2015 MLB Season Thread

[buckchuckler]

Baseball is a much different sport than basketball or football.  The worst team in baseball will beat the best team about 1 out of 3.  A single baseball game is much more of a crapshoot than other sprots, which is why baseball traditionally uses series.

As long as there are divisions playoff determination will not be completely fair.  Any solution anyone comes up with using a division format will have supporters and detractors, and neither side will really be wrong.  So you just move on with the rules in place. 

The extra wild card kicks off the playoffs with do or die games, and people tend to like those, I'd rather see the two or four best teams in each league battle it out in 7 game series, but I understand why things are the way they are.

I was being a smarty pants.  I agree, a series is definitely better for baseball.  The problem is the logistics.  even a three game series, day off before, one day off during, and a day off after, the division winners are waiting 6 days to play.  That doesn't seem ideal.

I do kind of like the one game format.  I think it is fun and exciting.  It rewards the division winners.  Isn't that what it was supposed to do?  If the wild card teams don't want to be in a one game playoff, win the division.  The Cards smashed the pirates when they last played.  The Pirates could have really made things interesting, but they Cards won.  The Cubs didn't separate themselves from the pack until after the break.  The Cards have dominated, through injuries, all season.  The Dodgers, the same.  The Mets have been great lately.  They have the benefit of being in a down division, though at the beginning of the year, no one could have predicted where the Nats would be.

Also keep in mind, both teams in the World Series last year were Wild Card teams.  Maybe it isn't as bad as it seems. 

[GGGG]

Well, I believe I speak for most people here on what would be the ideal compromise...

Change the system annually to make it impossible for the Cardinals to actually win anything.

Who's with me???

[wadesworld]

Well, I believe I speak for most people here on what would be the ideal compromise...

Change the system annually to make it impossible for the Cardinals to actually win anything.

Who's with me???

I'm game.

[buckchuckler]

Well, I believe I speak for most people here on what would be the ideal compromise...

Change the system annually to make it impossible for the Cardinals to actually win anything.

Who's with me???

That's easy.  Stop putting the best teams in the playoffs and you will easily eliminate the Cards. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I honestly don't get how the Cardinals do it. They lose a major player every year to injury, have a bunch of no names and still win every god damn year.

[GGGG]

I honestly don't get how the Cardinals do it. They lose a major player every year to injury, have a bunch of no names and still win every god damn year.

They draft and develop well.  Not much of a mystery.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

They draft and develop well.  Not much of a mystery.

Well yea but they never miss. It's crazy l, usually you have some draft busts but to not miss on a draft pick in a decade is insane.

[buckchuckler]

They draft and develop well.  Not much of a mystery.

It is a mystery to like 29 other teams. 

[buckchuckler]

How about Bumgarner today.  Not only the pitching, but that play at first was seriously impressive.  If the Cubs have anything to worry about, it is that the team behind them really knows how to play in September and October. 

[NavinRJohnson]

How about Bumgarner today.  Not only the pitching, but that play at first was seriously impressive.  If the Cubs have anything to worry about, it is that the team behind them really knows how to play in September and October.

Hard to write off the Giants, ever. But, man, if you look at the Cubs remaining schedule it is a joke. Lots of games against the Reds and Brewers in particular. I'm just don't think the Ginats can win enough games to keep up. That said, you might have to worry a little bit about some of these young Cubs like Schwarber and Bryant wearing down a bit late in the year and not hitting. I don't necessarily see that happening, but it's possible. Looking at everything, I'd be very surprised if they aren't in that WC game.

[wadesworld]

Hard to write off the Giants, ever. But, man, if you look at the Cubs remaining schedule it is a joke. Lots of games against the Reds and Brewers in particular. I'm just don't think the Ginats can win enough games to keep up. That said, you might have to worry a little bit about some of these young Cubs like Schwarber and Bryant wearing down a bit late in the year and not hitting. I don't necessarily see that happening, but it's possible. Looking at everything, I'd be very surprised if they aren't in that WC game.

I don't think the West gets 2 teams in, but the Giants may be the 1 team that does get in.  Either way, the team from the West will be dangerous, even if Puig's out long term.  Any pitching staff with Kershaw and Greinke is going to be really dangerous in the Playoffs.  But the Dodgers have not gotten it done in a while now, so who knows.

[Henry Sugar]

I honestly don't get how the Cardinals do it. They lose a major player every year to injury, have a bunch of no names and still win every god damn year.

They've also been the fortunate benefit of some luck in 2013 and 2015.

In 2013, it was an unsustainable record when batting with runners in scoring position. This year, it's some luck in preventing runs when the opponent has runners in scoring position. Note that it may not all be luck.

Maths Articles
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-st-louis-cardinals-cluster-luck/

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22124

[drewm88]

I honestly don't get how the Cardinals do it. They lose a major player every year to injury, have a bunch of no names and still win every god damn year.

Hacking.

[🏀]

Hacking.

+1

[Vander Blue Man Group]

There shouldn't even be a conversation.  Greinke could be named it today.  Has better numbers than Arrieta in everything other than wins and strikeouts.  Winning percentage, WHIP, BAA, ERA, hits, runs, earned runs, home runs, walks all favor Greinke.

Greinke is still the favorite but f*ck yeah, Jake!

