Other Baseball

Y'all know that MLB had to change rules because teams were regularly manipulating the injured list and options to maximize pitcher rest? I'd be shocked if managers and GMs weren't thinking about pitcher rest when contemplating a potential weather postponement these days. No, they're not going to call off a game when it's 70 and sunny with 0% chance of rain, but when it's closer to a 50/50 proposition, it's going to influence the decision, even if they don't consider it deliberate manipulation. When the original rule was created giving teams this control, there was very rarely any incentive for a team to do this (and the league still reserved the right to overrid…

Trade deadline this year is Friday July 30th at 4 PM EST. (They moved it up from July 31st so there wouldn't be any early games on deadline day.)

There has been many suggestions made to change the pace of play issues in baseball and I would like to suggest another. 3 ball walks. Your first reaction might be to declare such an idea as "Blasphemy!" which is understandable. Baseball has had a 4 ball walk in place for quite some time and this would be quite a change to something quite fundamental to the game. Some folks might not know that 4 balls for a walk hasn't always been a thing in baseball. The rule had evolved for some time and didn't settle on 4 until 1889. (Wikipedia article) Here are 3 reasons why I think this change would be an improvement 1. Encourage more strikes The first reason for a reduc…

Just coming here to post this. Congrats to our old and dearest friend!

I made a comment that Terry Francona should be making a place for a Manager of the Year Award on his mantle, given how well the Cleveland team has done so far. I think the same can be said for Gabe Kapler and his job with the Giants in the National League. I haven't paid much attention to the NL West, except to note that the Rockies and Diamondbacks are two miserable teams this year. The supposition was that San Diego and the Dodgers were among the elite, but the Giants are in first place. I checked their roster, in part because of ex-Twins Zack Littell and LaMonte Wade Jr. and saw a team that was ......old! Among the regulars (according to BRef) only one player was…

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mariners-hector-santiago-becomes-first-mlb-pitcher-ejected-under-new-foreign-substance-protocols/ OK, so if after the formal inspection, there is something found on his glove, he gets the 10 days. What if it's deemed that his glove is OK? Can't go back and re-finish the game that the umps mistakenly tossed him from. How do you fix that screwup? Really kind of unfair. I think if it is the case, the umps need to be suspended (w/o pay) for 10 days. That will make them damn sure of their decision.

This was a discussion about the effects of defensive shifts in baseball, split from today's game thread. Feel free to join in below! Brock, sorry for my late reply. The current level of shifting is the product of there being fewer and fewer balls in play in the modern game -- less variety in batter-pitcher outcomes. Address the balls in play problem, and you likely won't be bothered by shifts anymore. You might even appreciate their creativity and strategy again -- it's harder to effectively shift when there are more and a greater variety of balls in play. I mean, look at the debates about when and how to shift -- it's interesting strategy to talk about! It just ge…

Pretty cool stuff with a ton of information to take in. https://www.baseball-reference.com/negro-leagues-are-major-leagues.shtml

Last night I went down the Baseball Reference and Wikipedia rabbit holes, looking at different player/managers throughout baseball history. Obviously they were a lot more common a hundred years ago, but they haven't been totally absent from the modern game. The last person to serve at once in both capacities is Pete Rose, who was the player/manager for the Reds from 1984-86. This got me wondering, who are the players now that would make capable player/managers, either on the Twins or throughout the league? I actually think Josh Donaldson would be a candidate. He is obviously very knowledgeable about the game, especially the mechanics of hitting. He also has a fiercel…

I don’t think I’ve seen a run down between home and 1B before ? Why the Pirates 1B didn’t touch the base and instead engage in a run down is mind boggling.

As far as baseball curses go, it's basically impossible to top this one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Colonel

Wow ... that’s some collection! I have a few ‘treasured’ items, that are more ‘personal love’ memorabilia ... like the baseball Blyleven tossed to me during a game in 1986 ... but I am not a collector of anything. Anyone going in on this 1933 Babe Ruth card? https://www.npr.org/2021/05/20/998868681/iconic-mint-condition-1933-babe-ruth-baseball-is-expected-to-shatter-auction-rec?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR3gom4I2mtFp5TuXXL0g5lF78wFGuoPis80MP6GGuGiRbVdhBWnkal9Beg

Following is a link to an article by Ed Thoma, who wrote a baseball blog for years. I know at times it was carried on TD. I found the closing pretty spot on. Follow the link below to view the article. Year of the Pitcher 2.0 is damaging to game https://mankatofreepress-cnhi-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=37b6e9d22_1345d80

