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2020 MLB Spring Training (8 Viewers)

TheIronSheik said:
Well, I wasn't expecting this, but in retrospect, it does make sense.  With the Nats playing as well as they had for so long, they were peaking.  And just like slumps, peaks usually turn quickly.  A good example is the Colorado Rockies in 2007.  Unbelievable streak to make the playoffs, then blow through the NL postseason, only to then slump and get swept in the WS.

Nats went from being amazing to falling off the peak's cliff.  And the worst part for them is that they fell off that cliff just as the Astros slump decided to wake its bats from their autumn slumber.  

2 games left.  Both in Houston.  People are focusing too much on pitchers right now.  Pitchers aren't going to be what wins this series now for either team.  If the Astros slump is over, I think this series ends tomorrow night.  If the Nats slump is a short lived slump, they can push this to a Game 7.  

IF this WS goes to a Game 7, I still think advantage Astros because of better rested, more healthy pitching.  And the crowd.  If I'm a Nats fan, I wouldn't focus too much on Scherzer.  He said his wife had to dress him yesterday.  To me, that says even if he says he's healthy enough to pitch in Game 7, there's no way he's 100%.  And this isn't a bloody sock.  This is nerve pain.  I mean, if he could somehow pull it off, it would be up there with Kirk Gibson.  But I think he might actually be a detriment to the team if he tries to pitch through the pain.

Again, I'm not making predictions.  I like to just point out what I see.  I think JV at home, with a chance to clinch in a non elimination game for the 'Stros, and an 0-5 WS record might be the motivation he needs to get it done in magical fashion.  One for the ages, type moment.  But as I've said before, JV is a great pitcher but has a tendency to give up a long ball or two even when he's pitching great.  For JV to get a win, I believe he can't let those home runs come before the Astros score.  I think even a HR that ties the game could spoil a JV win.

Side notes: 

1) Check swing calls seem to have gotten worse as the postseason has gone on.   
2) I'm not the guy who thinks Joe Buck hates me team like everyone else, but I do feel like he's pulling for the Nats in this series. Any pitch by the Nats that is outside the box but close he calls a good pitch.  If it's a strike, he says something like "Perfect location."  If it's a ball, he says something like, "Looked pretty good but apparently just outside." There's a box on the screen, Joe.  You don't need to say apparently.  But he takes the opposite reaction to Astros pitches.  Again, I actually like Joe Buck and I'm not hating on him.  Just saying there seems to be some bias, which is fine, really.  I find it hard to believe that all of these announcers are not rooting for anyone.  And again, that's ok.
3) I feel like when it comes to a championship game, the announcers should really know the two teams playing.  Springer made an diving attempt on a foul ball and missed and Smoltz said, "Well, if Springer can't get to it, no one on this field can."  Jake Marisnick is literally brought in to centerfield because he's the best defensive player on the team.  If he wasn't so streaky at the plate, he'd be an everyday player.  The whole reason Springer was playing RF was because they bring in Jake From Rake Farm to play CF because he can cover more ground than Springer.  Just little things like that bother me.  Not a lot.  But I expect more from the national announcers of a championship game/series.
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You say people are focusing too much on pitching and then immediately start talking about pitching. 

😂

 
Don Quixote said:
Doctor Detroit posted in the Nats thread that he went to an NLCS game in DC, but no one behind home plate would trade seats with him.  Maybe he got butthurt after flying to DC and unable to get on TV.
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Thanks. I didn't see him in houston games 1 or 2 either. Of course it's hard to spot him there but I'm pretty sure he wasnt. At least not directly in the main line of sight from the center field cam. Anyway,  who cares. We now have yellow shirt chicks. 

 
NREC34 said:
You say people are focusing too much on pitching and then immediately start talking about pitching. 

😂
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I didn't say pitching was irrelevant.  My point was hitting is what's going to determine the series.  The part where I discussed pitching was to explain why it wasn't as important as hitting.  :shrug:

 
I think whoever pays for Cole next year will regret it in 2 years.  I love the guy and he's been amazing this year.  But pitchers rarely perform consistently over multiple years.  And they can really only affect 1/5 of the games a team plays.  I'm not a huge fan of paying for pitchers.

 
TheIronSheik said:
I think whoever pays for Cole next year will regret it in 2 years.  I love the guy and he's been amazing this year.  But pitchers rarely perform consistently over multiple years.  And they can really only affect 1/5 of the games a team plays.  I'm not a huge fan of paying for pitchers.
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I get that but Cole is almost definitely why the Astros beat the Rays, and then the Yanks. Without him they are out in the LDS. If he can repeat that for a team next year he will have earned that contract alone then. 

