The Hey its 2021 now guys MLB thread

[DegenerateDish]

My understanding from talking to someone who definitely knows things, both the Brewers & Sox got what they wanted in the end.

With the marathon on Sunday, the Sox were adamant with MLB that they do not get the mid afternoon game, as logistically it was going to be a mess. The Sox went as far as to ask the city to intervene with MLB (the city flat out said no to the Sox ask). Sox ended up getting the evening game on Sunday.

My same friend/source said the Brewers asked not to be the noon game on Friday. I’m sure there is/was good reasons behind it (obviously easier on fans for a later start on a Friday). League ended up acquiescing, and gave the Brewers the 3:40 start on Friday.

[wadesworld]

Not sure what the Dodgers using Buehler today has to do with benefiting the Brewers.

Scherzer was always starting the wild card. Should the Dodgers win. They don’t play the Brewers. And Buehler is available for game 1 anyways.

That’s awesome news that Scherzer was always starting over Buehler. Scherzer has given up 11 runs (10 earned) over his last 2 outings/10.1 innings.

[MU82]

MLB, ESPN and TBS couldn't have gotten much better matchups for the wild-card games than NY-Bos and LA-StL.

[PGsHeroes32]

That’s awesome news that Scherzer was always starting over Buehler. Scherzer has given up 11 runs (10 earned) over his last 2 outings/10.1 innings.

By this logic someone should tell the Yanks not to start their franchise pitcher Cole tonight.

And it’s a good thing the Dodgers didn’t use this logic. Or Buehler would have been moved to the bullpen after his first 4 starts of September.

[CTWarrior]

Schilling was on the HoF ballot for several years before he got outwardly political, before he compared Muslims to Nazis, before he bashed trans people, before he “joked” that journalists should be lynched, before he spewed conspiracy theories.

Despite all his idiotic takes, his vote total actually increased after he made his most controversial comments. Indeed, in his most recent year on the ballot, more than 70% of the electorate voted for him.

He'd be in by now if he hadn't behaved like a jackass since hi retirement.  He was trending to where he would have gone in.  It seems strange that his post-career shenanigans are what is going to keep him out, may be a first.  At any rate, there is a character clause so I wouldn't begrudge anyone for not voting for him, but he has an impeccable playing case, which is bolstered by the fact that he is probably the greatest postseason starting pitcher since Bob Gibson.

[wadesworld]

By this logic someone should tell the Yanks not to start their franchise pitcher Cole tonight.

And it’s a good thing the Dodgers didn’t use this logic. Or Buehler would have been moved to the bullpen after his first 4 starts of September.

Yeah that isn't the same logic at all.  The Yankees don't have a second ace behind Cole to throw.  And continuing to pitch a guy in the regular season through some bumps vs. having a 1 and done game while the guy is going through his bumps.

But sure.  Identical situations.

Like I said, Kershaw out, Buehler not available for a one and done game, Muncy out.  This weekend went as well as it possibly could have for the Brewers.

[MU82]

He'd be in by now if he hadn't behaved like a jackass since hi retirement.  He was trending to where he would have gone in.  It seems strange that his post-career shenanigans are what is going to keep him out, may be a first.  At any rate, there is a character clause so I wouldn't begrudge anyone for not voting for him, but he has an impeccable playing case, which is bolstered by the fact that he is probably the greatest postseason starting pitcher since Bob Gibson.

I respect your opinion on the first point, but the vote totals don't seem to back it up. Schilling made his most incendiary comments in 2016 and, indeed, his vote total went down from 52.3% that year to 45% in 2017. But since then, his vote total has gone up quite strongly -- 51.2% in 2018, 60.9% in 2019, 70.0% in 2020, 71.1% in 2021. (Note: Each year is the Hall class year; ballots had to be submitted by 12/31 of the previous year.) So from 2017 to 2021, his percentage increased significantly, pretty much in line with what is the typical trajectory in this kind of voting pattern. Is it possible that enough of the electorate was influenced by him being a jerk? I suppose, especially at first, but the pattern since 2017 suggests otherwise.

His career numbers are very good but they are not blow-you-away good, which is why he isn't in the Hall. More Mark Buehrle and Zack Greinke than somebody with "impeccable" stats like Pedro, Johnson, etc, etc. But yes, he definitely was outstanding the postseason, and that should count for something ... and I'd posit that it did in the eyes of the BBWAA electorate, the vast majority of whom voted for him.

FWIW, I absolutely would put Schilling in the Hall.

[PGsHeroes32]

Yeah that isn't the same logic at all.  The Yankees don't have a second ace behind Cole to throw.  And continuing to pitch a guy in the regular season through some bumps vs. having a 1 and done game while the guy is going through his bumps.

