MLB 2018 Season

[buckchuckler]

Weird that Marquettefan94 is nowhere to be found. Takes a real man to come pounding his chest when things are going his team’s way but goes into hiding as soon as things take a turn.

While Cubs fans are hilariously delusional, at least most show up here no matter how the team is doing. At least I can respect that. Marquettefan94 is way too much of a man for me, though. I can’t hang with that.

[🏀]

[#UnleashSean]

You can't quit the scoop life.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Man, the Reds, O's, Royals and White Sox are bad.

[MU82]

Man, the Reds, O's, Royals and White Sox are bad.

Trust the process.

Or in the Royals' case, the reverse process that took them from a championship just a few years ago to yecch-dom now.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Man, the Reds, O's, Royals and White Sox are bad.

Last season, 0 MLB teams lost 100 games.  7 teams are currently on pace to lose 100 (BAL, CWS, KC, TEX, MIA, CIN, SD).

[tower912]

Detroit is the tallest midget.  Playing decent baseball against bad teams.  Running the bases aggressively, adequate starting pitching.   They have and will continue to get beat up by the better teams.  Not enough offensive firepower, shaky bullpen.  72 wins.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Last season, 0 MLB teams lost 100 games.  7 teams are currently on pace to lose 100 (BAL, CWS, KC, TEX, MIA, CIN, SD).

All these teams decided to implement Astro's' tanking strategy.  But if 8 lose 100, that high draft pick strategy pretty much backfires.  The CWS already made the majority of their deals but the others are in trouble.  Back to the age of free agency?

[DegenerateDish]

I'm totally fine with the Sox being terrible this year again. If you're not going to go to the playoffs, it's better to be awful than mediocre. My expectations are for them to show some promise next year, and outright contend in 2020. This season needs to show growth from Moncada, Anderson, Lopez, Giolito. They've got the 4th pick this year to add to their farm system, and if they get another top 10 pick next year, even better. Burger's out for the year, Jimenez either comes up this year or May of next year, and Robert still needs all this year and next year in the minors. They'll call Kopech up in either July or August of this year.

[Jockey]

Great article on some baseball "science".

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/trevor-bauer-might-have-conducted-an-experiment/

Is it cheating? Should it be allowed? Is it any different than equipment changes that help batters - such as the 'C' flap on the helmet that allows guys to be more aggressive when hitting?

Lotsa smart baseball guys here - would love your opinions.

[buckchuckler]

Great article on some baseball "science".

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/trevor-bauer-might-have-conducted-an-experiment/

Is it cheating? Should it be allowed? Is it any different than equipment changes that help batters - such as the 'C' flap on the helmet that allows guys to be more aggressive when hitting?

Lotsa smart baseball guys here - would love your opinions.

Putting a foreign substance on the ball pretty clearly seems like a rules violation to me.    It is a rule that should be enforced in my opinion.  If MLB wants to throw pitchers a bone, they can look at changing the rule, but this seems like cheating at this point.  I wonder if they could use the statcast data to find anomalies in spin rates to detect when guys are using it?

It is a teensy bit odd that Gerrit Cole goes to the AL and posts insane numbers that have correlated to a mysterious spin rate increase.

If Bauer did this research, he could have kept it to himself and benefited, but he has drawn some serious attention to the situation and I hope it results in a bit of a  crackdown. 

** Cool article by the way, thanks for posting the link.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Sorta related, but there was a massive ball tampering scandle in cricket last month.

Basically Australia got caught sandpapering the cricket ball (huge no-no because you use the same ball for 80 overs) and their captain and vice captain were banned for a year, and the guy who sandpapered the ball was banned for 8 months.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Australian_ball-tampering_scandal

[MUBurrow]

All these teams decided to implement Astro's' tanking strategy.  But if 8 lose 100, that high draft pick strategy pretty much backfires.  The CWS already made the majority of their deals but the others are in trouble.  Back to the age of free agency?

Agreed that the sellers and tankers markets are getting oversaturated, and there might actually be good value via free agency as compared to previous free agent markets.  Rentals just aren't worth much of anything right now, and teams that are one or two pieces away can really add top tier free agents to be cheaply. I do think that this year's market was depressed by everyone being butt, though, and the death of free agency is being overstated.

[4everwarriors]

Ball tamperin' sounds like serious chit, aina?

[MarquetteFan94]

Weird that Marquettefan94 is nowhere to be found. Takes a real man to come pounding his chest when things are going his team’s way but goes into hiding as soon as things take a turn.

While Cubs fans are hilariously delusional, at least most show up here no matter how the team is doing. At least I can respect that. Marquettefan94 is way too much of a man for me, though. I can’t hang with that.

You really are a consumed, insufferable little rascal, aren't you.  Who could've predicted you'd seek and call me out?  How far have you gotten in reading through my post history?  I really have you on the hook it seems.