 
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Capella said:
I get that but Cole is almost definitely why the Astros beat the Rays, and then the Yanks. Without him they are out in the LDS. If he can repeat that for a team next year he will have earned that contract alone then. 
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Agree 100%.  He was the best pitcher in baseball this year by far.  And he deserves to get paid, too.  Not arguing that at all.

What I'm saying is, if a team pays big for him and offers a long term contract, he might be great again next year.  But there are so many examples of guys who had incredible seasons then dropped off.  I'm a huge fan of Cole.  Great guy.  Deserves to be paid.  But as an Astros fan, I'm glad we're not going to go after him in the offseason for a bloated price.  I'd rather we pay position players who affect every game.  Plus, position players tend to be more consistent with their abilities.  

 
I think the Astros make Cole a good offer but they don’t have enough space under the luxury tax to compete with others and he goes elsewhere. 

That’s okay though. They have the ability with their analytics and pitching coaching to turn other guys into what Morton and Cole became. Maybe a guy in the minors named Forrest Whitley. 

 
TheIronSheik said:
Agree 100%.  He was the best pitcher in baseball this year by far.  And he deserves to get paid, too.  Not arguing that at all.

What I'm saying is, if a team pays big for him and offers a long term contract, he might be great again next year.  But there are so many examples of guys who had incredible seasons then dropped off.  I'm a huge fan of Cole.  Great guy.  Deserves to be paid.  But as an Astros fan, I'm glad we're not going to go after him in the offseason for a bloated price.  I'd rather we pay position players who affect every game.  Plus, position players tend to be more consistent with their abilities.  
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Yea I don’t disagree but I think with a guy who could almost carry to to a title he’s worth the 3-4 extra years where you won’t get a return on the the money. How many hundreds of millions is a series title worth to a franchise? 
 

this is assuming he signs with a team close to the title like the Yankees or whatever. 

 
Capella said:
Yea I don’t disagree but I think with a guy who could almost carry to to a title he’s worth the 3-4 extra years where you won’t get a return on the the money. How many hundreds of millions is a series title worth to a franchise? 
 

this is assuming he signs with a team close to the title like the Yankees or whatever. 
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I understand what you're saying, but what I'm trying to say is this year's performance isn't guaranteed next season.  Keuchel was amazing for one year.  Then fell off a cliff.  Then kind of got better.  Then became an average pitcher.  He's just the last guy I can think of, but there aren't many pitchers who have been dominant, left for another team, and led that team to a WS.  I'm not saying there are none.  I'm just saying that the team that signs Cole should not think he's going to be the thing to lead them to a championship.  

And, yes, if he signs with a team that is just missing that one good starter, then he's a perfect fit.  But if the team that signs him has many other holes, they're wasting their money.  I'm looking at you, Angels. 

 
TheIronSheik said:
Don't remember the year, but it was like back in 2005 or so when the Astros were in the NLCS against the Cards.  I was in Ecuador and we found a bar that somehow got the game.  None of the guys with me knew anything about baseball and I had to try to explain the game to them.  All of a sudden, that scene of Christopher Walken explaining baseball to his son in Blast From The Past for 20 years made all too much sense.  I mean simple things were so complicated.  "So he's out?"  "Yes."  "Of the game?"  "No.  Just out for now."  "But he can come back in a little bit?"
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Ha. I was at Minute Maid for that series. Effing Pujols.

 
So the two biggest FA's this offseason will be Cole and Rendon.  And as a Phillies fan, I hope with all of my heart they go after Rendon and leave Cole for someone else.  And that's coming from a guy who literally loves Cole.

 
BTW, I imagine that Juan Soto is kind of like Bregman.  I think he's arrogant and I hate him.  But if he was on my team, I'd love him.  

 
TheIronSheik said:
I understand what you're saying, but what I'm trying to say is this year's performance isn't guaranteed next season.  Keuchel was amazing for one year.  Then fell off a cliff.  Then kind of got better.  Then became an average pitcher.  He's just the last guy I can think of, but there aren't many pitchers who have been dominant, left for another team, and led that team to a WS.  I'm not saying there are none.  I'm just saying that the team that signs Cole should not think he's going to be the thing to lead them to a championship.  

And, yes, if he signs with a team that is just missing that one good starter, then he's a perfect fit.  But if the team that signs him has many other holes, they're wasting their money.  I'm looking at you, Angels. 
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Keuchel was exactly who I was thinking of as well.  It seems to happen a lot with pitchers, especially when they move around to a new team.  Of course there are plenty examples of the opposite like Verlander, Johnson, Schilling, etc.  But it seems 50/50 at best.

