2013 MLB Thread

[CTWarrior]

Legit question: Do Red Sox fans admit that their team has won by doing things the "Yankee way" (i.e. throw money at their issues) or do they refuse to accept that and still view the Yanks as the Evil Empire?

They have wised up since the Crawford/Beckett/Gonzalez signings.  Just like the Yankees in the 90s, the Red Sox plan is to agument a productive farm system with targeted free agents.  When you look at the guys they signed this past winter, Victorino is the only guy they signed for big money, and they were widely panned for signing him.  All of their other acquisitions (Uehara, Gomes, Napoli, Drew) were short term guys at reasonable money that didn't require them to give up a draft pick and guys that most teams could have afforded.  They will be outbid for Ellsbury this winter, but they have Bradley, Jr. ready to take his place.  

You can't win consistently using the Yankees 2000s model anymore.  Those huge long term contracts cripple you over the back half no matter how much money you have.  The Dodgers are the Yankees now and will be good for the next couple of years.  It will be interesting if they can maintain that simply by spending.  That said, I fully acknowledge that the Red Sox outspend all but a handful of other teams, and that is the biggest reason why they are consistently good.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I believe the late arrivals to the bandwagon are what make the fanbase insufferable.

Defintely, they are more insufferable now.  Connecticut is split between Yankee & Red Sox fans (with a few Mets fans sprinkled in) so the rivalry can get intense at times.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Well, see you guys in March. Screw every single team left, it could not be a worse final four. Go Dodgers? I guess thats what its coming down to

[CTWarrior]

Defintely, they are more insufferable now.  Connecticut is split between Yankee & Red Sox fans (with a few Mets fans sprinkled in) so the rivalry can get intense at times.

Oh man, is that ever the pot calling the kettle black (or in deference to the other threads in the Superbar, the pot calling the kettle African-American).  There has never been a more insufferable fan base than Yankees fans, circa 2000.  Basically, Red Sox fans in CT had to put up with gloating Yankees fans for about 86 years, only natural they'd want to exact a little revenge when finally given the opportunity.  And while other fan bases can gripe about the Red Sox payroll, Yankees fans sure can't, since they average about $50M/year higher payroll than the Sox since the turn of the millenium.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

My pre-playoff prediction of a Dodgers-Sox World Series is still alive. Guessed everything right besides picking Oakland to get past Detroit.

[MU B2002]

Things I don't like about last night:
1. Removing A Gonz for Dee Gordon and not even trying to steal.
2. Sending Ellis on a shallow fly to right, especially after he just legged out a 3B.
3. Michael Young.

I hate to same a game 2 is a must win, but u have to get at least one win out of Kershaw and Greinke.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Things I don't like about last night:
1. Removing A Gonz for Dee Gordon and not even trying to steal.
2. Sending Ellis on a shallow fly to right, especially after he just legged out a 3B.
3. Michael Young.

I hate to same a game 2 is a must win, but u have to get at least one win out of Kershaw and Greinke.

I think you had to try  on #2.  Force them to make a play late in the game. 

Go Cards or anyone playing the Doyers

[MU B2002]

#2 I know...

[brandx]

Things I don't like about last night:
1. Removing A Gonz for Dee Gordon and not even trying to steal.
2. Sending Ellis on a shallow fly to right, especially after he just legged out a 3B.
3. Michael Young.

I hate to same a game 2 is a must win, but u have to get at least one win out of Kershaw and Greinke.

#1 was the big one. You either have Gordon running right away or wait until Gonzalez is on 2nd before using the pinch runner.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

#1 was the big one. You either have Gordon running right away or wait until Gonzalez is on 2nd before using the pinch runner.

That was pretty bad.

There's a chance Gordon would've been sent if Puig got ahead in the count (he was 0-1 and grounded out on the third pitch), but if you're subbing for Gonzalez, you need to make sure.

[CTWarrior]

#1 was the big one. You either have Gordon running right away or wait until Gonzalez is on 2nd before using the pinch runner.

Agree 100%.  The odds of a gapper (if you're not going to steal the only way the speed difference would be important is on a double in the gap) is miniscule compared to the likelihood of that spot coming up again in a tie game.  Not only that, but Donnie Baseball compounded the stupidity of pinch-running by bunting in front of Hanley Ramirez in extras, taking the bat out of his hands.  With A-Gon gone, no way you pitch to Hanley in extras with first base open, so why would you invite that situation.

One thing about bunting.  It is almost always stupid with your regular position players.  You are more likely to score one run with a runner on first and nobody out than you are with a runner on second and one out.  So even if it is successful, you are decreasing your chance of scoring a run and greatly decreasing your chances of scoriing more than one run.

[brandx]

Agree 100%.  The odds of a gapper (if you're not going to steal the only way the speed difference would be important is on a double in the gap) is miniscule compared to the likelihood of that spot coming up again in a tie game.  Not only that, but Donnie Baseball compounded the stupidity of pinch-running by bunting in front of Hanley Ramirez in extras, taking the bat out of his hands.  With A-Gon gone, no way you pitch to Hanley in extras with first base open, so why would you invite that situation.