Yes, I am ashamed and devastated the Cubs lost a series to Colorado....am just pulling myself out of bed from yesterday and I'm here now to prove my manhood by admitting to it and hoping to earn your respect.  Also hoping there's still enough season to recover and the Brewers don't just run away with this thing.

Hope the NBA playoffs are treating you well and bringing a little, needed joy your way.

I'll hang up and wait for your response in 9 minutes...

xoxo

p.s. the gifs by the others were priceless
p.s.s.  if you'd prefer, I can continue to pick you apart in the pissing match or PM, your choice

[wadesworld]

You really are a consumed, insufferable little rascal, aren't you.  Who could've predicted you'd seek and call me out?  How far have you gotten in reading through my post history?  I really have you on the hook it seems.

Yes, I am ashamed and devastated the Cubs lost a series to Colorado....am just pulling myself out of bed from yesterday and I'm here now to prove my manhood by admitting to it and hoping to earn your respect.  Also hoping there's still enough season to recover and the Brewers don't just run away with this thing.

Hope the NBA playoffs are treating you well and bringing a little, needed joy your way.

I'll hang up and wait for your response in 9 minutes...

xoxo

p.s. the gifs by the others were priceless
p.s.s.  if you'd prefer, I can continue to pick you apart in the pissing match or PM, your choice

The “guy” who worries about how long he waits to respond to a post and ends posts with “xoxo” and PS’s is talking about “picking [me] apart.” The irony. I didn’t realize MUScoop turned into a dating website. Very weird stuff.

“Pick me apart” at your leisure. I understand your time is too important to waste, so through whatever medium you need to be most efficient oh ever important Marquettefan94, please choose.

[Jockey]

Putting a foreign substance on the ball pretty clearly seems like a rules violation to me.    It is a rule that should be enforced in my opinion.  If MLB wants to throw pitchers a bone, they can look at changing the rule, but this seems like cheating at this point.  I wonder if they could use the statcast data to find anomalies in spin rates to detect when guys are using it?

It is a teensy bit odd that Gerrit Cole goes to the AL and posts insane numbers that have correlated to a mysterious spin rate increase.

If Bauer did this research, he could have kept it to himself and benefited, but he has drawn some serious attention to the situation and I hope it results in a bit of a  crackdown. 

** Cool article by the way, thanks for posting the link.

Looks like we are in agreement here.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

I think the Nationals are the best team in the National League, and they're starting to play like it.  The weekend series against the Phillies could be good.

[🏀]

I think the Nationals are the best team in the National League, and they're starting to play like it.  The weekend series against the Phillies could be good.

Best pitcher and best hitter in the NL to go with a solid surrounding cast. The Nationals have been the most talented team for the past couple years. Injuries and management has been their downfall.

[jsglow]

Has tanking really become a thing in baseball?  I get it in football or basketball where a star QB or LeBron might be available at the top.  But I view baseball as so inexact that a never thought a super high draft choice was that big a deal.  Man, there are some truly bad ball clubs this year.  Several are already 'out of it' from any reasonable standpoint and it's not even Memorial Day.

[GGGG]

Has tanking really become a thing in baseball?  I get it in football or basketball where a star QB or LeBron might be available at the top.  But I view baseball as so inexact that a never thought a super high draft choice was that big a deal.  Man, there are some truly bad ball clubs this year.  Several are already 'out of it' from any reasonable standpoint and it's not even Memorial Day.

I think tanking in baseball is more about trading experienced but expensive players for prospects.

[cheebs09]

Has tanking really become a thing in baseball?  I get it in football or basketball where a star QB or LeBron might be available at the top.  But I view baseball as so inexact that a never thought a super high draft choice was that big a deal.  Man, there are some truly bad ball clubs this year.  Several are already 'out of it' from any reasonable standpoint and it's not even Memorial Day.

I don’t know that it’s so much tanking for a draft pick as it is trading your experienced players for future prospects. Teams are trading players that won’t be factors when they are contending like when the Brewers traded Lucroy.

The losing is just a byproduct of getting rid of good players and going young.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

For the record, the Orioles aren't trying to tank.  They are just that bad!

[Dr. Blackheart]

Has tanking really become a thing in baseball?  I get it in football or basketball where a star QB or LeBron might be available at the top.  But I view baseball as so inexact that a never thought a super high draft choice was that big a deal.  Man, there are some truly bad ball clubs this year.  Several are already 'out of it' from any reasonable standpoint and it's not even Memorial Day.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/mlb/la-sp-baseball-tanking-20180201-story.html

[jsglow]

I don’t know that it’s so much tanking for a draft pick as it is trading your experienced players for future prospects. Teams are trading players that won’t be factors when they are contending like when the Brewers traded Lucroy.

The losing is just a byproduct of getting rid of good players and going young.

I think tanking in baseball is more about trading experienced but expensive players for prospects.

Cool.  I actually have no problem with that.  The only way most small market teams can win is by assembling and growing their own talent when it's young.  I was totally in favor of the Crew 'rebuild' when they undertook the project.