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***Official - 2025 Major League Baseball Thread (4 Viewers)

It's weird seeing a Pittsburgh Pirate in a national commercial (Skenes/T-Mobile).

I can't think of the last time that happened (if it ever has).

Maybe Kent Tekulve for American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Or even Sears, Roebuck and Company. I heard Roebuck himself could throw a mean submarine ball.
 
Red Sox using Chapman in high-leverage situations or as roving closer.

Gives up home run on what would have been his 4th out in the 8th inning. Faced five batters.

It is one SABR idea that hasn't worked ever. Not in 25 years. Give it up, Henry. Pay the eighth inning guy!!!

Cheapskates with that low-budget ****. Never works.

So we have four things wrong with SABR or rationalist insistence.

1) The roving closer doesn't work and hasn't. There is no on/off switch to performance. Guys are routine-driven.
2) You can bunt against a shift or against a hurt or lousy fielder. Guys that want to have done it. Even Ortiz, who you didn't want doing it, did it successfully.
3) There is such a thing as a clutch hitter. Even if there's a dip in overall performance, he still might be clutch because of the level of pitching faced late in games.
4) Do we really need mathematical proof of momentum to assert it exists? No, proof of existence is not a pre-requisite for saying something exists. Do I exist to you. How do you know concretely or surely from empirical foundations? You can't. Nothing exists, proof-wise, if there’s no God. Hope you believe in him/her/it.

There is your anti-SABR message of the day.

I'm usually pro-SABR, but those were the exceptions.
 
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Pouring one out for RHP Jesse Chavez, who announced his retirement today at the age of 41 :banned:. He's made big league appearances in every season since 2008 including three separate stints with Atlanta and was a member of their 2021 WS winning club.

None of his B-R comps showed anywhere near Chavez' longevity.
  1. Carlos Villanueva (954.6)
  2. Matt Belisle (951.7)
  3. Terry Adams (949.3)
  4. Elmer Dessens (945.6)
  5. Gene Nelson (945.4)
  6. Doug Brocail (940.5)
  7. Tim Worrell (936.2)
  8. Matt Albers (931.9)
  9. Rick White (931.3)
  10. Héctor Carrasco (930.4)
 
There's a time when you pass on the easy out.

0-0, 1 out, men on 1st and 3rd.
Fly ball hit to relatively deep right. Reynolds makes the catch. Runner tags and easily scores.

I thought Reynolds had more sense than that.
 
Texas creeping up in the AL Wild Card. Who are our Texas fans and men and women?

Only a matter of time before that happened. Indians catching the Rays also. Just looking at RD and schedule, you figure one Central team and Texas and Seattle are going to be involved in this chase for a bit over .500.

Ten games over get a team in? 86-76? Will the last team in even hit that benchmark (I follow casually so I don’t know the last team in the past few—the Sox are always playing for .500).
 
Texas creeping up in the AL Wild Card. Who are our Texas fans and men and women?

Only a matter of time before that happened. Indians catching the Rays also. Just looking at RD and schedule, you figure one Central team and Texas and Seattle are going to be involved in this chase for a bit over .500.

Ten games over get a team in? 86-76? Will the last team in even hit that benchmark (I follow casually so I don’t know the last team in the past few—the Sox are always playing for .500).

Bogart was a big Rangers' fan. Certainly one of my very favorite Rangers' fan to talk to as he (like all of us) had to suffer through some real heartbreak over the years. My fandom waned slowly over time once I moved 2 thousand miles away from DFW but I was really excited when they won it all. Wish I could have celebrated in Dallas with my childhood friends but it was awesome to finally see them win.

This team has one of the best pitching staffs in MLB but their offense has been a problem. That wasn't the expected outcome as their bats are loaded but they just never got 'em all going. If they do start hitting and the pitching stays hot, they could be dangerous for sure. de Grom can be HIM in a series.

Bentley and Disco Stu and Newman are all Ranger fans but they don't post no more.
 
Bogart was a big Rangers' fan. Certainly one of my very favorite Rangers' fan to talk to as he (like all of us) had to suffer through some real heartbreak over the years.

RIP. He ordered the Grey Album by Danger Mouse and Jay-Z for his brother, I believe. I had started a thread about it figuring nobody would care and sure enough he popped in and said he was thrilled to have heard about it because it would make a good present. I'll have to look that up in a sec.


