The Swamp

Maybe spicer has an announcement?

Mariano Rivera may have dethroned Will Clark atop my ranking of "baseball players who look like a completely different human when not wearing a hat."

Favorite team: Yankees
ML parks you've been to: 13
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 3
Been to Cooperstown?: Yes
Playoff games attended: 3(?)
Last ML park visited: Yankee Stadium
Ever gotten a foul ball?: One (on the fly, Matsui off Harden, and dropped one to someone else a couple years ago)

Favorite team: Red Sox
ML parks you've been to: 7 (8 if you count concerts)
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 2, soon to be 3
Been to Cooperstown?: Yes
Playoff games attended: 3
Last ML park visited: Fenway
Ever gotten a foul ball?: No

edit: I forgot about a bad playoff game

Favorite team: Giants & whoever plays the Dodgers
ML parks you've been to: 14
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 7 (!)
Been to Cooperstown?: No
Playoff games attended: 6
Last ML park visited: San Francisco/AT&T
Ever gotten a foul ball?: No (But, I did get a home run ball once)

Favorite team: Yankees
ML parks you've been to: 18
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 4
Been to Cooperstown?: No
Playoff games attended: 4 or 5 (there's one I legit can't remember if I was there or am just imagining)
Last ML park visited: Coors
Ever gotten a foul ball?: No but my dad did once

Favorite team: Tigers
ML parks you've been to: 15 (including the whole NL West)
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 5
Been to Cooperstown?: Yes
Playoff games attended: 1
Last ML park visited: Jacobs Field
Ever gotten a foul ball?: One, hit by a major leaguer on a minor league rehab assignment, so 50%?

Favorite team: Rays
ML parks you've been to: 13
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 7 (Riverfront, old Busch, Shea, old Yankee, 2x Braves, Three Rivers)
Been to Cooperstown?: No
Playoff games attended: 1 (pretty sure only game 2 of 08 WS, but maybe an earlier round that year as well)
Last ML park visited: Tropicana
Ever gotten a foul ball?: Rolling around under the stands at a spring training game.

Favorite team: Reds and Indians
ML parks you've been to: 11
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 2 (Riverfront and old Tigers)
Been to Cooperstown?: Yes
Playoff games attended: 1
Last ML park visited: Jacobs Field
Ever gotten a foul ball?: No, but I missed a home run ball by about two feet

Favorite team: Reds
ML parks you've been to: 19
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: 6
Been to Cooperstown?: Yes
Playoff games attended: 0
Last ML park visited: Coors Field
Ever gotten a foul ball?: No...only time even close was a ball bounced off my back

Astros scored 11 runs, had 11ks, Cole got his 11th win and Air Yordan hit his 11th HR. All on Apollo 11 night. GOD IS SO GREAT AND WORKS WONDERS, Y'ALL!

Craig Biggio had a slugging percentage under .425, you guessed it, 11 times!!! 🤯🤯🤯

Favorite team: Yankees
ML parks you've been to: 15
Parks you've been to that are no longer being used: Yankee Stadium II, Shea Stadium, Fulton County Stadium, Joe Robbie / Pro Player Stadium, Turner Field, At least a half dozen Spring Training stadiums...
Been to Cooperstown?: Yes
Playoff games attended: I think 6. I went to OPCY for the two games the Yankees played the O's in the ALDS in '12. Saw the O's home games v the Tigers in '14 (one of which they smacked around Max Scherzer)..Saw the Rays (gm 6, 7) close out the Red Sox in '08 on their way to losing to the Sillies in 5.
Last ML park visited: Nationals Park a month ago, Strasburg got the win in Keuchel's debut, 4-3.
Ever gotten a foul ball?: Too many to count for minor league or ST games. Particularly when I was a kid and my Dad would take us to Bristol and then later New Britain to watch the AA Red Sox play. I'd nab at least one ball a game then. When you're 4' nothing you can navigate a set of mid 1970s bleachers like nobody's business. The lone foul ball I caught in a MLB regular season game was a 500 foot popup by Ryan Howard (in his prime) in Philly. Great park. I had the vantage point of being in an aisle seat a couple rows off the field, maybe a half-a-section from 3B. Oh...It was the first inning. Place was still filling in (day game, Sat or Sun, can't recall). Freakin thing whistled on its way down. Caught it in my hat.