One thing about bunting.  It is almost always stupid with your regular position players.  You are more likely to score one run with a runner on first and nobody out than you are with a runner on second and one out.  So even if it is successful, you are decreasing your chance of scoring a run and greatly decreasing your chances of scoriing more than one run.

Agree with all you say. Mattingly made the mistakes that mattered in this game. And while there are times to sacrifice (8 or 9 spot late in game), your assessment is right on.

[tower912]

BoSox showed how to use a pinch-runner last night.   Q had Tiger fans terrified.    Stealing game one on the road is always good. 

[brandx]

BoSox showed how to use a pinch-runner last night.   Q had Tiger fans terrified.    Stealing game one on the road is always good. 

He had Benoit terrified.

[tower912]

I am pretty sure that every player that has tried to steal on Benoit this year has been successful.    Benoit pitches glacially slow anyway.    Berry just made it worse.

[CTWarrior]

I am pretty sure that every player that has tried to steal on Benoit this year has been successful.    Benoit pitches glacially slow anyway.    Berry just made it worse.

Scherzer was awesome last night.  The Red Sox are going to have to change their approach against the Tigers starters and start swinging a little earlier in the count.  Seems like every batter was down in the count 1-2 after 3 pitches against Scherzer.  Sanchez was terrific in game 1, too.  Electric stuff, and he was hitting the edges of the strike zone all night.

Fielder is not aptly named.  His lazy attempt to block Iglesias' poor throw, which he should have easily knocked down, followed by dropping that foul pop-up were killers, though the horse was out of the barn by then.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Game 2 of the ALCS was absolutely fantastic.  There has been a string of very good postseason games this year.

[tower912]

Scherzer was awesome last night.  The Red Sox are going to have to change their approach against the Tigers starters and start swinging a little earlier in the count.  Seems like every batter was down in the count 1-2 after 3 pitches against Scherzer.  Sanchez was terrific in game 1, too.  Electric stuff, and he was hitting the edges of the strike zone all night.

Fielder is not aptly named.  His lazy attempt to block Iglesias' poor throw, which he should have easily knocked down, followed by dropping that foul pop-up were killers, though the horse was out of the barn by then.

Fielder seems to be far more of a defensive liability than Miggy ever was at first.   He went through a streak in '12 where he simply could not dig the ball out of the dirt.      Detroit's bullpen meltdown was perpetrated by the exact same cast of characters that was so stellar in game one.   And therein lies the Achilles heel of the Tigers.    For all of their hitters, they go extended teamwide slumps.    Normally, Cabrera can be enough to carry them, but right now he just isn't healthy enough.    The bullpen can go through a week of solid pitching and then have a performance like game 2.   Hell, the A's blew up 4 of our starting pitchers in a row back in August.     There is not a single aspect of the Tigers that their fans feel like they can count on game-in and game-out.    The maddening thing is that they win it all or lose the next 3 in a row and not shock their fans. 

[NavinRJohnson]

This pretty well sums it up. Go Dodgers!

http://deadspin.com/why-your-cardinals-suck-1443513646

[ChicosBailBonds]

This pretty well sums it up. Go Dodgers!

http://deadspin.com/why-your-cardinals-suck-1443513646

You need to spend about 4 nanoseconds with Doyers fans to come away with the same feelings.

[MU B2002]

Huge start from Ryu tonight.  Does Greinke go in game 4? And then 7...



http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/9827666/2013-mlb-playoffs-yasiel-puig-los-angeles-dodgers-annoys-carlos-beltran-st-louis-cardinals

Anybody think Puig gets hit tonight?

[CTWarrior]

Anybody think Puig gets hit tonight?

I don't think so, though if he comes up with two outs and first base open wouldn't dig in too deep.  But I am constantly amazed how major league hitters don't bust it out of the box, even in playoff games with the season on the line.  I can see if you hit one of those Reggie Jackson moonshots that land 50 rows deep, but how many times do you see guys admire balls that barely do or don't make it to the stands?  A base could be the difference between winning and losing.

[MerrittsMustache]

Anybody think Puig gets hit tonight?

The only way he gets plunked is if it's a blowout and the Cards bring in the last reliever on the roster in mop-up duty. Otherwise, there's too much at stake, especially with only 9 runs scored total in 3 games. Teams can't afford to be giving free passes. It's more likely that he'll get drilled next season.

[MU B2002]

I don't think so, though if he comes up with two outs and first base open wouldn't dig in too deep.  But I am constantly amazed how major league hitters don't bust it out of the box, even in playoff games with the season on the line.  I can see if you hit one of those Reggie Jackson moonshots that land 50 rows deep, but how many times do you see guys admire balls that barely do or don't make it to the stands?  A base could be the difference between winning and losing.

I can't believe despite the pose and bat flip, he still made it in to third standing.

[GGGG]

I can't believe despite the pose and bat flip, he still made it in to third standing.

Brian McCann thinks the Cardinals are a bunch of hairy wet cats.