2018 MLB Season

[Genesis67]

Surprisingly comprehensive win tonight. Probably stating the obvious but it’ll be out of these 3 pitchers in the Boston series who get the WC - Happ, Severino and Tanaka. Can’t see them going with any of Lynn, Sabathia or Gray at this point.

Great game for Voit too. Another underrated player in the line-up. Now just need Sanchez to get going.

As for WC, these two wins against the run of form have put them back in box seat to be home. To go 7-4 would basically require As to go 10-0. That would only need a split of the remaining Bosox and Rays games and a 3 game sweep of Os at home.

If the WC is held at Yankee Stadium, it'll be Happ. Left hander.

 

[DelRe]

As have outscored Angels 38-12 in the past 3 games but crucially only 2-1 in the series.

 

[samFFC]

True, but then you also need a fixture to match.

Exactly.
You’d have to scrap divisions all together.
Though you should definitely be able to make a fair(ish) fixture for a 162 game season!

 

[DelRe]

Exactly.
You’d have to scrap divisions all together.
Though you should definitely be able to make a fair(ish) fixture for a 162 game season!

John Smoltz was promoting the minor league idea of having a split season and scrapping inter league and rivalry series.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Damn it Rays - they threw away an 8-3 lead in the 9th, to lose to the Jays 8-9!

 

[samFFC]

John Smoltz was promoting the minor league idea of having a split season and scrapping inter league and rivalry series.

I’m open to different ideas, though I think either way you’ll have unlucky teams, some times because of a strong division, sometimes an expectedly hard fixture etc.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Well, for all the "unpredictability" of the National League, it could well end up being the Cubs v Dodgers... AGAIN.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I’m open to different ideas, though I think either way you’ll have unlucky teams, some times because of a strong division, sometimes an expectedly hard fixture etc.

I think it’s going stay way it is now or worse as more teams tank to rebuild quicker.

 

[DelRe]

I think it’s going stay way it is now or worse as more teams tank to rebuild quicker.

He’s also keen on getting rid of the shift on the basis it’s killing the small ball game. I think I’ve said before I’m not as keen on that so soon and it’s sounds a bit of overreaction to a fear analytics are taking over the game from past players who believed it was all about old school intuition.

On the fixture, one factor may be crowds being down this year which is the sort of thing that gets attention at the commission like it would in AFL. Whether crowds are truly down is a bit harder to read because of factors like purchased seats v attendance, weather, which teams are up and down etc but I still think it could drive some change (or used as an excuse for one).

I can see it being convenient to do that at the same time as bringing in a couple more expansion teams.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

He’s also keen on getting rid of the shift on the basis it’s killing the small ball game. I think I’ve said before I’m not as keen on that so soon and it’s sounds a bit of overreaction to a fear analytics are taking over the game from past players who believed it was all about old school intuition.

On the fixture, one factor may be crowds being down this year which is the sort of thing that gets attention at the commission like it would in AFL. Whether crowds are truly down is a bit harder to read because of factors like purchased seats v attendance, weather, which teams are up and down etc but I still think it could drive some change (or used as an excuse for one).

I can see it being convenient to do that at the same time as bringing in a couple more expansion teams.

I think so many bad teams is part of reason for lower attendance.

But read that local baseball telecasts are the No. 1-rated cable shows in every single baseball market except for Miami. So some argue that baseball is being watched more on a day-to-day basis than at any point in its history.

Personally I think there’s too many strikeouts and homers, prefer more of a balance. Like to see more small ball. Whether that be restrictions on shifts, or reduce amount of relief pitchers I don’t know. Probably look at shifts which are having a real impact especially on LH hitters.

 

[Chicago1]

Damn White Sox. Damn Brewers.

 

[DelRe]

I think so many bad teams is part of reason for lower attendance.

But read that local baseball telecasts are the No. 1-rated cable shows in every single baseball market except for Miami. So some argue that baseball is being watched more on a day-to-day basis than at any point in its history.

Personally I think there’s too many strikeouts and homers, prefer more of a balance. Like to see more small ball. Whether that be restrictions on shifts, or reduce amount of relief pitchers I don’t know. Probably look at shifts which are having a real impact especially on LH hitters.

I think the too many bad teams was a justification for the split season idea which in that sense I don’t mind. Maybe teams won’t just give up and trade away in the second half as much just because the first half was bad.

Agree on small ball - I think that’s better for game but just don’t think getting rid of shift is the answer. In a way more small ball hitting is an answer to that - ie getting better at hitting into the gap.

Agree too on making some pitching changes as well. Pitch clock to maybe speed up things a little; the mound visit limits are already moving in that direction. There has been talk of maybe taking an inch off the mound but doubt that goes anywhere. I think the limit on relievers is the best idea in the short term. Less impact on the integrity of the game than artificial field position limitations (one-day cricket style) and would quickly up the scoring. The big question is whether it would just be more swinging for the fences against a tired pitcher?

