MLB 2015 - April!

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:58 pm

Games that count!

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 7:21 pm

So glad that the Braves have traded all of the players I liked so that I can go back to rooting for them.

I hope Heyward hits .450

EdRomero · Post by **EdRomero** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 7:31 pm

Joe Maddon batting his pitcher in the 8 spot. What an innovative genius fuckface.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 7:38 pm

Wrigley may look like a complete disaster right now, but at least the bleachers can't get to free agency a year early

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:01 pm

How does hitting the pitcher 8th make any sense? Why not hit him 7th?

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:02 pm

EdRomero wrote:Joe Maddon batting his pitcher in the 8 spot. What an innovative genius fuckface.

Is it just me or is the double-switch explanation they just gave for that on the ESPN broadcast totally nonsensical?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:18 pm

I didn't hear the explanation, but I think the general logic is that, especially early in the season, the best bet is the pitcher will only hit twice so there's more upside in pairing the 8th place with your leadoff guy and rolling it over strong(er).

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:24 pm

mister d wrote:I didn't hear the explanation, but I think the general logic is that, especially early in the season, the best bet is the pitcher will only hit twice so there's more upside in pairing the 8th place with your leadoff guy and rolling it over strong(er).

I get the idea of rolling over stronger, although I'm not sure I agree with the strategy. The first time Lester came up it was with 2 outs and a man in third and Wainwright could just strike him out, rather than giving the #8 hitter a free pass first, which would've allowed the leadoff hitter to bat first in the next inning. But they claimed Maddon wanted him 8th so he could double switch sooner, which I don't follow.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:41 pm

Yeah, no idea there, especially since the ideal double switch includes the 7 hitter and thats your catcher.

EdRomero · Post by **EdRomero** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:51 pm

I feel like the "Jon Lester won't throw to a base" story line was under reported until tonight.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 8:53 pm

Right? To the extent I can't believe its real.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 9:17 pm

Ryan wrote:Wrigley may look like a complete disaster right now, but at least the bleachers can't get to free agency a year early

Applause.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 6:24 am

mister d wrote:Right? To the extent I can't believe its real.

Agreed. How does it never get mentioned nationally before now?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 6:53 am

People noticed at the end of last year. There's a decent FanGraphs piece out there as the A's headed into the playoff game with KC.

I did a quick check to see how out of the ordinary Lester was in 2014. Here are this year’s IP leaders with no pickoff attempts:

Jon Lester, 219.2
Matt Stites, 33
Kyuji Fujikawa, 13
Chris Rusin, 12.2
Rob Rasmussen, 11.1

But Lester is not a guy who’s easy to steal a base against. He’s a guy who hasn’t thrown a ball over. From a statistical standpoint, that’s amazing, but from an in-game standpoint, that means surprisingly little.

It's still fascinating on a few levels. Does David Ross become his personal catcher because he doesn't mind taking the burden of throwing out runners (and the blame for teams running at will)? The stats say that's not happening much above the average success rate, but jesus. Paging Billy Hamilton.

And I can't believe NESN sat on the story every day for 3 years and then forgot to smear him with it on the way out of town.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 9:21 am

Blue Jays will be fascinating this year. An amazing top 5 batting order but 6 rookies. Pompey - CF, Travis - 2B. Two in the rotation Norris and Sanchez. And two 19 year olds Osuna and Castro in the pen.

And this is a team that must win now. Could easily crash and burn

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:17 am

The lineup is really, really right-handed through the middle too. That's weird.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:53 am

degenerasian wrote:Blue Jays will be fascinating this year. An amazing top 5 batting order but 6 rookies. Pompey - CF, Travis - 2B. Two in the rotation Norris and Sanchez. And two 19 year olds Osuna and Castro in the pen.

And this is a team that must win now. Could easily crash and burn

Degen, what are the local scribes saying about Travis? He came over from DET and he got run down a little bit in the media after the trade (not so much the local guys, from what I recall).

