MLB March/April 2014

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:13 am

It's raining in Sydney.

I'm going to bed.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:03 pm

I know it's only a game and a bit but the D-Backs look awful.
After 5 years put your money on Gibson being first manager fired this year.

This game would be out of hand if the Dodgers didn't run into 2 outs out of 7

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:43 am

DBacks hit a few balls that would have been trouble outside of that park. Trumbo crushed that HR and it barely cleared the 328 wall. Must be some heavy air out there.

howard · Post by **howard** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:01 pm

Gunpowder wrote:DBacks hit a few balls that would have been trouble outside of that park. Trumbo crushed that HR and it barely cleared the 328 wall. Must be some heavy air out there.

Coriolis effect. Shit must be rotating the wrong way down there. See Trumbo's defense on Van Slyke's double the night before:

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:16 am

Still a stupid idea, when they do these games a week early at times no one can watch and make them count.

HDO45331 · Post by **HDO45331** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:24 am

tennbengal wrote:Still a stupid idea, when they do these games a week early at times no one can watch and make them count.

Who do you think will be the next starting pitcher for the Dodgers?

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:28 am

HDO45331 wrote:
tennbengal wrote:Still a stupid idea, when they do these games a week early at times no one can watch and make them count.
Who do you think will be the next starting pitcher for the Dodgers?

?

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 8:08 am

tennbengal wrote:Still a stupid idea, when they do these games a week early at times no one can watch and make them count.

And now they go back for more spring training. Imagine if the NFL scheduled the opener in London in mid-august and then the Jags came back and played another preseason game.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 8:19 am

Gunpowder wrote:
tennbengal wrote:Still a stupid idea, when they do these games a week early at times no one can watch and make them count.

And now they go back for more spring training. Imagine if the NFL scheduled the opener in London in mid-august and then the Jags came back and played another preseason game.

That's the stupidest part to me. I guess they don't want them all jet-lagged or wahtnot, but it's a weird setup for sure.

howard · Post by **howard** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:48 am

HDO45331 wrote:Who do you think will be the next starting pitcher for the Dodgers?

Yeah, an extra start for that fucker doesn't bother me a bit.

(I'm trying to gin up some old fashioned hatred for Kershaw, but with little success.)

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:41 pm

Maybe big fat Ryu will break down with the extra start.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:01 am

Mets!

Talk about awkward. Former (and future) Mets reliever Kyle Farnsworth boarded a Viera-bound bus on Tuesday, only to realize that he was not technically a member of the team. Farnsworth, whom the Mets released last week with the intention of re-signing him to a Minor League deal, was scheduled to pitch in the game against the Nationals. Instead he threw a bullpen session on the side. The Mets expect him to officially rejoin the roster later this week.

All to save $100K on a roster bonus.

Post by **brian** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 4:53 pm

Miguel Cabrera will go into the Hall of Fame as a Tiger.

About to sign a contract extension for a reported $30M AAV through his age 39 season.

(That's obviously way too much money, but someone was going to give him that or close to it if he hit the market in two years. Might as well be Detroit.)

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 6:01 pm

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Post by **brian** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 6:11 pm

It's nice to root for a team that can actually spend money.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:07 pm

Does this make him mayor?

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 10:13 pm

Gunpowder wrote:Does this make him mayor?

Earl. He's Earl of Detroit.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 8:10 pm

Glad baseball is back (on these shores)(at US time zone times)

howard · Post by **howard** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:31 pm

sorry, I didn't think to look for an extant thread.

Shall I do my Brian Wilson blowing the lead gloat here?

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:34 pm

howard wrote:sorry, I didn't think to look for an extant thread.

Shall I do my Brian Wilson blowing the lead gloat here?

it was inevitable, how does that guy have a job on the most expensive team in the league.

ETA: Wilson doesn't care about any base runners, this is the 8th inning, not the 9th.

howard · Post by **howard** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:37 pm

He'll clear the bases soon enough.

He really has nothing. Slow flat fastball, soft slider he is throwing fat.

ETA: good news, even if those runners score after his departure, his ERA won't go up.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 6:21 am

Games in San Diego are like dead-ball era games. That was like watching a game in 1906. But how exciting when Ol' "Snake Eyes" McGillicuddy served up that round tripper to Home Run Baker!