This Gooden stuff is sad as hell. Arrested again in NJ, this time Newark for DUI just after midnight.

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2019 1:50 pm This Gooden stuff is sad as hell. Arrested again in NJ, this time Newark for DUI just after midnight.

Again? A few weeks back they announced an arrest that was from a few weeks prior to that.

I agree with you, it's sad as hell. He really can't shake the substances. He was HUGE in Tampa.

This will go down as the first and only time I don’t regret staying up until 1:00 AM for a regular season game.

I enjoyed reading this. There are some terrible, terrible trades listed.

30 teams, 30 bad deals: Revisiting the worst deadline trade your team ever made

I love these. Cashman's ability to avoid horror trades remains impressive (even if he's been bailed out by the other team once or twice).

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 9:03 am I love these. Cashman's ability to avoid horror trades remains impressive (even if he's been bailed out by the other team once or twice).

He also hasn’t won a division title in a decade. Interestingly enough, he’s overseen the largest stretch of Yankee futility since the 1900-1919 era, winning only two World Series.

Things are relative and all that, of course.

Sabo wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:35 am I enjoyed reading this. There are some terrible, terrible trades listed.

30 teams, 30 bad deals: Revisiting the worst deadline trade your team ever made

I still refuse to think that Tigers trade was really all that bad. I get if you're just going by WAR, but that was the very epitome of how a deadline deal trade is supposed to work. The Tigers got a guy who gave them enough single-season WAR to win the division title that year (by one game in one of the great division races in MLB history), but unfortunately flamed out to a luckier team in the playoffs, which happens since MLB playoffs are a crapshoot.

They gave up a second-tier prospect, who no one thought at the time (not even the Braves probably) was going to turn into a Hall of Famer.

I get these things can be evaluated different ways and if you're looking from a coldly numerical perspective, then sure it was a horrible trade, but that's the risk -- hell, the likelihood -- any time you're trading prospects for someone who can help you in the short-term.

It's always nice to be at the top of a list like this. I got into several internet arguments about the worst Astros trade and the article summed up my side succinctly.

brian wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 9:39 am

Sabo wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:35 am I enjoyed reading this. There are some terrible, terrible trades listed.

30 teams, 30 bad deals: Revisiting the worst deadline trade your team ever made

I still refuse to think that Tigers trade was really all that bad. I get if you're just going by WAR, but that was the very epitome of how a deadline deal trade is supposed to work. The Tigers got a guy who gave them enough single-season WAR to win the division title that year (by one game in one of the great division races in MLB history), but unfortunately flamed out to a luckier team in the playoffs, which happens since MLB playoffs are a crapshoot.

They gave up a second-tier prospect, who no one thought at the time (not even the Braves probably) was going to turn into a Hall of Famer.

I get these things can be evaluated different ways and if you're looking from a coldly numerical perspective, then sure it was a horrible trade, but that's the risk -- hell, the likelihood -- any time you're trading prospects for someone who can help you in the short-term.

Agreed - the TIgers, or any team really, make that trade 10 out of 10 times for what Doyle Alexander represented to their win-now opportunity.

However, Smoltz wasn’t a second tier prospect. He was highly regarded, but went undrafted for 21+ rounds cuz he was committed to pitch for Michigan State. The Tigers took a flier on him and for whatever reason he bit. He struggled in the Tigers’ MiL system, which I guess made him expendable. He began putting it together post-trade in ‘88 AAA Richmond though..And two years later Mazzone arrives in ATL and the rest is history.

Yeah, that's only a bad trade in retrospect. Chapman for Torres felt like a bad trade at that moment and probably still is unless you take a binary / butterfly effect "we won the World Series so it had to be good" view.

