MLB 2018 Season

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Why the hate for interleague play? I love it

Same here.  Yankees - Mets this weekend!

[CTWarrior]

Why the hate for interleague play? I love it

Because my team has no natural rival and when they play in an NL park they have to play differently than they were designed to play.  When we had Ortiz, he would only play half the games at 1B.  Now that we have JD Martinez, we have to take Jackie Bradley Jr out of CF to accommodate him, and watching JBJ play CF is a really enjoyable thing.  The Red Sox dominate in interleague play for reasons I do not understand, but I'd still rather not have it.

Yankee fans like it because they get extra games against the often hapless Mets while the Red Sox got the Braves as their repeat team the years from the start to the mid 00s and they swapped them to the Phillies when they got good in the late 00s.  We don't have an automatic team any more, at least. 

[mu03eng]

Why the hate for interleague play? I love it

Because it's annoying to have to play DH games when your team isn't built for DH and vice versa. Additionally, it further unbalances the schedule because interleague play isn't against all the same teams, sometimes you get Twins and some times you get the Red Sox. Plus call me a purist, but if we're going to have two different leagues with different rules I don't think they should meet until the World Series.

[GGGG]

Because my team has no natural rival and when they play in an NL park they have to play differently than they were designed to play.  When we had Ortiz, he would only play half the games at 1B.  Now that we have JD Martinez, we have to take Jackie Bradley Jr out of CF to accommodate him, and watching JBJ play CF is a really enjoyable thing.  The Red Sox dominate in interleague play for reasons I do not understand, but I'd still rather not have it.

Yankee fans like it because they get extra games against the often hapless Mets while the Red Sox got the Braves as their repeat team the years from the start to the mid 00s and they swapped them to the Phillies when they got good in the late 00s.  We don't have an automatic team any more, at least. 

Because it's annoying to have to play DH games when your team isn't built for DH and vice versa. Additionally, it further unbalances the schedule because interleague play isn't against all the same teams, sometimes you get Twins and some times you get the Red Sox. Plus call me a purist, but if we're going to have two different leagues with different rules I don't think they should meet until the World Series.

These are good advertisements for the universal DH.

[CTWarrior]

Sorry, no pitcher has ever gotten 6 inches on either side of the plate.

Maybe it was just hyperbole cuz Maddux and Glavine did get a slightly larger zone.

Maddux came darned close, at least on the outer half.  I don't say this in a jealous way, either.  He was a master. He would paint the corner, then go just a little further outside, and a little further outside, and take the ump right along with him.

[MerrittsMustache]

These are good advertisements for the universal DH.

It would be better to get rid of the DH completely...or at least rename the position the Jabari.

[MerrittsMustache]

   i think charlotte would be an excellent place for a new team.  as for the millennials-ya can't make this one up-

    http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2018/07/19/millennials-outraged-after-baseball-team-advertises-millennial-night-with-avocados-participation-ribbons-and-napping-stations.html

The best tweet mentioned: "If you’re an offended millennial complaining about this, aren’t you basically furthering the stereotype?"

[mu03eng]

These are good advertisements for the universal DH.

Or killing the DH. I want either no DH or universal DH, this senior/junior league $hit has got to go.

Killing the DH is more compelling baseball in my mind (making it more interesting for all sorts of reasons, but also longer games because of all the switching) but it also is much riskier on pitching which is where the money is right now so I can see either argument...but pick one for god's sake.

[CTWarrior]

Or killing the DH. I want either no DH or universal DH, this senior/junior league $hit has got to go.

Killing the DH is more compelling baseball in my mind (making it more interesting for all sorts of reasons, but also longer games because of all the switching) but it also is much riskier on pitching which is where the money is right now so I can see either argument...but pick one for god's sake.

I agree that MLB should stick with one rule and keep it.  I disagree with the rest.  Pinch hitting and double switching as strategies are not very exciting, very predictable and more than offset by watching a hitter as opposed to a pitcher bat.  It used to be interesting in the old days, when managers used to try to get a pitcher through an inning so they could pinch hit for him without burning a relief pitcher for one batter, but with 7-8 man bullpens, they don't worry about that anymore.

[TallTitan34]

The Cubs have acquired RHP Jesse Chavez from the Texas Rangers for Single A LHP Tyler Thomas.

[GGGG]

Players union wouldn't agree with dropping DH right?  Adopting it would be the easier path.  And since pretty much all levels have it already, might as well keep it.  I agree that double switches as a strategy isn't exactly compelling.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

The best tweet mentioned: "If you’re an offended millennial complaining about this, aren’t you basically furthering the stereotype?"

Nah, that's not a fair argument.  It is akin to "if you disagree with the conspiracy theory, that proves its true".

