No. That type of behavior is inexcusable and classless. Have some respect for the game.

I don't ever watch the Jays because they're out of market, and I hate the DH rule. Does this shit happen very often? I didn't have any fucks to give for who won the AL before, but I'll definitely be rooting for KC now.

 

[feller469]

I don't mind the bat-flip. Fought the idea for a long time, but no one seems to mind Carlton Fisk celebrating his homer in Game 6 in 75. The game is played by a younger generation that is all about the celebration. We are also seeing a cultural switch. Not so much a white man's game now. The Latin flavor is going to spice up the game.

Besides, if I ever hit a 400+ foot homer in the 7th inning of an elimination game, I would probably want to show some emotion.

 

[Jagger69]

I don't mind the bat-flip. Fought the idea for a long time, but no one seems to mind Carlton Fisk celebrating his homer in Game 6 in 75. The game is played by a younger generation that is all about the celebration. We are also seeing a cultural switch. Not so much a white man's game now. The Latin flavor is going to spice up the game.

Besides, if I ever hit a 400+ foot homer in the 7th inning of an elimination game, I would probably want to show some emotion.

:goodpost:

I'm an old-schooler.....a complete traditionalist by any measurement. I was brought up in the age when you hit a home run, you dropped the bat and held your eyes in a stoic and straight-forward manner and circled the bases as quickly as possible.....trying not to show up the opposing pitcher.

However, as feller states, this is a different age and a different demographic playing the national pastime. Now, it's the international pastime and it appears that things that would typically be labelled as "showboating" by us old-fogies are simply representative of the status quo in this new era. A batter can do a bat flip and admire his work before slowly circling the bases. By the same token, a pitcher can do a fist-pump and yell out loud when he gets a big strikeout. If you think about it, it actually adds to the entertainment value of the game, especially for the casual fan. How much styling and hot-dogging do you see in the NFL? It's the most popular sport in America and it hasn't seemed to bother it much.

Personally, I like the old way of doing things. I hate the DH and don't really like bat-flipping and the like but I think it's here to stay. As the demographic component of the game has changed (and, let's face it, the Hispanic influence in today's MLB is overwhelming), it's inevitable that old traditions and unwritten rules will change with them. Is it a good thing? As long as it creates more baseball fans, I would say yes.

By the same token, the behavior of the Toronto fans in that weird 7th inning was inexcusable. The entire city should be ashamed of itself. Bat-flipping is one thing.....pelting the field and the decks below with beer bottles and other debris is stupid, dangerous and irresponsible to say the least. I don't have any thing against the city of Toronto but that was a total travesty. Shame on y'all.

 

[barebeaverlover]

I'm as old school as it gets & I hated that bat flip-just hated it. I'll echo what others have said, it's a different time & different demographics. I guess if you're going to pimp a home run, it's better to pimp this home run & not a home run in June that puts you up 10-2.

I've lived just outside of Toronto most of my life & I was embarassed by what a few jerks did.:crying: It sheds a bad light on what is a pretty good city otherwise.