Real MLB Thread

[MUBurrow]

Playoffs will have better teams with better pitching.  Weather starts to cool down and balls don’t travel as far then in the heat.  Lots of variables, but I would add those two to the discussion.

Definitely two good points - though Arthur tries to address the temp issue. The average game tempoerature in the playoffs has oddly been warmer than the average regular season game temp. Though my read is that the sample size monster creeps in there, too. Its surely been cooler than the July, August, September temps, plus the two sluggiest teams in the playoffs played the only northern series (Min and NYY).

I'd love to see him get into the pitching issue - I'm honestly not sure of the impact (if any, to Jockey's point) of RPs pitching such short durations that they always have their best stuff (particulalry breaking stuff). Arthur's analysis uses only batted ball data (velocity, launch angle, park factor) to calculate drag, and the reduction in drag is canary in the coalmine for the juiced ball conlcusion (which Manfred had to be dragged kicking and screaming to admit in June).  So if you've got RPs only throwing nasty breaking balls, I'm not sure if that impacts drag calcluations.  FWIW, Arthur says that the chances of him pulling a random sample from regular season stats that are in line with the playoff numbers are literally 1 in 1,000, but that only factors in the hard numbers - not if there are underlying causes to why playoff numbers would be different.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Oh sure they are.  Both related to baseball.  Both showing how stupid people can be from both sides.  Lots of similarities. 

Have a great day.

Nope. 

One example is a woman who doesn't know that "K" is the notation for swinging strikeout.  The other is a bunch of white people whining that they can't use a racist gesture.  The very fact that you tried to pretend that these are equivalent is so very, very chicosesque.

[Cheeks]

Nope. 

One example is a woman who doesn't know that "K" is the notation for swinging strikeout.  The other is a bunch of white people whining that they can't use a racist gesture.  The very fact that you tried to pretend that these are equivalent is so very, very chicosesque.

Actually I posted multiple examples of SJW’s not knowing what K is in baseball and rushing to judgment of racism as a result.  Dumb.  Meanwhile, with the Braves game equally dumb that they lost because of a styrofoam tomahawk not being used.

Dumb people on both sides, each on opposite sides of the spectrum commenting about baseball.

[Cheeks]

I’ll ignore the “deep” responses to your post.

But AAA pitchers noticed that the ball chaned in August - both the texture and the height of the seams. The belief that the ball has been deadened is based on evidence of the distance a ball should normally travel when hit at a particular angle at a particular speed. Not because there are better pitchers come playoff time. That is a given.

Actually pitchers are better, and the reasoning is simple.

In the regular season you face 5 man rotations.  Thus far through the playoffs teams are facing top 3 in the rotation.  The elimination of the 4th and 5th starter means the best pitchers are pitching.  The same is true for the bullpens where relievers are asked to go two innings, whereas in the regular season would be one inning.

Straight forward, very easy logic.  Sorry it escapes you.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Actually I posted multiple examples of SJW’s not knowing what K is in baseball and rushing to judgment of racism as a result.  Dumb.  Meanwhile, with the Braves game equally dumb that they lost because of a styrofoam tomahawk not being used.

Dumb people on both sides, each on opposite sides of the spectrum commenting about baseball.

Oh boy...you have officially jumped the shark.

[Cheeks]

Oh boy...you have officially jumped the shark.

Jockey, trying to be clever and smart, posts an article to bash a group he hates from a website that supports his view points ideologically.  Of course, most people with a brain who haven’t jumped the shark knew exactly what he was doing and call him out by posting links doing the same thing exposing idiots from the opposite side.  Both baseball related.  Really not hard.  Everyone knew what Jockey was doing.

[wadesworld]

Actually pitchers are better, and the reasoning is simple.

In the regular season you face 5 man rotations.  Thus far through the playoffs teams are facing top 3 in the rotation.  The elimination of the 4th and 5th starter means the best pitchers are pitching.  The same is true for the bullpens where relievers are asked to go two innings, whereas in the regular season would be one inning.

Straight forward, very easy logic.  Sorry it escapes you.

Huh?  We just saw the #4 pitcher for the Nats go 7 2/3 innings of 1 hit ball.