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 7:33 am

Good job MLB. I see only one delay (Mets) and one rainout (Oakland, that rainy cesspool). Blind squirrel finds nut.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 7:38 am

Nicest day of the week in the Northeast is tommorrow during everyone's off day.

rass · Post by **rass** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:06 am

@AdamRubinESPN wrote:#Mets spokesman said there are some "complications" and lineup won't be disclosed until Terry Collins speaks at 9:45 AM.

@AdamRubinESPN wrote:Daniel Murphy's wife in labor. He won't be in lineup today. #mets

@AdamRubinESPN wrote:Terry Collins said 4 or 5 #Mets are also fighting the flu.

h/t

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:51 am

Gunpowder wrote:Games in San Diego are like dead-ball era games. That was like watching a game in 1906. But how exciting when Ol' "Snake Eyes" McGillicuddy served up that round tripper to Home Run Baker!

yup which makes Wilson's performance even worse, how do you give up a home run to a pinch hitter in that place?

Also why didn't they keep Ryu out there? He was on 88 pitches and had retired 100 guys in a row, also keeps the left handed Smith on the bench. Unless 88 pitches is the early season limit for most pitchers. (But Ryu had already pitched once).

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 10:43 am

BECAUSE WILSON HAS A BEARD AND HE'S GOT CLOSER'S BLOOD jeez

howard · Post by **howard** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 10:44 am

Ol' 'Snake Eyes' Wilson. I like that.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:48 am

Loving the Trout deal. I think it's smart for both sides.

Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:07 pm

AB_skin_test wrote:Loving the Trout deal. I think it's smart for both sides.

Yeah, I think he left a lot of money on the table, but despite that it's still easily the richest deal for a player after two years of service time. I think Trout is probably making a little more money than he would have for his arb-eligible years and easily giving up about $10M a year for his FA years.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:08 pm

I'd do the same thing Trout did. Who knows what could happen this year, and that's more money than I'd...probably need. I mean if I had that many millions I could blow it pretty creatively but...that's a lotta millions.

Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:10 pm

Gunpowder wrote:I'd do the same thing Trout did. Who knows what could happen this year, and that's more money than I'd...probably need. I mean if I had that many millions I could blow it pretty creatively but...that's a lotta millions.

Yeah, it's worth the security for him. If I were the Angels I'd have kept repeating "Grady Sizemore" over and over again to him during the negotiations. Even if he made $20M in his first arg-eligible year and then blew out all of his ligaments, he might have ended up "losing" $100M

Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:11 pm

Plus he still gets to come back on the market in his age 29 season at which point he'll probably sign a 10-year, $500M contract if he's still healthy anyway.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:39 pm

Gunpowder wrote:I'd do the same thing Trout did. Who knows what could happen this year, and that's more money than I'd...probably need. I mean if I had that many millions I could blow it pretty creatively but...that's a lotta millions.

Anybody who would pass on this deal is nuts. Far more promising players should be willing to do the same, at their own modest levels. Despite what the young guys flush with success may thing, many of them will fail. And soon. The Big Payday will not come.

The other thing they don't get is that the actual value of money declines as you get more of it. The first $20-50M or so should set you up for life. Risking this payout in a significant way in order to raise the odds of a much bigger reward that will not improve your life nearly as much -- on the margin -- is not smart. All other things being equal, being rich is great. Being mega-rich is not typically orders of magnitude better. Risking A to have even a good chance at B is not smart. All dollars don't have equal value.

My guess is that in addition to the cognitive failures that young stars are prone to, as above, the issue is corrupt advisors who don't have the same interests as the players. The agent doesn't need their cut of the potential superstar's early contract money to ensure their own financial security. It won't get that done. But if they get 10 young starts to forego an early contract that buys out free agent years, they can be pretty sure that a few of them will hit it big. And the agent will do so as well. In addition, it will be good marketing for the next round of suckers they will seek to represent.

If my kid was a pro baseball player who had a pretty good season in year one or two in the majors, I'd want him to sign a deal that bought out some free agency years at a steep discount to his likely value at that time.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:04 pm

Marginal utility, my man.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:08 pm

Problem is, they haven't been teaching marginal utility to the guys who are much better than the marginal utility man.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:11 pm

two very good games to start the season, im fully expecting the Cubs to fuck this up.

Post by **brian** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:16 pm

It's a walkoff win in the D! Hard to see how this team doesn't go 162-0.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:22 pm

The new challenge system has been used twice in the Cubs-Pirates game and it's been great!
It's also being shown in the stadium so fans can react.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:30 pm

How is Dioner Navarro even heavier, and still in an MLB lineup?