MLB 2016

[DegenerateDish]

Maddon makes some very strange decisions. There was zero reason to bring in Chapman, he was up for an hour, his attitude and demeanor on the mound are awful. Getting lit up.

[🏀]

Maddon makes some very strange decisions. There was zero reason to bring in Chapman, he was up for an hour, his attitude and demeanor on the mound are awful. Getting lit up.

Nah, he needed work. Slider city. Never even went back 100%

[DegenerateDish]

Nah, he needed work. Slider city. Never even went back 100%

I felt like Chapman gave Maddon a big Eff You for bringing him in with how he pitched the 9th.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I felt like Chapman gave Maddon a big Eff You for bringing him in with how he pitched the 9th.

Nah. Not at all. Overthinking it.

[DegenerateDish]

Nah. Not at all. Overthinking it.

Those two guys aren't buddies, that story about the flight over was presented to the media for a reason. Their interaction on the field after the game was over said it all.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Those two guys aren't buddies, that story about the flight over was presented to the media for a reason. Their interaction on the field after the game was over said it all.

Who cares?

I expect him to answer the bell when called upon.

[brandx]

Um........ I seem to remember Texas won their division.

[wadesworld]

Um........ I seem to remember Texas won their division.

As did the Indians, who had the best pitching staff in baseball to catch, and who are headed to the World Series.

[MerrittsMustache]

Those two guys aren't buddies, that story about the flight over was presented to the media for a reason. Their interaction on the field after the game was over said it all.

As much as fans and media love Joe Maddon, his unorthodox style doesn't jive with every player, particularly pitchers. He and Hammel had issues late last season. Adam Warren wasn't a fan and that's a big reason why he was sent down then traded away. It's also why the Cubs kicked the tires on guys like Rodney and Peralta and why former Rays like Jake McGee were mentioned in trade talks - they're familiar with Maddon's style and it's less of an adjustment, especially coming over during the season.

[robmufan]

Chapman really just likes the 9th inning...that is all. I am fine they got him over Miller since the Yankees were asking a TON for Miller.

But the way it seems, Miller would have been a better Maddon "fit" as he is ok pitching multiple innings at anytime in the game.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I saw a story that Charlie Sheen wants to throw out the first pitch at a World Series game dressed as his Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn character.

[MerrittsMustache]

Wasn't Lucroy's issue with Cleveland that he'd be spending next season backing up Gomes and playing a lot of 1B and DH thus decreasing his FA value following 2017? It didn't really have anything to do with "wanting to go to a contender."

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Yes.

“I was surprised, but I wanted to keep an open mind. Great team. Competitive team. There’s a real chance to win. Doug called Chris Antonetti, the Indians’ president. There was one thing we wanted to know: What was my future with the Indians? We knew Cleveland already had a good catcher, Yan Gomes, who’s injured right now. He’s getting paid more than me, and he’s younger than me. We knew they’d probably want him catching almost every day next year. Heck, if I were the general manager in Cleveland, I’d want Gomes catching every day.

We were right. Antonetti told Doug that the Indians couldn’t make any promises on me catching next season. There was no way they’d drop the team option, either, because I’m pretty inexpensive in 2017. I don’t blame them. I would have been mostly at first base and designated hitter.”

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Wasn't Lucroy's issue with Cleveland that he'd be spending next season backing up Gomes and playing a lot of 1B and DH thus decreasing his FA value following 2017? It didn't really have anything to do with "wanting to go to a contender."

Yep. 

[wadesworld]

Wasn't Lucroy's issue with Cleveland that he'd be spending next season backing up Gomes and playing a lot of 1B and DH thus decreasing his FA value following 2017? It didn't really have anything to do with "wanting to go to a contender."

Yes.  But he went public - multiple times - saying he just wanted to play for a contender and didn't think that at this stage of his career he wanted to sit through a rebuild.

