MLB 2016

[buckchuckler]

Right.  Because I said that judgement and context should be removed from EVERY play. 

Hahah.  Well I guess you were vague enough.  I guess it is hard to tell when the sultan deems human judgement valid and when it is not.   So what is the scale.  Sliding bad.  Got it.  HBP good.  Got it.  Both plays that happen all the time.  Both rarely injure anyone.  Both can have intent to injure, both happen within the normal conditions of the game.

Heck the slide is an incredibly safe play.  How many injuries can you recall?  4-5?  Maybe it is more, but it isn't significant overall.  How many thousands of break up slides happen each season.  Not exactly high risk.  And the guys that do get injured, are typically out of position.  Guys get injured more frequently while sliding.  Same with the posey play.  If Aj Pollock didn't need to slide head first to avoid a play at the plate, maybe one of the great young stars in the game wouldn't be it for the season.

It is a rule that was an over reaction.  Plain and simple.

[MerrittsMustache]

Hahah.  Well I guess you were vague enough.  I guess it is hard to tell when the sultan deems human judgement valid and when it is not.   So what is the scale.  Sliding bad.  Got it.  HBP good.  Got it.  Both plays that happen all the time.  Both rarely injure anyone.  Both can have intent to injure, both happen within the normal conditions of the game.

Heck the slide is an incredibly safe play.  How many injuries can you recall?  4-5?  Maybe it is more, but it isn't significant overall.  How many thousands of break up slides happen each season.  Not exactly high risk.  And the guys that do get injured, are typically out of position.  Guys get injured more frequently while sliding.  Same with the posey play.  If Aj Pollock didn't need to slide head first to avoid a play at the plate, maybe one of the great young stars in the game wouldn't be it for the season.

It is a rule that was an over reaction.  Plain and simple.

Pitchers get ejected for throwing at batters because it's a dangerous play that puts an opposing player at risk. The actual number of injuries that result is inconsequential. Sure, some umpires can overreact to HBPs and give unwarranted ejections but it's not always black and white. Sliding into second is.

Runners are called for interference when they don't slide into the bag because it's a dangerous play that puts an opposing player at risk. There's no sense in waiting around for a series of horrible injuries. If it's a dangerous, unnecessary play, get rid of it.

[GGGG]

Hahah.  Well I guess you were vague enough.  I guess it is hard to tell when the sultan deems human judgement valid and when it is not.   So what is the scale.  Sliding bad.  Got it.  HBP good.  Got it.  Both plays that happen all the time.  Both rarely injure anyone.  Both can have intent to injure, both happen within the normal conditions of the game.

Heck the slide is an incredibly safe play.  How many injuries can you recall?  4-5?  Maybe it is more, but it isn't significant overall.  How many thousands of break up slides happen each season.  Not exactly high risk.  And the guys that do get injured, are typically out of position.  Guys get injured more frequently while sliding.  Same with the posey play.  If Aj Pollock didn't need to slide head first to avoid a play at the plate, maybe one of the great young stars in the game wouldn't be it for the season.

It is a rule that was an over reaction.  Plain and simple.

I get what you are saying.  But my response would be that just because a lot of people don't get injured, that doesn't mean that shouldn't go away.  I just don't see a logical reason to keep it other than "tradition."

[brandx]

Pitchers get ejected for throwing at batters because it's a dangerous play that puts an opposing player at risk. The actual number of injuries that result is inconsequential. Sure, some umpires can overreact to HBPs and give unwarranted ejections but it's not always black and white. Sliding into second is.

Runners are called for interference when they don't slide into the bag because it's a dangerous play that puts an opposing player at risk. There's no sense in waiting around for a series of horrible injuries. If it's a dangerous, unnecessary play, get rid of it.

Exactly.

A runner can still take out an infielder on a double play. That is not against the rules. The runner just needs to slide to the base and attempt to stay on it.

[BrewCity83]

That play that ended the Brewers game was a joke.  Although the umps did apply the rule correctly based on how it's written, I have two problems with the rule as it applies to this play:

1) the Brewer infielder was making no attempt to make a relay throw to 1st base to get the batter because there was no chance to get the out
2) the baserunner's slide was on the outfield side of the base, away from the fielder.  He appeared to slide away from both the base and the fielder in order to avoid contact, conceding the out.  There was no chance of any collision type injury from that slide.

I'm a Brewers fan so I didn't mind the call from that perspective, but that rule needs to be refined to take into consideration things like whether the fielder had any chance to make a play for another out, or whether the baserunner's slide missed the bag far away from the fielder with no attempt to make contact with the fielder.