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 2:19 pm Yeah, that's only a bad trade in retrospect. Chapman for Torres felt like a bad trade at that moment and probably still is unless you take a binary / butterfly effect "we won the World Series so it had to be good" view.

But is it a bad trade, knowing chances are good Smoltz might've been selling cars by 1994 had he stayed in DET's organization?

Spot-on with the Torres/Chapman deal. Hopefully he continues on his path. He's 22 (lol). But you won't find a Cub fan that would've done things differently.

I'm sure you can find a decent subset of Cubs fans who would do it over trading a lesser prospect(s) for a reliever that wasn't at the top of the market just like you might, hypothetically, find a Rangers fan who would take a do-over on keeping Weight and Amonte.

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 3:21 pm I'm sure you can find a decent subset of Cubs fans who would do it over trading a lesser prospect(s) for a reliever that wasn't at the top of the market just like you might, hypothetically, find a Rangers fan who would take a do-over on keeping Weight and Amonte.

I mean, there are always people who go the polar route, but...Nah. 108 years dude. Generations died off not having seen a Cubs WS trophy. They would've dealt Kris freakin Bryant if it'd have guaranteed them a championship.

I imagine a lot of that is age based; I was a 16 year old first generation Rangers fan so I hated seeing those guys go. If I were 60 or if I had a grandfather who was a Rangers fan, I'm sure you're right.



(By the same token, I wouldn't trade Judge and Torres for a guarantee of a 2019 WS.)

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 5:15 pm I imagine a lot of that is age based; I was a 16 year old first generation Rangers fan so I hated seeing those guys go. If I were 60 or if I had a grandfather who was a Rangers fan, I'm sure you're right.



(By the same token, I wouldn't trade Judge and Torres for a guarantee of a 2019 WS.)

Why would you? The Yankees have won 27 WS since 1923 and you've likely seen 6 or 7 of them. The Rangers have won 4 Stanley Cups since the '23 season. By any objective measure, yes - pathetic, and the trades the Rangers may have made to get to the promised land could be viewed as painful, but let's not suggest they were in the same universe as the Chicago Cubs were mired in.

It is 3:30 in the morning. I can't sleep. Just saw the Orioles and Angels are still playing. The O's have only used one position substitute and 8 pitchers. The Angels have used 10 pitchers.

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:35 am It is 3:30 in the morning. I can't sleep. Just saw the Orioles and Angels are still playing. The O's have only used one position substitute and 8 pitchers. The Angels have used 10 pitchers.

I could only watch til the 11th. What a wild ending.
Both teams scored 3 in the 15th. O's got 2 in the 16th and Wilkerson, the center fielder, pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the save throwing 55mph. First ever save by a position player.

I figure that the increase of just regular position guys pitching should probably increase moving forward. Like anytime the lead is practically insurmountable, wouldn't it make sense to just to let regular dudes pitch? Like that 30-3 game about a decade ago.

The Box Score

That game was 14-3 after 6. Neither team scored in the 7th, then Texas put up 10 in the top of the 8th. Once it was like 17-3, I would think it would make sense for both the Orioles and the Rangers to wave the white flag and just send in any guy who feels like reliving his high school years. The game was over at that point. I would think a modern team like Tampa, the Cubs, or the Astros would just draw straws to see who wants to pitch.

EnochRoot wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:30 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 5:15 pm I imagine a lot of that is age based; I was a 16 year old first generation Rangers fan so I hated seeing those guys go. If I were 60 or if I had a grandfather who was a Rangers fan, I'm sure you're right.



(By the same token, I wouldn't trade Judge and Torres for a guarantee of a 2019 WS.)

Until

Why would you? The Yankees have won 27 WS since 1923 and you've likely seen 6 or 7 of them. The Rangers have won 4 Stanley Cups since the '23 season. By any objective measure, yes - pathetic, and the trades the Rangers may have made to get to the promised land could be viewed as painful, but let's not suggest they were in the same universe as the Chicago Cubs were mired in.

