MLB 2018 Season

[RushmoreAcademy]

You're forgetting the intangibles like the Devilbird blackmagic that they employ to stay in every race. Doesn't matter how many potential issues they have on paper, injuries, etc. They find ways to win. Last year obviously did not end favorably for the first time in a long time, but STL takes a lot of pride in everything they do. Many parallels to be drawn to the Packers IMO.

As a Chicago fan and rival of both the Cardinals and Packers, I find no parallel between the two teams.
The Cardinals keep winning with players you may not necessarily expect them to.  Take one guy away, and they somehow (devilbird blackmagic?)  get stronger.
The Packers win because they repeatedly have the best player in the league as the most important position in sports.  Take that guy away and they are very average.

[wadesworld]

As a Chicago fan and rival of both the Cardinals and Packers, I find no parallel between the two teams.
The Cardinals keep winning with players you may not necessarily expect them to.  Take one guy away, and they somehow (devilbird blackmagic?)  get stronger.
The Packers win because they repeatedly have the best player in the league as the most important position in sports.  Take that guy away and they are very average.

I'd say that probably has more to do with the difference in the sports themselves.  The quarterback position is far more important to a football team than any single position in baseball is to a baseball team.  Give any football team Brett Hundley for 10 games in a season and chances are they didn't have a very good season.

[Dr. Blackheart]

You're forgetting the intangibles like the Devilbird blackmagic that they employ to stay in every race. Doesn't matter how many potential issues they have on paper, injuries, etc. They find ways to win. Last year obviously did not end favorably for the first time in a long time, but STL takes a lot of pride in everything they do.

Maybe the FBI was the reason for their down year?

[WayOfTheWarrior]

As a Chicago fan and rival of both the Cardinals and Packers, I find no parallel between the two teams.
The Cardinals keep winning with players you may not necessarily expect them to.  Take one guy away, and they somehow (devilbird blackmagic?)  get stronger.
The Packers win because they repeatedly have the best player in the league as the most important position in sports.  Take that guy away and they are very average.

It's less the specific makeup of the team as it relates to the sport and more of the aura of pride and "tradition of winning" that permeates the organization, and how they have dominated their respective divisions (this past season aside). It drives the other teams nuts because they cannot seemingly get an edge for any sustained amount of time.

Obviously, the Cards have these seemingly "no name" players that rise up from the abyss and play significant roles in addition to the big names. Closest comparison between the Rodgers effect would be Pujols but success in baseball cannot be attributed to one player like it can be in football. Definitely agree that the Packers are not playoff caliber without Rodgers.

Upon further review, I'd say the Patriots are more like the Devilbirds in terms of "next man up" (and I can't stand either).The 90's Braves were probably more similar to the Packers because they always won the division only to get bounced in the playoffs year after year.
This coming from a lifelong Cubs fan and Packers fan of many years. I know it makes no sense and everyone gives me the stank-eye, but just the way my life has gone in relation to different sports.

[Jockey]

I'd say that probably has more to do with the difference in the sports themselves.  The quarterback position is far more important to a football team than any single position in baseball is to a baseball team.  Give any football team Brett Hundley for 10 games in a season and chances are they didn't have a very good season.

Bortles, Keanum, Mariota, Foles, Alex Smith, Tyrod Taylor.......

A good team can win with a crap QB. GB lost partly because Hundley was/is a stiff, but the rest of the team sucks. Give a backup QB the slowest receivers in the league with a porous right side of the OL to go along with a terrible defense run by a coach who has lost his way and things go south in a hurry.

[wadesworld]

Bortles, Keanum, Mariota, Foles, Alex Smith, Tyrod Taylor.......

A good team can win with a crap QB. GB lost partly because Hundley was/is a stiff, but the rest of the team sucks. Give a backup QB the slowest receivers in the league with a porous right side of the OL to go along with a terrible defense run by a coach who has lost his way and things go south in a hurry.

You really think Brett Hundley is anywhere near Bortles, Keanum, Mariota, Foles, Smith, or Taylor?  Alrighty then.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Oh good.  This is becoming another thread about the NFL. 

[Jockey]

You really think Brett Hundley is anywhere near Bortles, Keanum, Mariota, Foles, Smith, or Taylor?  Alrighty then.

Nope. Never said he was.

But all of those are average, at best, QBs who led their teams to the playoffs.

And every one of them had faster wideouts.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

Oh good.  This is becoming another thread about the NFL. 

My bad 

[WayOfTheWarrior]

Anyone see the "Jordan to Pippen" bounce pass by Lester a few days ago? Didn't exactly go as planned.
It's mind-boggling how some pitchers cannot simply field the ball and throw to first. It's one of the most basic skills you learn since day one. Matt Garza is another pitcher who struggles with this I believe.

If it works, it works, but it would seem to make things harder to purposely try to bounce the ball to first rather than throwing it like a normal human being.

[Jockey]

Anyone see the "Jordan to Pippen" bounce pass by Lester a few days ago? Didn't exactly go as planned.
It's mind-boggling how some pitchers cannot simply field the ball and throw to first. It's one of the most basic skills you learn since day one. Matt Garza is another pitcher who struggles with this I believe.

If it works, it works, but it would seem to make things harder to purposely try to bounce the ball to first rather than throwing it like a normal human being.