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

Looks like Addison Russell is going to an emergency appeal regarding abuse allegations. May have played his last game in a cubs uniform

 

[GreyCrow]

Personally I think there’s too many strikeouts and homers, prefer more of a balance. Like to see more small ball. Whether that be restrictions on shifts, or reduce amount of relief pitchers I don’t know. Probably look at shifts which are having a real impact especially on LH hitters.

Thats where I would be looking. Bringing in a pitcher for 1 specific batter is an absurd use of the roster imo.

The shift is a tactical thing and not a rule break. Batters need to be better at shifting themselves. Its a physiological issue that should be able to be fixed by body positioning.

 

[FRUMPY]

Braves win their division. Not sure we will go far but great to win it probably a year or 2 before expectations.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Chicago1]

Cubs magic number is 6 with them beating those nasty White Sox 8-3 and the Brewers losing to Pittsburgh.

 

[samFFC]

Damn White Sox. Damn Brewers.

Cubs magic number is 6 with them beating those nasty White Sox 8-3 and the Brewers losing to Pittsburgh.

Win some lose some. 6 is nearly there! May have even wrapped it up before St Louis comes to town which would be nice to give some players a rest!

 

[Chicago1]

Win some lose some. 6 is nearly there! May have even wrapped it up before St Louis comes to town which would be nice to give some players a rest!

I forgot that the season ends with the Cards at home. That's kind of strange. I used to enjoy going to Cards games in the middle of the summer. However, the best day I had watching us beat the Cardinals was on Sept 3, 2003, my 51st birthday. My nephew and I went to Wrigley in the afternoon to see the Cubs win and then took the Red Line to White Sox park to watch them lose to the Red Sox in a night game. That was my first time seeing Nomar Garciaparra in person. Had a fantastic Italian beef sandwich there too. What a great day!

 

[DelRe]

The shift is a tactical thing and not a rule break. Batters need to be better at shifting themselves. Its a physiological issue that should be able to be fixed by body positioning.

Agree - look at 20/20 cricket and see the innovation in batting it has created. Clearly elite batters (I think cricket and baseball are sufficiently similar to make this comment) are capable of learning new ‘shots’ and hitting to different places (both fly and ground balls). I know there is a little discussion across sports and maybe there is more than I realise but surprises me there is not more visible copying of ideas. The data analytics behind the shift for example would be huge in cricket fielding too I would have thought (but maybe they are already doing it and I haven’t noticed!)

 

[GreyCrow]

Agree - look at 20/20 cricket and see the innovation in batting it has created. Clearly elite batters (I think cricket and baseball are sufficiently similar to make this comment) are capable of learning new ‘shots’ and hitting to different places (both fly and ground balls). I know there is a little discussion across sports and maybe there is more than I realise but surprises me there is not more visible copying of ideas. The data analytics behind the shift for example would be huge in cricket fielding too I would have thought (but maybe they are already doing it and I haven’t noticed!)

On the cricket side yes they are. Even in the 1930s there was some recognition of this. There is a scene in the Bodyline Tv Series that shows players using salt and pepper shakers to talk about oppositions favourite shots.

Even in the 80s everytime I walked out to bat the Captain would tell his fielders to go to my sweet spots. It cut down a lot of runs but you adapt. Its like facing a leftie v rightie. Shift the body to the arm being used. Small things like that help a lot

 

[Chicago1]

WTF are the Cubs doing?

 

[FRUMPY]

Agree - look at 20/20 cricket and see the innovation in batting it has created. Clearly elite batters (I think cricket and baseball are sufficiently similar to make this comment) are capable of learning new ‘shots’ and hitting to different places (both fly and ground balls). I know there is a little discussion across sports and maybe there is more than I realise but surprises me there is not more visible copying of ideas. The data analytics behind the shift for example would be huge in cricket fielding too I would have thought (but maybe they are already doing it and I haven’t noticed!)

Been happening for ages in Cricket. Different fields for different batters, different fields for different bowlers and different fields for different bowlers bowling to different batters.

Annoys me in baseball that some batters continue to pull the ball when their is a shift on. Take a few the other way and the shift will begin to mover back to normal more. Almost annoys me as much as sluggers not bunting with a man on base in a tied game in the 8th or 9th inning - take your medicine, do the team thing and get him over to 2nd or 3rd base and let the guy behind you bring him in.

 

[Chicago1]

Damn Cardinals. Yet another reason to hate them. Swept by the Brewers.

 

[Chicago1]

LOL Tweet from the ESPN Cubs writer Jesse Rogers at the top of the 9th with two outs for the Pirates:

"The Cubs magic number to clinch their division is now 4 after a 6-4 win over the Pirates. The victory keeps them a .5 game ahead of Milwaukee as both teams clinched at least a spot in the postseason tonight."

A bit too soon. Pirates tied it.

Cubs eventually win in the 10th 7-6 and clinch a Playoff spot.

 

[CharlieKelly]

I think an AL team will sweep the NL in the "World" Series this year, it'll be either Boston or Houston go back-to-back, the ALDS will be better than the "W"S