 
TheIronSheik said:
BTW, I imagine that Juan Soto is kind of like Bregman.  I think he's arrogant and I hate him.  But if he was on my team, I'd love him.  
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I think I’ve been a little too hard on Soto. He’s young, talented, on the biggest stage and just wants to spark his team to winning. 

People say baseball is boring. I’m trying to find sports talk about the series and it’s mostly football talk today even on the Houston station. Only place talking about it is boring Washington lol. 

Maybe baseball needs more guys like Soto. 

 
NREC34 said:
I think I’ve been a little too hard on Soto. He’s young, talented, on the biggest stage and just wants to spark his team to winning. 

People say baseball is boring. I’m trying to find sports talk about the series and it’s mostly football talk today even on the Houston station. Only place talking about it is boring Washington lol. 

Maybe baseball needs more guys like Soto. 
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I think he's an ###hole.  But like I said, I think Bregman is, too.  And I love him because he gets under other people's skin.  It's kind of like when teams say they hate the sound of the train at MMP or they hate hearing the Tomahawk Chop in ATL when they're losing.  That's what it's supposed to do: get under your skin.  So me saying I hate him doesn't mean he's a bad guy.  

The problem with being that guy is, you better win a lot.  Because when you act like that and you lose or start to suck, the other teams/fans use it against you.  Double edged sword.

But as for being good for baseball, I think all sports need more hatred in them.  I think when guys hate each other, the games are better.   More intense.  I want to see Joaquin Andujar having to be held back by his whole team because he wants to kill the ump.  I want to see Odor punching people in the face for flipping bats.  Don't get me wrong, I want bat flips, too.  I want it all.   :lol:

 
NREC34 said:
I think I’ve been a little too hard on Soto. He’s young, talented, on the biggest stage and just wants to spark his team to winning. 

People say baseball is boring. I’m trying to find sports talk about the series and it’s mostly football talk today even on the Houston station. Only place talking about it is boring Washington lol. 

Maybe baseball needs more guys like Soto. 
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As a Nats fan, I wouldn't call Soto arrogant.  I think he has an edge to him no doubt but he's nothing like Harper, for example, when he came up.  

 
Ramblin Wreck said:
As a Nats fan, I wouldn't call Soto arrogant.  I think he has an edge to him no doubt but he's nothing like Harper, for example, when he came up.  
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It's not meant to be a bad thing.  Like I said, Bregman has that same attitude and arrogance.  I think they are very similar.  But I like Bregman and hate Soto.  Of course if this offseason the Astros traded Bregman for Soto, I'd hate Bregman and love Soto.  

 
Todem said:
Total and utter blasphemy. You are taking one of the greatest human elements of the game away. 

Seriously. Leave the damn game alone.

Scouting umpires is also a huge part of the game. Part of the chess match. 
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Legitimately curious why you feel the umpire's interpretation of the strike zone is "one of the greatest human elements of the game". Please explain. 

 
TheIronSheik said:
I think he's an ###hole.  But like I said, I think Bregman is, too.  And I love him because he gets under other people's skin.  It's kind of like when teams say they hate the sound of the train at MMP or they hate hearing the Tomahawk Chop in ATL when they're losing.  That's what it's supposed to do: get under your skin.  So me saying I hate him doesn't mean he's a bad guy.  

The problem with being that guy is, you better win a lot.  Because when you act like that and you lose or start to suck, the other teams/fans use it against you.  Double edged sword.

But as for being good for baseball, I think all sports need more hatred in them.  I think when guys hate each other, the games are better.   More intense.  I want to see Joaquin Andujar having to be held back by his whole team because he wants to kill the ump.  I want to see Odor punching people in the face for flipping bats.  Don't get me wrong, I want bat flips, too.  I want it all.   :lol:
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I totally agree. Baseball needs more guys that opposing fans hate. I think it’s different from football as far as the way opposing fans treat each other (exception might be NY). 

I wish baseball would make a comeback. Seems like football has a strangle hold on it right now. 

 
TheIronSheik said:
I think whoever pays for Cole next year will regret it in 2 years.  I love the guy and he's been amazing this year.  But pitchers rarely perform consistently over multiple years.  And they can really only affect 1/5 of the games a team plays.  I'm not a huge fan of paying for pitchers.
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Corey Kluber says hi.  So does Greg Maddux.