[wadesworld]

Of course the Cardinals take 2nd when a liner up the middle hits the pitcher in the head. When that happens with any other team up to bat the batter makes it about half way to first base. But hey, they Cardinals do it the right way, I guess.

Clowns.

Also, Cubs just helped themselves out with that dirty slide. Taking out one of the young studs on the team you will almost certainly be playing 1 game to move into the Divisional Series must be nice.

[JWags85]

Of course the Cardinals take 2nd when a liner up the middle hits the pitcher in the head. When that happens with any other team up to bat the batter makes it about half way to first base. But hey, they Cardinals do it the right way, I guess.

Clowns.

Also, Cubs just helped themselves out with that dirty slide. Taking out one of the young studs on the team you will almost certainly be playing 1 game to move into the Divisional Series must be nice.

Of course that's your take.  Even the Pirates announcers said it wasn't dirty.  His entire arm and chest were in line with the bag.  Hurdle didn't have a problem with it after, the commentators on MLB Tonight were fine with it.  But keep on trolling.  Some idiot compared it to Holliday when he basically slide into center field to take out Scutaro, which is asinine.

[wadesworld]

Of course that's your take.  Even the Pirates announcers said it wasn't dirty.  His entire arm and chest were in line with the bag.  Hurdle didn't have a problem with it after, the commentators on MLB Tonight were fine with it.  But keep on trolling.  Some idiot compared it to Holliday when he basically slide into center field to take out Scutaro, which is asinine.

His entire arm and chest are in line with the bag?  I don't even know what that means.  He came sliding in sideways and started his slide about 2 1/2 feet from the base.  His leg is coming in knee high.



If "he had to extend his entire arm completely behind him because he dove into Kang perpendicular to the base" means "his entire arm and chest are in line with the bag," then sure, you're spot on.

So yes, that is my take.  Not trolling  at all.  It was a dirty slide.  If you're going to go in for a takeout slide, take off far enough away from the guy so that you aren't essentially jumping straight into his knee.  Coughlin came into contact with Kang before any part of him came into contact with the ground.  That is dirty and dangerous.

I bet you think it's just a coincidence that Coughlin did the exact same thing to Akinori Iwamura, right?  I'm sure "his entire arm and chest [were] in line with the bag" then, too.  Two different players he caused to have leg surgery due to slides.  But nothing wrong with that...

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Of course the Cardinals take 2nd when a liner up the middle hits the pitcher in the head. When that happens with any other team up to bat the batter makes it about half way to first base. But hey, they Cardinals do it the right way, I guess.

Clowns.

Also, Cubs just helped themselves out with that dirty slide. Taking out one of the young studs on the team you will almost certainly be playing 1 game to move into the Divisional Series must be nice.

I'm a Sox fan and not too fond of the Cubs but that slide wasn't that bad. There have been way worse plays.

[JWags85]

Here is a play MLB has up on their Youtube page as a slide to break up a DP.  Basically the same slide.  Couglin's leg is higher.  I will fully admit that he came in high, but I'll defer to a lot more knowledgeable baseball people than myself who found nothing explicitly wrong with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYd3Lt37FG4

He wasn't out any wider than any other baserunner would be in that situation.  Its not like his hand barely caught the bag.  Thinking its some intentionally dirty play to "take out a young stud" on a rival is cynical as hell.  Thats what I was referring to with trolling.

[wadesworld]

Here is a play MLB has up on their Youtube page as a slide to break up a DP.  Basically the same slide.  Couglin's leg is higher.  I will fully admit that he came in high, but I'll defer to a lot more knowledgeable baseball people than myself who found nothing explicitly wrong with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYd3Lt37FG4

He wasn't out any wider than any other baserunner would be in that situation.  Its not like his hand barely caught the bag.  Thinking its some intentionally dirty play to "take out a young stud" on a rival is cynical as hell.  Thats what I was referring to with trolling.

Gotcha.  I shouldn't have said that as I don't mean that I think his intent was literally to injure Kang, but it is convenient for them that they're probably going to be playing the Pirates in a single game Playoff and now the Pirates are without Kang.  I don't think the intent was to injure, but I do think the execution was dangerous and made the possibility of an injury very high.  That is what I mean by dirty and dangerous.

By the letter of the law it was a legal slide.  He could reach the bag and that's all that matters in terms of baseball rules.  But when you're sliding you shouldn't be jumping onto a fielder.  You should be sliding into the dirt and attempting to alter the fielder's throw.  It's one thing when you slide under/into a guy after you've been sliding along the ground.  It's another when all of your momentum goes directly into a player right below the knee.

[mu-rara]

Asked a friend who is a Land of Lakes HOF 2nd baseman.  He concurs that it is probably within the letter of the law, but going in with his knee high makes it dirty.  He is an old school "rub some dirt on it" kinda guy  so if he says it's dirty, it's dirty. imho.

Was the 2nd baseman badly injured?

Did he turn 2?

[JWags85]

Was the 2nd baseman badly injured?

Did he turn 2?

Yeah, miniscus tear and leg fracture.

And yes, which is why the above occurred. Unfortunate injury, but kudos to him for standing in and not bailing, or at least jumping.

[mu-rara]

Yeah, miniscus tear and leg fracture.

And yes, which is why the above occurred. Unfortunate injury, but kudos to him for standing in and not bailing, or at least jumping.

Did the slider get beaned?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Did the slider get beaned?

Nope. No retaliation.