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:36 am

DSafetyGuy wrote:
degenerasian wrote:Blue Jays will be fascinating this year. An amazing top 5 batting order but 6 rookies. Pompey - CF, Travis - 2B. Two in the rotation Norris and Sanchez. And two 19 year olds Osuna and Castro in the pen.

And this is a team that must win now. Could easily crash and burn
Degen, what are the local scribes saying about Travis? He came over from DET and he got run down a little bit in the media after the trade (not so much the local guys, from what I recall).

They really like him. What was he run down for? To the locals, he's a guy that came into camp without a job, probably destined for Triple A and he outright won the job hitting .350 in the spring.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:47 pm

Lex-Riguez leading off next inning.

Post by **brian** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:50 pm

Cespedes just took a HR away in left field already. Doubt that happened all of last season. (ETA: For a Tiger.)

Post by **brian** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:52 pm

brian wrote:Cespedes just took a HR away in left field already. Doubt that happened all of last season.

And it certainly didn't happen for him in Boston I suppose.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:53 pm

I doubt it in Oakland of course but the guy is a very good defensive LF.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:53 pm

Joey Bats jusssst missed one. Them Jays doing work.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:55 pm

Encarnacion did not. I love watching Bautista and Encarnacion hit.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:56 pm

Tanaka may as well just go and get his TJ done.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:57 pm

Parrot on your shoulder HR trot!

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:58 pm

Oiler is at the game.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:59 pm

Tanaka almost got Marie Antoinette Surgery

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 1:03 pm

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 1:38 pm

FAKE! THE GAME IS IN NEW YORK!

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:15 pm

And Travis just hit his first big league home run!

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:22 pm

That's Oiler riding on his shoulder. NOTFAKE!

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:29 pm

degenerasian wrote:
DSafetyGuy wrote:
degenerasian wrote:Blue Jays will be fascinating this year. An amazing top 5 batting order but 6 rookies. Pompey - CF, Travis - 2B. Two in the rotation Norris and Sanchez. And two 19 year olds Osuna and Castro in the pen.

And this is a team that must win now. Could easily crash and burn
Degen, what are the local scribes saying about Travis? He came over from DET and he got run down a little bit in the media after the trade (not so much the local guys, from what I recall).
They really like him. What was he run down for? To the locals, he's a guy that came into camp without a job, probably destined for Triple A and he outright won the job hitting .350 in the spring.

The gist that I recall was that his ceiling was average regular or a little lower and some guys were saying he was not a major league caliber prospect (not that Gose demanded a great return).

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:30 pm

brian wrote:Cespedes just took a HR away in left field already. Doubt that happened all of last season. (ETA: For a Tiger.)

I think DonKelly actually got one.

David Price is one batter away from a three-hit shutout, even if it is against the Twins.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:32 pm

Ausmus comes out after a single. Price has thrown 99 pitches and a 4-0 lead, but gets to stay in.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:38 pm

DSafetyGuy wrote:Ausmus comes out after a single. Price has thrown 99 pitches and a 4-0 lead, but gets to stay in.

Well, at least Joe Nathan will have a really hard time blowing a four-run lead with two outs.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:39 pm

I'm also intrigued in a "what the hell could go more wrong than already has?" way with Mike Moustakas batting second.

Post by **brian** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:40 pm

I don't see any way the Tigers don't go 173-0 this year. I really don't.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:33 pm

Brontoburglar wrote:
DSafetyGuy wrote:Ausmus comes out after a single. Price has thrown 99 pitches and a 4-0 lead, but gets to stay in.
Well, at least Joe Nathan will have a really hard time blowing a four-run lead with two outs.

I was figuring that, since he sucked so badly on back-to-back days last year, that he threw 25 pitches in his home during yesterday's off day.

Of course, "Country" Joe West (trademark registered by Tigers' color man Rod Allen) apparently had a 4pm buffet reservation to make.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:43 pm

Liriano on his way to an 11 K, 6 BB, 2 H, 110 pitch 5 2/3 IP gem, as usual.