 
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SHIZNITTTT said:
IG MODELS WHO FLASHED BOOBS AT WORLD SERIES SAYS THEY DID IT FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS (VIDEO + PICS)

NSFW - https://www.totalprosports.com/2019/10/28/ig-models-who-flashed-boobs-at-world-series-says-they-did-it-for-breast-cancer-awareness-video-pics/?fbclid=IwAR2EkfBkcWyqaByES3Ica1fl80Y99Ntxpv0DM6_ivLrRpW-GDaW06ej0oXE

BANNED FROM ALL BASEBALL PARKS INDEFINITELY! 
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Exactly how does MLB or any other sport ban a fan from attending a game?   Unless they have season tickets and sit in the same seats it is virtually impossible as you don`t show ID to get into ballparks.  They could buy tickets on Stubhub and be at the game tonight sitting in a different area of the park.

I remember a few years back a Red Wing fan was banned during the playoffs for throwing something on the ice.  The guy was interviewed later about the incident and he said he attended the very next game but in a different seat.

 
First we had Janet at the Super Bowl

Now the World Series has something great 

Only thing in basketball I can think of like this was when they unfurled those posters of girls in bikinis when Larry Bird was shooting foul shots. Maybe there’s been something else but I’m not real tuned into basketball these days. 

 
Da Guru said:
Exactly how does MLB or any other sport ban a fan from attending a game?   Unless they have season tickets and sit in the same seats it is virtually impossible as you don`t show ID to get into ballparks.  They could buy tickets on Stubhub and be at the game tonight sitting in a different area of the park.

I remember a few years back a Red Wing fan was banned during the playoffs for throwing something on the ice.  The guy was interviewed later about the incident and he said he attended the very next game but in a different seat.
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As an employee of an MLB team, I can assure you that I immediately posted detailed pictures of these two women in my office and will study them daily.  I will keep a keen eye out if the need arises to bust them upon entry.

 
RUSF18 said:
Legitimately curious why you feel the umpire's interpretation of the strike zone is "one of the greatest human elements of the game". Please explain. 
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There are multiple things.

First and foremost scouting plate umpires is a big part of baseball and understanding a particular umpires "zone" can be crucial to not making mistake pitches and pitching to their "pitchers" strikes instead of finding out during a game with 3 walks and 2 dingers later. It is part of the maze/chess match that is baseball. As a hitter you will understand far more what you can get away with taking vs what you need to fight off to prevent getting rung up. Knowing a guy has a low and outside strike....well I better make sure I jump on that first pitch fastball and not get behind because this pitcher as a back door slider that is killer and this ump loves to call it a strike one ball off the plate. 

All that goes away with a robo ump. The game becomes......blech.

The art of the umpires calling games is as much a part of baseball as the players. Yes that is right. Human error is a part of life, sports and to me the more we try to eliminate that...the more we are dehumanizing the game. MLB umpires get 99% right. Even if they got 3-4% wrong that is amazing considering the speed of this game. Calling balls and strikes is a high level skill and I love seeing what an umpires zone is for that game. It is part of the fun not only as a fan.....but as someone who played ball into college. 

If anyone here has played/coached (I have done both) baseball at a high level high school and beyond I dare to say you would hate to see robots calling games.

Interaction with the plate umpire, working a plate umpire as a coach, or a hitter or a catcher is also a huge part of the fun, charm and elegance of playing baseball.

I am actually a supporter of MLB's replay system. I think they have it right and do not need to change a thing. It is fast, and they get it right 99.7% of the time. The NFL is a shining example of what is wrong with replay and playing sports frame by frame on HD. It is an abortion what they have done to the NFL.

So with that. Leave the umpires alone. They do an incredible job (most of them).  So if you have an umpire who is consistently inconsistent, remove them. There are hundreds of young umps who are ready to move to The Show.

 
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Da Guru said:
Exactly how does MLB or any other sport ban a fan from attending a game?   Unless they have season tickets and sit in the same seats it is virtually impossible as you don`t show ID to get into ballparks.  They could buy tickets on Stubhub and be at the game tonight sitting in a different area of the park.

I remember a few years back a Red Wing fan was banned during the playoffs for throwing something on the ice.  The guy was interviewed later about the incident and he said he attended the very next game but in a different seat.
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When you're that hot, you're banned from nothing.

 
Just perused twitter and realized that a whole bunch of people who like Trump are on the Astros bandwagon now due to the reception he got in DC. 

 
Wow we'll see if Strasburg settles down but doesn't look like he has his good stuff tonight.  Those 3 outs were two deeeeeep flyouts and a laughable strike 3 call that should have been ball 4.

 
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