The MLB Thread

vansmack wrote:
I threw my hat across the room when Hamilton dove head-first into first base last night.

Had to apologize to those in the room.

Now he's out two months and I take back my apology. 

Trade him to the Rangers, they'll take him.

vansmack wrote:
I threw my hat across the room when Hamilton dove head-first into first base last night.

Had to apologize to those in the room.

Now he's out two months and I take back my apology. 

What the hell is the matter with professional athletes?  These are no brainers.

He was my star player on my American League fantasy team.  I just replaced someone in this keeper league and that person didn't leave much to keep.  So I thought I got lucky when I got Hamilton cheap in the draft.  What I am saying this hurts me more than you.

This is a good read.  MLB's new interpretation of the transfer rule is a mess.  Maybe it's because I watch a lot of West Coast Baseball where it seems to be happening more often, but I've seen it about a half a dozen times now where what used to be a clear out in the outfield and a dropped transfer to the throwing hand is now called no catch.  But it's a nightmare for the base runners, who aren't getting help from the umpires on the base paths.

I really do hope a cagey outfielder intentionally drops a transfer soon and gets everybody out in the chaos. 

tommy john surgery is out of control…

i wonder if it would make any difference if you limited pitchers to 3 innings per game…

but i know relief pitchers have had to have tommy john too…think mariano rivera although wasn't he a starter at the beginning of his career?

either way, i'd be tempted as a manager to handle my pitchers unconventionally…. pitch them more often (in the case of starters) but for less innings)…

vansmack wrote:
I really do hope a cagey outfielder intentionally drops a transfer soon and gets everybody out in the chaos. 

cagey outfielder? is that the adjective used to describe someone (or something) as nicholas cage-like?

hutch wrote:
tommy john surgery is out of control…

The one's you are seeing are too late to prevent.  The real fixes have to come in high school/college and year round club ball, where the majority of Tommy John surgeries are happening.  It's the damage done when they are young that causes the problems now.

If you have Soundlcoud, this conversation with Dr James Andrews from last week is worth a listen on the issue.

stevewizzle wrote:

vansmack wrote:
I really do hope a cagey outfielder intentionally drops a transfer soon and gets everybody out in the chaos. 

cagey outfielder? is that the adjective used to describe someone (or something) as nicholas cage-like?

Agreed.  That was a poor choice of words as I was rushing out of my office.  Cagey means suspicious.  I was probably going for cheeky, because I wanted something more than clever.  Clever with a hint of deviousness.

Pour yourself s mojito, sit on the back deck, turn baseball on the radio, preferably Vin Scully's voice, and read this:

The Puig Story

Pineda is an idiot,  but I can't believe there wasn't a veteran in the clubhouse that didn't walk up to him and say "not this week,  kid.  Under no circumstances"

vansmack wrote:
Pineda is an idiot,  but I can't believe there wasn't a veteran in the clubhouse that didn't walk up to him and say "not this week,  kid.  Under no circumstances"

I love it.

vansmack wrote:
Pineda is an idiot,  but I can't believe there wasn't a veteran in the clubhouse that didn't walk up to him and say "not this week,  kid.  Under no circumstances"

maybe the yankees are lacking a veteran presence in the locker room.

just kidding, it's practically a retirement home over there.

Yankees and Pineda failed each other 

Pretty spot on take of the situation.  Their failure continued in the dugout afterwards.  The only think I can think of is that they did talk to Pineda, and he ignored them, so they left him hanging.

Put this in the Nats thread but probably should have just dropped it here. An interactive map of baseball fans and their favorite teams, broken down by zipcode.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/24/upshot/facebook-baseball-map.html#5,40.034,-80.567

Its just done by fb likes from that zipcode, wonder how accurate this really even is.

Either way, pretty awesome map.

Here's the full article with more nerdy stuff

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/23/upshot/24-upshot-baseball.html

This Tigers bullpen is killing me. I don't understand how we've made an effort this season and the last two to upgrade the pen and put big $$ into it and trade away guys for pen guys and they just hemmorage runs nightly. It's maddening. Loaded the bases last night and gave up the Grand slam to lose and a comedy of 85mph meatballs going again right now. Sigh. 

Also Alex Avila is a free steal any time a runner on first wants it. Gahhhhhh.

This never should have happened in the first place.  What a disastrous month this was:

MLB Reverses Transfer Rule

Julian, wrote:
This Tigers bullpen is killing me. I don't understand how we've made an effort this season and the last two to upgrade the pen and put big $$ into it and trade away guys for pen guys and they just hemmorage runs nightly. It's maddening. Loaded the bases last night and gave up the Grand slam to lose and a comedy of 85mph meatballs going again right now. Sigh. 

Nathan seems to have turned it around. 

vansmack wrote:
This never should have happened in the first place.  What a disastrous month this was:

MLB Reverses Transfer Rule

Reminiscent of the 'Year of the Balk'.  Another catastrophe.  Now it's on to new pine tar rules!

Shemp wrote:
Reminiscent of the 'Year of the Balk'.   Another catastrophe.  Now it's on to new pine tar rules!

Oh yeah - the "complete stop" rule.  Dave Stewart couldn't figure that one out.  Another great example of bad rule enforcement.  What was the name of the Mariner who balked in like 1/3 of his appearances?

EDIT: Rod Scurry, better known from the Pittsburgh Cocaine days.  He balked 11 times that season in 31 1/3 innings.

Shemp wrote:

vansmack wrote:
This never should have happened in the first place.  What a disastrous month this was:

MLB Reverses Transfer Rule

Reminiscent of the 'Year of the Balk'.   Another catastrophe.  Now it's on to new pine tar rules!

I don't know what the Pine Tar rules is suppose to mean.  There is a rule that pitchers can't use it.  Simple rule.  I think the punishment should be stiffer.  How is suspending a guy for 10 games and paying him punishment.  Cheating seems to be encouraged in baseball.  Suspend them for 30 days without pay.