But sure.  Identical situations.

Like I said, Kershaw out, Buehler not available for a one and done game, Muncy out.  This weekend went as well as it possibly could have for the Brewers.

And like I said,

Buehler was never going to be available. It was always Scherzer

About the only benefit for the Brewers is if you fear the Dodgers more than the Giants. The Dodgers playing in the WC lessens their chances because Scherzer can’t go til game 3. But even then, better hope they lose cause for the Brewers they will have Scherzer and Buehler both ready.

But as far as Buehler goes nothing changed. And the Dodgers swept the Brewers so nothing in that series changed things either.

You shoulda just said “I’m glad the Giants took care of business” and left it at that.

[BM1090]

And like I said,

Buehler was never going to be available. It was always Scherzer

About the only benefit for the Brewers is if you fear the Dodgers more than the Giants. The Dodgers playing in the WC lessens their chances because Scherzer can’t go til game 3. But even then, better hope they lose cause for the Brewers they will have Scherzer and Buehler both ready.

But as far as Buehler goes nothing changed. And the Dodgers swept the Brewers so nothing in that series changed things either.

You shoulda just said “I’m glad the Giants took care of business” and left it at that.

That may be the case but doesn't necessarily make it the right decision.

[wadesworld]

And like I said,

Buehler was never going to be available. It was always Scherzer

About the only benefit for the Brewers is if you fear the Dodgers more than the Giants. The Dodgers playing in the WC lessens their chances because Scherzer can’t go til game 3. But even then, better hope they lose cause for the Brewers they will have Scherzer and Buehler both ready.

But as far as Buehler goes nothing changed. And the Dodgers swept the Brewers so nothing in that series changed things either.

You shoulda just said “I’m glad the Giants took care of business” and left it at that.

If by "nothing in that series changed things either," you meant, "The Dodgers beating the Brewers kept the Dodgers' NL West title chances alive so they had to continue to play their everyday players and pitch their studs, which resulted in them losing Muncy and Kershaw for the year," then you are correct.

People who worry about the Brewers having momentum and think Craig should've pitched his starters longer and/or played his starting position players need not look very far.  We witnessed our opponent lose two very, very key players for the year in the last series of the year.  All that mattered for the past month for the Brewers was avoiding that.  Can they lose to the Braves?  Of course.  It's a 5 game series in the MLB.  That hardly guarantees the best team wins.  But I'd much rather be 4-10 in the last 14 games of the year than 10-4 without Avisail and Woody for the Playoffs.  And I'd much rather a short handed Dodgers team needs to win a one and done game against the Cardinals, then win 3 of 5 against the Giants just to get to the Brewers than have the Dodgers able to line up their staff like they want while waiting for the Cardinals or Giants to play them.  Plus any momentum (good or bad) goes away when you have almost a full week off of baseball games.

Like I said, great weekend for the Brewers.

[DegenerateDish]

I’m sorry, but you can’t get $324 mil, and go only 2+ IP in a Wild Card game.

[MU82]

I’m sorry, but you can’t get $324 mil, and go only 2+ IP in a Wild Card game.

With inflation, $324 million doesn’t buy what it used to.

[CreightonWarrior]

With inflation, $324 million doesn’t buy what it used to.

That’s almost 10x the Squid Game winnings!

[MU82]

Remember the words of Yogi Berra:

"Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical."

[wadesworld]

By this logic someone should tell the Yanks not to start their franchise pitcher Cole tonight.

And it’s a good thing the Dodgers didn’t use this logic. Or Buehler would have been moved to the bullpen after his first 4 starts of September.

Maybe the Yankees should've used your logic.

[CTWarrior]

Remember the words of Yogi Berra:

"Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical."

I know I've beaten this horse on here a few times, but the thing that gets me the most is that some players just don’t run and nobody cares or does anything about it or even notices it.  In the first inning Stanton rips a ball off the wall, stands at the plate and admires it and doesn’t run, and when it hits the wall he only gets a single when it should have been an easy stand up double, and nobody says a thing.  Then in the sixth, with one out and Judge on first, he rips another ball off the wall, and AGAIN stands at home plate and admires it.  They gave him a double, but he had stopped and was standing around first and did not head for second until Bogaerts threw home for Judge, who had come around all the way from first.  That should have been scored a single with him advancing on the throw home.  So when A-Rod kept saying they should have held Judge at third (which was actually right) and the Yankees would have had second and third with one out, he was wrong.  They would have had first and third because Stanton did not run again.  I do not understand the mentality that allows this to happen, especially in a game where if you lose your season is over.  If you pulled him (and anybody else) from the game in April a couple times for not running, that would probably end the problem.  Not running is so commonplace that nobody on the broadcast even mentions it when it happens.  I am picking on Stanton here, but he is far from the only guy who does this, just like there are lots of guys who run everything out.