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I just got an email that I thought was an interesting baseball team promotion.  The Connecticut Tigers (Single A team of Detroit) has a Magnum PI bobblehead night complete with Tigers hat and Hawaiian shirt.

[TallTitan34]

Brandon Morrow had an MRI on his forearm / biceps today.  He said there was “stuff in  there “ but nothing that needed a long term shutdown .

[TallTitan34]

Joey Votto pop ups by year:
2010 - 0
2011 - 1
2012 - 1
2013 - 1
2014 - 1
2015 - 2
2016 - 0
2017 - 1
2018 - 0

Since 2010, Votto has popped it up 7 times. With the same amount of PA, the MLB average player would have popped it up 127 times.

https://twitter.com/MLBRandomStats/status/1020172530840203264

[MU82]

Players union wouldn't agree with dropping DH right?  Adopting it would be the easier path.

Correct. They have repeatedly said dropping the DH is not an option.

[MU82]

Nor is the notion of participation trophies. The ones who ridicule millenialls for it are the same generation who came up with it.

Excellent point, Unleash.

The Millennials didn't give themselves the trophies!

[buckchuckler]

Joey Votto pop ups by year:
2010 - 0
2011 - 1
2012 - 1
2013 - 1
2014 - 1
2015 - 2
2016 - 0
2017 - 1
2018 - 0

Since 2010, Votto has popped it up 7 times. With the same amount of PA, the MLB average player would have popped it up 127 times.

https://twitter.com/MLBRandomStats/status/1020172530840203264

Holy moly.  That's amazing.

[mu03eng]

I agree that MLB should stick with one rule and keep it.  I disagree with the rest.  Pinch hitting and double switching as strategies are not very exciting, very predictable and more than offset by watching a hitter as opposed to a pitcher bat.  It used to be interesting in the old days, when managers used to try to get a pitcher through an inning so they could pinch hit for him without burning a relief pitcher for one batter, but with 7-8 man bullpens, they don't worry about that anymore.

I think it's not as compelling because the demand for relief pitchers in the AL isn't as pervasive in the NL so the supply can keep up. AL bull pens just aren't as deep as NL bull pens because they don't have to be. Increase the need for more quality relief pictures + new analytics would make for some very interesting in-game strategies.

But certainly not a hill I'll die on, I'd be fine to going to universal DH if they want.

[buckchuckler]

I can't lie.  I have never understood the love for pitchers hitting.  They are terrible at it (Ohtani excluded of course, ,maybe 1 or 2 others... but even Madison Bumgarner is a .180 hitter).  Why do you want to watch a terrible hitter hit? Why do you want to give a pitcher an easy way out of a difficult inning? 

More strategy?  I don't see it.  Double switches and bunts are as routine as possible.  Keeps pitchers honest?  Nah.  How often is the pitcher the guy hit if he hits a hitter?  Rarely.  The opposing teams similar hitter is the one that usually the one that wears the damage.   

The DH adds excitement to the offensive side of the game, and it allows better pitchers to stay in the game longer because they don't have to be removed for a pinch hitter. 

But that's just me, I've always liked the AL game better.  It drives me crazy when a pitcher gets off the hook by pitching around a bad #8 hitter to face an opposing pitcher.  With that being said, maybe it is just because what I have always known, but I've always liked the little difference between the two leagues, but with so much interleague play, I understand why the rules need to be the same. 

[jsglow]

Having grown up watching the AL, I appreciated the fact that the DH allowed me to see Hank Aaron in person.  But that's when it ended for me.  Prefer the NL by a wide margin.

[MerrittsMustache]

Joey Votto pop ups by year:
2010 - 0
2011 - 1
2012 - 1
2013 - 1
2014 - 1
2015 - 2
2016 - 0
2017 - 1
2018 - 0

Since 2010, Votto has popped it up 7 times. With the same amount of PA, the MLB average player would have popped it up 127 times.

https://twitter.com/MLBRandomStats/status/1020172530840203264

Additionally, in his entire career (~6500 PAs), he has never popped out to pitcher, first or catcher.

[buckchuckler]

Having grown up watching the AL, I appreciated the fact that the DH allowed me to see Hank Aaron in person.  But that's when it ended for me.  Prefer the NL by a wide margin.

Curious as to why?

[Jockey]

More strategy?  I don't see it.  Double switches and bunts are as routine as possible.  Keeps pitchers honest?  Nah.  How often is the pitcher the guy hit if he hits a hitter?  Rarely.  The opposing teams similar hitter is the one that usually the one that wears the damage.   

 

I agree. I don't get where there is more strategy in the NL. 

[jsglow]

Curious as to why?

Because I do like the double switches and such.  I think it's a purer form of the game.  Personal preference.