[Lennys Tap]

Huh?  We just saw the #4 pitcher for the Nats go 7 2/3 innings of 1 hit ball.

Yeah, and an "opener" started game 4 for the Rays against Verlander and the Astros - and the Rays won!

[Cheeks]

Huh?  We just saw the #4 pitcher for the Nats go 7 2/3 innings of 1 hit ball.

Sigh.  The article was written before the ALCS or NLCS even started...yes or no?  I believe only one or two starts were done by a 4th starter in all the games pitched in the wild card or DS.  There is a reason why a Scherzer and Strasborg were brought in to relieve rather than the normal guys...they are better pitchers.  This is what I said, better pitchers are pitching now.

Are you really going to suggest at this time of year the rotations aren’t shortened and the bullpens as well? 

[wadesworld]

Sigh.  The article was written before the ALCS or NLCS even started...yes or no?  I believe only one or two starts were done by a 4th starter in all the games pitched in the wild card or DS.  There is a reason why a Scherzer and Strasborg were brought in to relieve rather than the normal guys...they are better pitchers.  This is what I said, better pitchers are pitching now.

Are you really going to suggest at this time of year the rotations aren’t shortened and the bullpens as well?

So you’re flipping your (obviously correct, because you know how to handle a team you’ve never worked with better than a manager who’s been nothing but incredible) decision from last year and now think that Counsell SHOULD have been throwing his best reliever more innings in the Playoffs?

And I don’t know when the article was written. I know when your post stating we have seen the elimination of the #4 and #5 starters from Playoff rotations, right after a number 4 starter was flirting with a Playoff no-no.

[Cheeks]

So you’re flipping your (obviously correct, because you know how to handle a team you’ve never worked with better than a manager who’s been nothing but incredible) decision from last year and now think that Counsell SHOULD have been throwing his best reliever more innings in the Playoffs?

And I don’t know when the article was written. I know when your post stating we have seen the elimination of the #4 and #5 starters from Playoff rotations, right after a number 4 starter was flirting with a Playoff no-no.

When did I say anything about Counsell?  The article was posted here a few days ago, before the CS started.  If you had bothered to click on it you would see the date was Oct 10th the article was written.

 Yes or no, are pitching rotations shortened this time of year?  Yes or no, do #5 starters ever start in the playoffs?  Yes or no, are #4 starters used less than they are in the reg season?  This isn’t hard...better pitchers are used now than in regular season, thus that is one reason fewer home runs.

[wadesworld]

When did I say anything about Counsell?  The article was posted here a few days ago, before the CS started.  If you had bothered to click on it you would see the date was Oct 10th the article was written.

 Yes or no, are pitching rotations shortened this time of year?  Yes or no, do #5 starters ever start in the playoffs?  Yes or no, are #4 starters used less than they are in the reg season?  This isn’t hard...better pitchers are used now than in regular season, thus that is one reason fewer home runs.

Got it, #4s aren’t eliminated like you claimed.

[Cheeks]

Got it, #4s aren’t eliminated like you claimed.

I’m glad we agree that better pitchers are pitching now, and Jockey can go back to MLB playing with the balls theory.  Also glad to see your claim I said anything about Counsell and pitching was BS and your silence confirms it.  Got it.

[wadesworld]

I’m glad we agree that better pitchers are pitching now, and Jockey can go back to MLB playing with the balls theory.  Also glad to see your claim I said anything about Counsell and pitching was BS and your silence confirms it.  Got it.

Yeah, you definitely couldn’t stop talking about Counsell’s mismanagement of his bullpen as he led his team 1 game from the World Series. Battles and wars ring a bell? Or did hoopaloop get your phone again?

Anyways, the pretzels are twisting again. Numbers 4 and 5 in the rotations disappear, Cheeks says. Anibal Sanchez waves hello, and another pretzel is made!

[Cheeks]

Yeah, you definitely couldn’t stop talking about Counsell’s mismanagement of his bullpen as he led his team 1 game from the World Series. Battles and wars ring a bell? Or did hoopaloop get your phone again?