Funny stuff.

[CTWarrior]

Anyone see the "Jordan to Pippen" bounce pass by Lester a few days ago? Didn't exactly go as planned.
It's mind-boggling how some pitchers cannot simply field the ball and throw to first. It's one of the most basic skills you learn since day one. Matt Garza is another pitcher who struggles with this I believe.

If it works, it works, but it would seem to make things harder to purposely try to bounce the ball to first rather than throwing it like a normal human being.

Julian Tavarez used to roll the ball to first when he pitched for the Red Sox.  Strange, but I don't remember it costing him an out.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Anyone see the "Jordan to Pippen" bounce pass by Lester a few days ago? Didn't exactly go as planned.
It's mind-boggling how some pitchers cannot simply field the ball and throw to first. It's one of the most basic skills you learn since day one. Matt Garza is another pitcher who struggles with this I believe.

If it works, it works, but it would seem to make things harder to purposely try to bounce the ball to first rather than throwing it like a normal human being.

It really is strange. He's gotten by pretty good thought, winning a few World Series in the process.  I keep waiting for teams to exploit it.  Two years ago Dave Roberts said they wouldn't do that because he would be asking his guys to play in a different way, or do things they weren't used to doing, and that could hurt their game too.
As crazy as it is for Lester, it's even worse for guys like Chuck Knoblach and Steve Sax, playing over at second and having the yips.  I think it was Mackey Sasser, a catcher, who couldn't throw the ball back to the pitcher and it played a big part in his career ending.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

It really is strange. He's gotten by pretty good thought, winning a few World Series in the process.  I keep waiting for teams to exploit it.  Two years ago Dave Roberts said they wouldn't do that because he would be asking his guys to play in a different way, or do things they weren't used to doing, and that could hurt their game too.
As crazy as it is for Lester, it's even worse for guys like Chuck Knoblach and Steve Sax, playing over at second and having the yips.  I think it was Mackey Sasser, a catcher, who couldn't throw the ball back to the pitcher and it played a big part in his career ending.

Speaking of catchers that give me the yips, every stinking time there's a drop third for Willson Contreras, I have a heart attack! He throws it so much harder than necessary causing it to go offline. Rizzo has to expend so much effort to keep it from getting away. Can't remember if it cost the Cubs a game once but I remember him throwing it away late innings in a game last year when the game seemed to be in hand.

[4everwarriors]

Adios Hundley and da horse ya road in on. Wrigley's may kneed a spokesperson, hey?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Speaking of catchers that give me the yips, every stinking time there's a drop third for Willson Contreras, I have a heart attack! He throws it so much harder than necessary causing it to go offline. Rizzo has to expend so much effort to keep it from getting away. Can't remember if it cost the Cubs a game once but I remember him throwing it away late innings in a game last year when the game seemed to be in hand.

Pretty sure it never cost the Cubs a game but he's gotta tone it down a bit.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Arrieta to Phillies - 3/75.

Quite a difference after wanting 6-7 years and $200 million.

[#UnleashSean]

So wades if arrieta does even better on Philly, do they have super peds

[wadesworld]

So wades if arrieta does even better on Philly, do they have super peds

I don't care where he's playing. I'm not sure where you got that idea.

Arrietta roided like crazy. And he's a millionaire for it. Good for him.

[TallTitan34]

Speaking of catchers that give me the yips, every stinking time there's a drop third for Willson Contreras, I have a heart attack! He throws it so much harder than necessary causing it to go offline. Rizzo has to expend so much effort to keep it from getting away. Can't remember if it cost the Cubs a game once but I remember him throwing it away late innings in a game last year when the game seemed to be in hand.

At the Cubs Convention, Rizzo commented how he never knows what to expect. 90% of the time Contreras throws the fastball to first but occasionally he'll throw a change up.

Just like batting.

[TallTitan34]

Julian Tavarez used to roll the ball to first when he pitched for the Red Sox.  Strange, but I don't remember it costing him an out.

He did that a few times as a Cub as well.  That dude was batshit crazy.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

At the Cubs Convention, Rizzo commented how he never knows what to expect. 90% of the time Contreras throws the fastball to first but occasionally he'll throw a change up.

Just like batting.

Interesting. As long as he doesn't develop a bender it should be ok.

I appreciate Willson's pickoff ability. It's not quite Yadi level (the GOAT of catchers defensively) but not bad at all.

[Jockey]

Interesting. As long as he doesn't develop a bender it should be ok.

I appreciate Willson's pickoff ability. It's not quite Yadi level (the GOAT of catchers defensively) but not bad at all.

Carter, Sundberg or Boone might want to argue the point with you.

[MU82]

Tebow sent to the minor-league camp by the Mets after he went 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts Tuesday.

In 7 big-league exhibitions, he batted .056 (1-for-18) with 11 Ks.

Silliness.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

Tebow sent to the minor-league camp by the Mets after he went 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts Tuesday.

In 7 big-league exhibitions, he batted .056 (1-for-18) with 11 Ks.

Silliness.

I am a fan of Timmy but his ceiling is maybe AA. Considering the Mets aren't going anywhere this season, maybe they were chasing the possibility of selling tickets with him on the roster, but clearly they can't get past numbers like this.