[CTWarrior]

I respect your opinion on the first point, but the vote totals don't seem to back it up. Schilling made his most incendiary comments in 2016 and, indeed, his vote total went down from 52.3% that year to 45% in 2017. But since then, his vote total has gone up quite strongly -- 51.2% in 2018, 60.9% in 2019, 70.0% in 2020, 71.1% in 2021. (Note: Each year is the Hall class year; ballots had to be submitted by 12/31 of the previous year.) So from 2017 to 2021, his percentage increased significantly, pretty much in line with what is the typical trajectory in this kind of voting pattern. Is it possible that enough of the electorate was influenced by him being a jerk? I suppose, especially at first, but the pattern since 2017 suggests otherwise.

His career numbers are very good but they are not blow-you-away good, which is why he isn't in the Hall. More Mark Buehrle and Zack Greinke than somebody with "impeccable" stats like Pedro, Johnson, etc, etc. But yes, he definitely was outstanding the postseason, and that should count for something ... and I'd posit that it did in the eyes of the BBWAA electorate, the vast majority of whom voted for him.

FWIW, I absolutely would put Schilling in the Hall.

I'm not 100% sure, but he's got to be the first person in history to get 70% one year and not get in the next.  That is what I meant by trending to be in by now.  Always when you get that close one year, you go in the next.

[MU82]

I'm not 100% sure, but he's got to be the first person in history to get 70% one year and not get in the next.  That is what I meant by trending to be in by now.  Always when you get that close one year, you go in the next.

Maybe. I dunno. His percentage went up. You’re making a guess; it might be a reasonable guess, but it’s still a guess.

FWIW, in a recent survey of retired players - Schilling’s peers - he didn’t even get 60% of the vote.

And again, I’d put him in the HoF despite his idiocy.

[BrewCity83]

I know I've beaten this horse on here a few times, but the thing that gets me the most is that some players just don’t run and nobody cares or does anything about it or even notices it.  In the first inning Stanton rips a ball off the wall, stands at the plate and admires it and doesn’t run, and when it hits the wall he only gets a single when it should have been an easy stand up double, and nobody says a thing.  Then in the sixth, with one out and Judge on first, he rips another ball off the wall, and AGAIN stands at home plate and admires it.  They gave him a double, but he had stopped and was standing around first and did not head for second until Bogaerts threw home for Judge, who had come around all the way from first.  That should have been scored a single with him advancing on the throw home.  So when A-Rod kept saying they should have held Judge at third (which was actually right) and the Yankees would have had second and third with one out, he was wrong.  They would have had first and third because Stanton did not run again.  I do not understand the mentality that allows this to happen, especially in a game where if you lose your season is over.  If you pulled him (and anybody else) from the game in April a couple times for not running, that would probably end the problem.  Not running is so commonplace that nobody on the broadcast even mentions it when it happens.  I am picking on Stanton here, but he is far from the only guy who does this, just like there are lots of guys who run everything out.

I'm with you 100%.  As good a hitter as Stanton is, I don't respect him as a player because of his lack of hustle. 

[jficke13]

I just popped over to baseball reference to look at Schilling's stats and noticed that he had 15 complete games in 1998. Talk about a different era.

Since that season, Randy Johnson had 11 in 1999, and James Shields had 11 in 2011, and nobody else has had more than 9. No one has had more than 3 since 2016 (in 2016 Sale had 6 and Cueto had 5).

Irrelevant to the HoF discussion but interesting nonetheless.

[CTWarrior]

I'm with you 100%.  As good a hitter as Stanton is, I don't respect him as a player because of his lack of hustle.

FWIW, I checked the box score and they did only give Stanton a single on the ball in the sixth.  I just assumed it was a double because the announcers referred to it as a double for the balance of the game.

[rocky_warrior]

FWIW, I checked the box score and they did only give Stanton a single on the ball in the sixth.  I just assumed it was a double because the announcers referred to it as a double for the balance of the game.

You must have been listening to ARod (how does he still have that job).

[Jockey]

Speaking of the HoF, why isn't Reggie Smith a member?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Speaking of the HoF, why isn't Reggie Smith a member?

Because its not the Hall of Very Good.

[JWags85]

Speaking of the HoF, why isn't Reggie Smith a member?

Like FBM said, he was very good but not HOF caliber.  I mean, I don't think he ever pops up in the top OF of the 70s, much less players overall.  Look at Jim Rice, better stats across the board, in every category, in less games, and he barely made it in on his last try.  Smith also had a pretty mediocre record of playoff performance.