Source?  Couldn’t stop talking about it?  Source?

[Jockey]

Chico’s is trying to destroy another baseball thread. I said I would end this thread before he made it unreadable again. We are getting close o that point.

Just get back on your meds and go away.

[Cheeks]

Chico’s is trying to destroy another baseball thread. I said I would end this thread before he made it unreadable again. We are getting close o that point.

Just get back on your meds and go away.

I’m not ending or destroying anything.  Whenever someone disagrees with you, this is the mode you get into. Then the name calling, the meds nonsense, etc.

Jockey, from a baseball perspective...do you think it is at all possible that as the weather cools in October, the pitchers hitters face, the pressure, etc, probably has an impact on dingers...or is it simply the ball?

[jesmu84]

https://twitter.com/TJQuinnESPN/status/1183099369144360963?s=19

Oof

[MU82]

https://twitter.com/TJQuinnESPN/status/1183099369144360963?s=19

Oof

That's a freakin' shame.

[Jockey]

I’m not ending or destroying anything.  Whenever someone disagrees with you, this is the mode you get into. Then the name calling, the meds nonsense, etc.

Jockey, from a baseball perspective...do you think it is at all possible that as the weather cools in October, the pitchers hitters face, the pressure, etc, probably has an impact on dingers...or is it simply the ball?

#1. The average temp in the playoffs is warmer than the average temp during the regular season.

#2. The quality of pitching is irrelevant. This is Not about the quantity of HRs hit. It is about how far batted balls travel at certain launch angles at a certain velocity off of the bat. A ball hit at a 27 degree angle coming off the bat at 105mph is not traveling as far as it did during the regular season.

The manager of the Cardinals stated yesterday that the ball is deader than what was used all year. Pitchers and hitters in AAA both noticed, starting in August that their ball was deadened. AAA used the same ball as MLB this year until it changed in August.

[4everwarriors]

dgies still post heer, hey?

[Cheeks]

#1. The average temp in the playoffs is warmer than the average temp during the regular season.

#2. The quality of pitching is irrelevant. This is Not about the quantity of HRs hit. It is about how far batted balls travel at certain launch angles at a certain velocity off of the bat. A ball hit at a 27 degree angle coming off the bat at 105mph is not traveling as far as it did during the regular season.

The manager of the Cardinals stated yesterday that the ball is deader than what was used all year. Pitchers and hitters in AAA both noticed, starting in August that their ball was deadened. AAA used the same ball as MLB this year until it changed in August.

#1 Extremely small sample size for the playoffs vs the regular season.  Let's also not forget stadiums are not uniform distance for home runs.  So you also need to look at the ballparks in all of this.  And it's not just about temperature.  In So. Cal we have the marine layer, you have winds to deal with, etc...temperature is one variable, but as well all know it can be 80 degrees and wind blowing in, 80 degrees and win blowing out....that makes a difference...right?  Etc, etc.

The ball is "supposedly" traveling 4.5 feet shorter in the playoffs...based on analytics done by one team.  The quality of the pitching is irrelevant? How on earth can you say this.  There's a reason why certain pitchers only give up a handful of home runs or deep fly balls are not the norm vs majority ground ball outs, strike outs.  The quality makes a huge difference.  Staggering that you would suggest otherwise. 

Every few years this conspiracy stuff comes up.  Between launch angles, steroids, HGH, weather, closing the roof on stadiums, there is always all kinds of people making claims...including the mud on the balls, the stitch height, how tightly wound the core is, etc, etc.  Yet in all this time, I have yet to ever (correct me if I am wrong) hear of some factory employee at Rawlings or some exec say things are changed.  Seems like a disgruntled employee would come clean on this at some point.  Baseballs are made in batches, they try to make them uniform.  Are some batches different than others...yes.  Is it done purposely?  Where's the evidence?

The manager of the Cardinals might want to get his guys even to try getting a hit of any kind, let alone a home run at this point.