Jan Gomes stinks.  I would hope no team is going to tell you "We guarantee you will be our catcher for as long as you'd like to be."  But if you're getting scared away because a team won't commit to you over Jan Gomes then maybe you just aren't that good at baseball.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Yes.  But he went public - multiple times - saying he just wanted to play for a contender and didn't think that at this stage of his career he wanted to sit through a rebuild.

Jan Gomes stinks.  I would hope no team is going to tell you "We guarantee you will be our catcher for as long as you'd like to be."  But if you're getting scared away because a team won't commit to you over Jan Gomes then maybe you just aren't that good at baseball.

Who's Jan Gomes?

Sounds like sour grapes on your part.  He had every right to make the decision he did and I can understand the logic. 

[MerrittsMustache]

Yes.  But he went public - multiple times - saying he just wanted to play for a contender and didn't think that at this stage of his career he wanted to sit through a rebuild.

Which is why he was willing to leave the Brewers. That's unrelated to his reasoning for not wanting to join the Indians.

[GGGG]

Didn't Texas have the best record in the American League this year?  I mean, by definition that's a "contender" right?

[wadesworld]

Who's Jan Gomes?

Sounds like sour grapes on your part.  He had every right to make the decision he did and I can understand the logic.

Sour grapes?  For what?  We got a better package in return from the Rangers.

My biggest issue is you don't publicly state you want to be traded.  If he never does that then it's simply, "the Brewers know they won't be competitive by the time Luc is leaving Milwaukee and want a return, but Luc doesn't want to play for Cleveland."  Instead it's, "Hey look, Luc goes public more than once saying he just wants to play for a contender and then blocks the trade that would send him to a contender."

Oh and now the contender that he would've been on is in the World Series while he went 1-12 from the plate and allowed a passed ball tie the game that eventually led to his sweep out of the Playoffs.  Maybe he is worse than Gomes after all.

[Lennys Tap]

Sounds like sour grapes on your part.  He had every right to make the decision he did and I can understand the logic.

He certainly did. But by refusing the Cleveland deal he also ran the risk that he wouldn't get moved and would be stuck with the Brewers. As things turned out, though, Lucroy got (in his opinion) a better deal. I don't think he has any regrets.

[wadesworld]

Which is why he was willing to leave the Brewers. That's unrelated to his reasoning for not wanting to join the Indians.

"Yeah, absolutely. I want to win," he said. "It's not guaranteed that I'm going to win if I am traded. But I'm going to be a 30-year-old catcher (in June). I can't put numbers on how much longer I'm going to play, but as players we want to win. I don't care about the money; I just want to win. That's the bottom line."

So what, exactly, would be  his reason for not wanting to join the Indians?  People site, "Oh, he can't beat out Gomes, so he'd have to play 1B and DH, and with free agency coming up that costs him millions of dollars." Well, in his own words, the money isn't the issue, only winning is.  The Indians clearly would've given him that opportunity (winning, the thing he says is the only thing that mattes).

[MUDPT]

Didn't Texas have the best record in the American League this year?  I mean, by definition that's a "contender" right?
[/quote

Texas sucked, look at their run differential. It would be funny if a player did say, I'm not going to play there because their underlying stats say they really aren't that good.

[MerrittsMustache]

Texas sucked, look at their run differential. It would be funny if a player did say, I'm not going to play there because their underlying stats say they really aren't that good.

No team that wins 95 games "sucks," regardless of their run differential.

Houston and Detroit both had better run differentials than Texas. Would you say that they each had a better season?

[MUDPT]

No team that wins 95 games "sucks," regardless of their run differential.

Houston and Detroit both had better run differentials than Texas. Would you say that they each had a better season?

Yes.

[MerrittsMustache]

Yes.

You honestly believe that a team that won 84 games and missed the postseason had a better season than a team that finished 11 games ahead of them in the standings, won their division and finished with the best record in the AL?

That's impossibly stupid.