The NY Rangers were in a situation very much analogous to the Cubs. They hadn’t won a Cup since 1940 until the Messier Cup season. Islander fans would chant “1940!, 1940!, 1940!...”. One Stanley Cup in 80 years is very Cub-like.

L-Jam3 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 10:46 am I figure that the increase of just regular position guys pitching should probably increase moving forward. Like anytime the lead is practically insurmountable, wouldn't it make sense to just to let regular dudes pitch? Like that 30-3 game about a decade ago.

The Box Score

That game was 14-3 after 6. Neither team scored in the 7th, then Texas put up 10 in the top of the 8th. Once it was like 17-3, I would think it would make sense for both the Orioles and the Rangers to wave the white flag and just send in any guy who feels like reliving his high school years. The game was over at that point. I would think a modern team like Tampa, the Cubs, or the Astros would just draw straws to see who wants to pitch.

Or how about MLB have a regular season mercy rule like little league? If 10 is not enough then make it 12 or 15.

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:20 am
Both teams scored 3 in the 15th. O's got 2 in the 16th and Wilkerson, the center fielder, pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the save topping out at 55mph.

Evidently, a few pitches were too slow to be picked up by the pitch radar.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 11:03 am

EnochRoot wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:30 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 5:15 pm I imagine a lot of that is age based; I was a 16 year old first generation Rangers fan so I hated seeing those guys go. If I were 60 or if I had a grandfather who was a Rangers fan, I'm sure you're right.



(By the same token, I wouldn't trade Judge and Torres for a guarantee of a 2019 WS.)

Until

Why would you? The Yankees have won 27 WS since 1923 and you've likely seen 6 or 7 of them. The Rangers have won 4 Stanley Cups since the '23 season. By any objective measure, yes - pathetic, and the trades the Rangers may have made to get to the promised land could be viewed as painful, but let's not suggest they were in the same universe as the Chicago Cubs were mired in.

The NY Rangers were in a situation very much analogous to the Cubs. They hadn’t won a Cup since 1940 until the Messier Cup season. Islander fans would chant “1940!, 1940!, 1940!...”. One Stanley Cup in 80 years is very Cub-like.

I guess so. But getting chanted at by fans of a team that didn't even exist until 1971 is sorta lame. It's akin to folks from Virginia chanting "Let's Go Red Sox!" at Nationals Park. The retaliatory "You're From Fairfax!" response is the best. And at any rate, It was by extension the entire Chicagoland area that was starved for a World Series title. The Cubs hadn't won one since 1908, and the White Sox last won in 1917 (they won it all again in '05).

Can one of you nerds verify that this is bad?

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 11:11 am

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:20 am
Both teams scored 3 in the 15th. O's got 2 in the 16th and Wilkerson, the center fielder, pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the save topping out at 55mph.

Evidently, a few pitches were too slow to be picked up by the pitch radar.

Watched his pitches this morning. Looked like he was throwing BP or HR derby ball.

Crazier thing...the fact that the Orioles are not the worst team in the bigs.

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 11:11 am

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:20 am
Both teams scored 3 in the 15th. O's got 2 in the 16th and Wilkerson, the center fielder, pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the save topping out at 55mph.

Evidently, a few pitches were too slow to be picked up by the pitch radar.

So how do the Angels not hit that?

If a pitcher could switch from 90+ to 50 mph, would it totally destroy hitters?

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 11:54 am

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 11:11 am

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:20 am
Both teams scored 3 in the 15th. O's got 2 in the 16th and Wilkerson, the center fielder, pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the save topping out at 55mph.

Evidently, a few pitches were too slow to be picked up by the pitch radar.

So how do the Angels not hit that?

If a pitcher could switch from 90+ to 50 mph, would it totally destroy hitters?

I’m guessing 50 mph is slow enough that mlb hitters would have time to realize it’s a meatball. 85 from the same arm slot as a 95? Not so much.