[Jockey]

#1 Extremely small sample size for the playoffs vs the regular season.  Let's also not forget stadiums are not uniform distance for home runs.  So you also need to look at the ballparks in all of this.  And it's not just about temperature.  In So. Cal we have the marine layer, you have winds to deal with, etc...temperature is one variable, but as well all know it can be 80 degrees and wind blowing in, 80 degrees and win blowing out....that makes a difference...right?  Etc, etc.

The ball is "supposedly" traveling 4.5 feet shorter in the playoffs...based on analytics done by one team.  The quality of the pitching is irrelevant? How on earth can you say this.  There's a reason why certain pitchers only give up a handful of home runs or deep fly balls are not the norm vs majority ground ball outs, strike outs.  The quality makes a huge difference.  Staggering that you would suggest otherwise. 

NM

I won’t argue just for the sake of arguing.

[Cheeks]

2019 Ballparks yielding home runs (per Park Factors on ESPN).  10 of the playoff games thus far have been in parks that favor the pitcher and gave up fewer home runs than the average park.  Including 4 of the bottom 7 teams.  Conversely only 2 of the top 7 ballparks hosted games.

Nationals  2nd most  (2 games)
Astros 6th most  (3 games)
Dodgers 9th most  (3 games)
Rays 19th most (2 games)
Twins 24th most (1 game)
Yankees 25th most (2 games)
A's 26th most   (1 game)
Cardinals  27th most  (4 games)

http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor/_/sort/HRFactor

Pitching.  Walker Bueller pitched 2 of the 5 Dodger games, Cole and Verlander pitched 4 of the 5 Astros games.  Scherzer and Strasburg pitched 4 of 6 games (Wild card and NLDS), etc, etc.  It makes a difference.  In the regular season, Bueller would have pitched 1, Cole and Verlander 2 and same for Scherzer.

[wadesworld]

#1 Extremely small sample size for the playoffs vs the regular season.  Let's also not forget stadiums are not uniform distance for home runs.  So you also need to look at the ballparks in all of this.  And it's not just about temperature.  In So. Cal we have the marine layer, you have winds to deal with, etc...temperature is one variable, but as well all know it can be 80 degrees and wind blowing in, 80 degrees and win blowing out....that makes a difference...right?  Etc, etc.

The ball is "supposedly" traveling 4.5 feet shorter in the playoffs...based on analytics done by one team.  The quality of the pitching is irrelevant? How on earth can you say this.  There's a reason why certain pitchers only give up a handful of home runs or deep fly balls are not the norm vs majority ground ball outs, strike outs.  The quality makes a huge difference.  Staggering that you would suggest otherwise. 

Every few years this conspiracy stuff comes up.  Between launch angles, steroids, HGH, weather, closing the roof on stadiums, there is always all kinds of people making claims...including the mud on the balls, the stitch height, how tightly wound the core is, etc, etc.  Yet in all this time, I have yet to ever (correct me if I am wrong) hear of some factory employee at Rawlings or some exec say things are changed.  Seems like a disgruntled employee would come clean on this at some point.  Baseballs are made in batches, they try to make them uniform.  Are some batches different than others...yes.  Is it done purposely?  Where's the evidence?

The manager of the Cardinals might want to get his guys even to try getting a hit of any kind, let alone a home run at this point.

• 2019 Ballparks yielding home runs (per Park Factors on ESPN).  10 of the playoff games thus far have been in parks that favor the pitcher and gave up fewer home runs than the average park.  Including 4 of the bottom 7 teams.  Conversely only 2 of the top 7 ballparks hosted games.
  
  Nationals  2nd most  (2 games)
  Astros 6th most  (3 games)
  Dodgers 9th most  (3 games)
  Rays 19th most (2 games)
  Twins 24th most (1 game)
  Yankees 25th most (2 games)
  A's 26th most   (1 game)
  Cardinals  27th most  (4 games)
  
  http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor/_/sort/HRFactor
  
  Pitching.  Walker Bueller pitched 2 of the 5 Dodger games, Cole and Verlander pitched 4 of the 5 Astros games.  Scherzer and Strasburg pitched 4 of 6 games (Wild card and NLDS), etc, etc.  It makes a difference.  In the regular season, Bueller would have pitched 1, Cole and Verlander 2 and same for Scherzer.
  
  

#mathishard