[buckchuckler]

Twins fans... getting desperate early.  No team with such a start has ever made the playoffs and most lose 100 games.  Rough. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Man, without getting ahead of myself too much, it's going to be great to finally have relevant baseball for Chicago in the summer.

Both the white sox and Cubs just keep rolling and in two completely different ways. White Sox just shut teams down and the Cubs just beat teams down. Don't know if it will last but it's damn fun to watch at the moment.

[TallTitan34]

A few guys on the Cubs including Rizzo haven't even started hitting yet.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Twins fans... getting desperate early.  No team with such a start has ever made the playoffs and most lose 100 games.  Rough.

You've got my Halos coming to town....we've already lost two of our starting five pitchers to the DL.  So you have a good chance to get healthy this weekend.

[PGsHeroes32]

Man, without getting ahead of myself too much, it's going to be great to finally have relevant baseball for Chicago in the summer.

Both the white sox and Cubs just keep rolling and in two completely different ways. White Sox just shut teams down and the Cubs just beat teams down. Don't know if it will last but it's damn fun to watch at the moment.

Cubs are gonna keep rolling along.

Sox ain't that good but should compete for a while

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Cubs are gonna keep rolling along.

Sox ain't that good but should compete for a while

Pitching is the great equalizer. If Latos returns to his old form like he has so far, they have one of the best top 4 in the league (sorry Danks) couple that with I would say arguably the best closer in the game right now. (I could be wrong on that one, don't pay attention much to trams relief pitchers but Robertson is really good)

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Pitching is the great equalizer. If Latos returns to his old form like he has so far, they have one of the best top 4 in the league (sorry Danks) couple that with I would say arguably the best closer in the game right now. (I could be wrong on that one, don't pay attention much to trams relief pitchers but Robertson is really good)

I'd be very surprised if Latos returns to form.  From what I understand his stuff has not ticked up and it wouldn't surprise me if his first two starts are his best two starts.  Let's see what happens when he faces some real offenses.  The top 3 are great though, assuming Rodon keeps it up, which he has the pedigree for. 

Robertson is very good but not quite at the level of guys like Wade Davis, Chapman, Jansen.

[buckchuckler]

Pitching is the great equalizer. If Latos returns to his old form like he has so far, they have one of the best top 4 in the league (sorry Danks) couple that with I would say arguably the best closer in the game right now. (I could be wrong on that one, don't pay attention much to trams relief pitchers but Robertson is really good)

They also have very solid guys is front of Robertson in Jones, Albers and Petricka

[buckchuckler]

Big night, Twins and Braves each get into the win column.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Two pitches into the game and already a comment about the "great baseball fans of St. Louis" mind you, this was after the entire stadium booed Heyward. That mantra is really getting old.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Thoughts on the new Wrigley?  A major cluster again based on Saturday...three inning bathroom breaks followed by three inning food lines serving food that would make SAGA cringe  Crane Kenney is just another incompetent ND alum...and a jag to boot.

[jesmu84]

Two pitches into the game and already a comment about the "great baseball fans of St. Louis" mind you, this was after the entire stadium booed Heyward. That mantra is really getting old.

The team plays the "right" way. And their fans are nothing but classy

[🏀]

Thoughts on the new Wrigley?  A major cluster again based on Saturday...three inning bathroom breaks followed by three inning food lines serving food that would make SAGA cring.  Crane Kenney is just another incompetent ND alum...and a jag to boot.

What?

Exact opposite on Opening Night. I'll actually say the bathroom was the most efficient I've ever been at during a sporting event.

[Dr. Blackheart]

What?

Construction. Crane's pet project.

[TallTitan34]

Thoughts on the new Wrigley?  A major cluster again based on Saturday...three inning bathroom breaks followed by three inning food lines serving food that would make SAGA cringe  Crane Kenney is just another incompetent ND alum...and a jag to boot.

PTM and myself were there opening night (with a larger crowd) and none of these things were issues.

[🏀]

Construction. Crane's pet project.

See edited post.

Wouldn't say it's Crane's pet project either. He's hardly involved, gives media updates and tours.

[TallTitan34]

PTM is correct. It is Carl Rice's project.

[Dr. Blackheart]

See edited post.

Wouldn't say it's Crane's pet project either. He's hardly involved, gives media updates and tours.

Well, I saw him directing the operations cluster that was Saturday. 

[🏀]

Well, I saw him directing the operations cluster that was Saturday. 

What operations cluster?

[TallTitan34]

Well, I saw him directing the operations cluster that was Saturday.

That isn't Crane's job. Crane is in charge of business operations. Not stadium operations.