The MLB Thread

vansmack wrote:
Red Sox hire Dombrowski.  How does that work with DiPoto?

as far as I knew, DiPoto was just supposed to be a consultant type for the off-season, but hiring Dombrowski means Ben Cherington will be gone, something I'm not completely sad over….. I absolutely disagreed with Cherington saddling the team with bloated payroll by giving Sandoval 95 Mil over 5 years and Ramirez 88 Mil over 4 during the last off season, a complete departure from their stated objectives as it pertains to player contracts, while just trying to cut and paste in a pitching staff…. so yeah, the Sox grabbed a WS title 2 years ago, definitely a memorable year, but they also (have and are about to) finish last the other 3 years over this recent 4 year span…..

Dodgers acquire Chase Utley

Norris, a Tigers pitcher, just hit a three run homer to dead center in his first career at bat. Off Lester. I know no one else will care but that was awesome.

Julian, wrote:
Norris, a Tigers pitcher, just hit a three run homer to dead center in his first career at bat. Off Lester. I know no one else will care but that was awesome.

Yes, it was awesome.

Dan Patrick is having an interesting conversation about whether David Ortiz is a Hall Of Famer or not. Thoughts, anyone?

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:
Norris, a Tigers pitcher, just hit a three run homer to dead center in his first career at bat. Off Lester. I know no one else will care but that was awesome.

Yes, it was awesome.

BTW - he also apparently broke a score board in Wrigley during BP.  Even more awesome.

vansmack wrote:
BTW - he also apparently broke a score board in Wrigley during BP.  Even more awesome.

I found it weird he got through all of his minor league ball without ever coming up to bat either. Strange.

Julian, wrote:

vansmack wrote:
BTW - he also apparently broke a score board in Wrigley during BP.  Even more awesome.

I found it weird he got through all of his minor league ball without ever coming up to bat either. Strange.

I don't think that's so strange…. as far as I know, the NL is the only league left in all organized baseball that still has the pitchers hit, so I'd think most pitchers would come up to the Majors without a professional at-bat….. could be wrong, of course…..

Kubacheck wrote:

Julian, wrote:

vansmack wrote:
BTW - he also apparently broke a score board in Wrigley during BP.  Even more awesome.

I found it weird he got through all of his minor league ball without ever coming up to bat either. Strange.

I don't think that's so strange…. as far as I know, the NL is the only league left in all organized baseball that still has the pitchers hit, so I'd think most pitchers would come up to the Majors without a professional at-bat….. could be wrong, of course…..

I did not realize the DH was ubiquitous in MiLB. To be honest, I had never thought about it. Either way, Norris is now on the DL.

Kubacheck wrote:

Julian, wrote:I don't think that's so strange…. as far as I know, the NL is the only league left in all organized baseball that still has the pitchers hit, so I'd think most pitchers would come up to the Majors without a professional at-bat….. could be wrong, of course…..

It's not quite that clean, but pretty much, yes. 

In double and triple A ball, when both teams are NL affiliates, the pitchers bat.  In the Pac Coast league, both NL affiliates have to agree to have pitchers bat, but both have to agree.

In any minors game with an American League squad - no pitchers bat.

In rookie, single A, and all other leagues, no pitchers bat.

So it's not odd that an American league pitchers first AB is at the major's level.

either way, it's pretty cool to hit a HR in your first ML at-bat…. to do it while never having had a professional AB previously is pretty amazing…..

If you don't think I sent a message to Jules saying "Hey, no hitter!" in the late innings, then you don't know Smackie.

vansmack wrote:
If you don't think I sent a message to Jules saying "Hey, no hitter!" in the late innings, then you don't know Smackie.

There was a solid five minutes I hated you there.

Julian, wrote:There was a solid five minutes I hated you there.

If it wasn't the Angels, I would have said "Hey, are you watching the Tigers game right now?"

But, it was, so I didn't.

Now it's on - who drinks more, the guy whose team almost had a no hitter or the guy whose team only managed one hit?

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:There was a solid five minutes I hated you there.

If it wasn't the Angels, I would have said "Hey, are you watching the Tigers game right now?"

But, it was, so I didn't.

Now it's on - who drinks more, the guy whose team almost had a no hitter or the guy whose team only managed one hit?

Your favorite baseball team will probably still get into the playoffs. That was the one shining potential star of the Tigers season (well. .  . Iglesias coming into arguably elite status??).

It also kills my ability to discuss if JV, with three no hitters, had guaranteed a HoF spot. Which would've been an interesting discussion. I'm deprived of that.

I stopped drinking shortly after we talked, FYI. Old man Julian can't do that on a Wednesday.

You can still discuss the "JV 3 no-hitters guaranteed HoF spot" as a hypothetical…. My opinion would be no, at least on the basis of the no-hitters being the overriding factor, since history has shown that no-hitters aren't exactly an indication of career accomplishments….. Virgil Trucks, who once threw 2 no-hitters in a year where his overall record was 5-19, is a good example of the random nature of no-hitters…..

He will always be in my HoF….

Kubacheck wrote:
My opinion would be no, at least on the basis of the no-hitters being the overriding factor, since history has shown that no-hitters aren't exactly an indication of career accomplishments…..

I didn't mean does a hypothetical pitcher with 3 no-hitters get automatic entrance to the Hall. I was asking specifically if it got Verlander into the hall. Pretend he got it last night. If he has one more average season (17-9) and then blows out his elbow and is done, would he get in in the era we live in where no pitcher will sniff the traditional 300 wins? He would have a real odd candidacy with a MVP, multiple WS game 1 starts, legitimate years of dominance, and 3 no hitters. By the traditional numbers, he racked up nowhere near the career needed to get in, but I almost think he would.

vansmack wrote:
He will always be in my HoF….

She has HUGE love for the University of Michigan.

Hey Jules - Randy Wolf is no hitting the Angels through one two batters inning.