Dodgers just DFA'ed Blankenhorn. From MLB Trade Rumors: The Dodgers will have a week to trade Blankenhorn or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He has a minor league option remaining beyond the 2021 season and has ample experience at second base and third base, so it’s not out of the question that another club with some infield needs might look to place a claim or pick him up in a small trade.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/05/rays-trade-willy-adames-brewers.html SS Adames plus pitcher Trevor Richards to Brewers in exchange for two pitchers, Feyereisen and Rasmussen. Neither analysis tool I use, Baseball Trade Values nor OOTP likes this trade from the Ray's POV - Adames being viewed way, way higher than any of the other pieces involved. What do you think the Rays see in their two new pitchers that conventional wisdom seems not to?

I didn't see a Fun With Numbers thread for the season yet, so I'm starting one. Maybe it should be in a different forum. Our Luis Arraez currently has a .600 on base percentage. But that is built on top of a .500 batting average. Former Twin Robbie Grossman has a .615 OBP, and he has done it the hard way, by batting .000 but with 8 walks in 13 plate appearances! / That's gross, man - obligatory

Baseball just keeps getting more mutated... Also - why now, after a 100 years of defacing baseballs with foreign substances, are pitchers suddenly able to increase their spin rates 10%? Has there been some exponential advancement in the foreign substance department? If so, why aren't the Twins using it?

Friday Night, May 21st - The Los Angeles Dodgers (26-18) take on their classic rivals, the San Francisco Giants (28-16), at beautiful Oracle Park in San Francisco. Trevor Bauer (4-2, 2.20 ERA) toes the hill for LA while Alex Wood (5-0, 1.75 ERA) gets the nod for SF. First pitch is at 8:45. Conveniently, this is the Free Game of Day on MLB.TV! Preview

Willians' brother, Wilfred.

The hype train has already started for Andrew Vaughn, the White Sox's presumptive DH: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2021/03/24/mlb-rosters-white-sox-dont-plan-hold-back-prospect-andrew-vaughn/4801933001/ 3rd overall pick in the 2019 draft, hasn't played above A-ball yet -- should be interesting to see how he does! White Sox already talking long-term contract with him too -- and not using his promotion for leverage.

Interesting choice. Would have thought they would have picked Milwaukee

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/umpire-joe-west-awarded-500-000-in-defamation-lawsuit-against-former-player/ar-BB1fBM7C?ocid=spartan-dhp-feeds I was a bit surprised he won this but good for him, I guess.

The NBA has done such a great job marketing itself in China. This would be a great time for MLB to gain fans in the world’s largest country.

This story from the AP was lifted from the StarTribune. https://www.startribune.com/mlb-moving-all-star-game-in-response-to-voting-restrictions/600041607/

FYI: T-Mobile customers can sign up this week (April 3-10) for a free, season-long MLB.TV Premium subscription: http://www.t-mobile.com/mlb.html

I need help again from my TD family. I always thought that FAs can be traded the same year that they are signed. But I saw some place that contradicted that. So please set me straight, can FAs be traded the same year that they sign?

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/03/eloy-jimenez-torn-pectoral-muscle-five-six-months-white-sox.html Wishing the best on recovery. (Don't feel bad for the White Sox though) I had to copy this from the MLBTR comments: "Eloy, Eloy, Lama Sabachthani"

https://nypost.com/2021/03/23/mlb-finds-new-way-to-catch-cheating-pitchers/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons Essentially some teams, cough cough Astros, might have been cheating a bit too much with sticky substances to get greater spin rates so MLB is cracking down. Interesting to see if this changes the game much. Apologies if the article has already been shared elsewhere.

Baseball will be testing some interesting and controversial new rules this year at various levels in the minors. Here is the article from MLB.com: Rule changes to be tested in Minors this year These rules will include: Enlarging the bases from 15 X 15 to 18 X 18Requiring infielders to be stationed touching the infield when the ball is pitchedRequiring pitchers to step off the rubber when making a pick-off throwLimiting pickoff attempts to 2 per plate appearanceEmploying 15-second pitch timerUsing an automated balls and strikes systemHow do you feel about these? Any you like?

I'll post the answer around 5 tonight unless someone gets it faster. One question is pretty easy, the other is insanely hard. Easy first. According to b-r, only three people born in Canada have amassed 60 WAR or more in their career. Name them. (I got all three) Hard question. According to b-r, only 5 people born in Canada have hit 200 HR in the majors. Name them. (I only got three).