My fandom waned slowly over time once I moved 2 thousand miles away from DFW but I was really excited when they won it all. Wish I could have celebrated in Dallas with my childhood friends but it was awesome to finally see them win

Awesome, man. I know the feeling of your childhood team winning it all. It's a good feeling. I used to like the Yankees and Sox as a kid and then the Mets but the Sox and Yankees were my teams from four years old until I ditched the Yanks and it was all Sox after the Mets' run in '86-'88. So I can dig it. Do you cheer for Texas and Seattle or just one or neither? I thought you liked Seattle for some reason, although I could be really wrong.

This team has one of the best pitching staffs in MLB but their offense has been a problem. That wasn't the expected outcome as their bats are loaded but they just never got 'em all going. If they do start hitting and the pitching stays hot, they could be dangerous for sure. de Grom can be HIM in a series.

Been telling my nephew this. People don't forget how to hit. They can indeed have bad years, but I'd bet on the career hitters hitting. And the pitching is excellent, so . . .

Bentley and Disco Stu and Newman are all Ranger fans but they don't post no more.

Bentley was here when I was here, but Disco Stu and Newman were a bit before my time. Bentley seemed funny and cool. That's all I got for ya. Peace. Thanks for the response, by the way. Nice to hear it.
 
I've played fantasy baseball for so long now that I really have no rooting interest in any one team and try to follow them all.
Seattle is a great place to watch a game live but I'm not really a fan of the Mariners. I used to be the obnoxious guy in a Juan Gonzalez tee going to Mariner games in the Kingdome, but those days are long gone for me.

I would cheer on Texas in the post season, but my zeal and passion isn't what it once was. I wanted to name one of my sons after Nolan Ryan but that was shot down by both moms (probably for the best). I was also unable to get Troy on a birth certificate. :bag:
 
Fantasy baseball advice question… See my signature for my full rooster, etc. In first place in my league, with Kurtz as a $3 keeper option for next year. Someone out of contention offered me Soto for him; I said that I’m not even sure Soto better than Kurtz rest of year (which he said might be a crazy view on my part), but came back offering Soto and Logan Gilbert for Kurtz. H2H league, with some money payout to regular season winner and also if win playoffs. Take the exit, or see if I can ride Kurtz to the championship this year and down the road?

The rest of season projections that I’ve looked at suggest I might be crazy to even be questioning it, as they have Kurtz well below both, but not sure what I’m missing with Kurtz having only one less HR than Soto in 150 less at-bats, while being the hottest player in MLB and Soto having only 4 hits in the last two weeks.
 
Fantasy baseball advice question… See my signature for my full rooster, etc. In first place in my league, with Kurtz as a $3 keeper option for next year. Someone out of contention offered me Soto for him; I said that I’m not even sure Soto better than Kurtz rest of year (which he said might be a crazy view on my part), but came back offering Soto and Logan Gilbert for Kurtz. H2H league, with some money payout to regular season winner and also if win playoffs. Take the exit, or see if I can ride Kurtz to the championship this year and down the road?

The rest of season projections that I’ve looked at suggest I might be crazy to even be questioning it, as they have Kurtz well below both, but not sure what I’m missing with Kurtz having only one less HR than Soto in 150 less at-bats, while being the hottest player in MLB and Soto having only 4 hits in the last two weeks.
Seems like this depends on what OF and SP Soto and Gilbert would be replacing, minus the downgrade to what you have available at 1B. If it's a big enough jump to really put you in the driver's seat for the title, I'd probably do it. If it's not clearly a move that puts you over the top, keep Kurtz as a prime building block for next year.
 
There's a time when you pass on the easy out.

0-0, 1 out, men on 1st and 3rd.
Fly ball hit to relatively deep right. Reynolds makes the catch. Runner tags and easily scores.

I thought Reynolds had more sense than that.
Didn't see the play. What is the issue?
 
There's a time when you pass on the easy out.

0-0, 1 out, men on 1st and 3rd.
Fly ball hit to relatively deep right. Reynolds makes the catch. Runner tags and easily scores.

I thought Reynolds had more sense than that.
Didn't see the play. What is the issue?
The issue is, if he simply lets the ball drop foul, the run does not score in a 0-0 game.

I realize there's no guarantee that they'll get the next two outs, but that was 100% putting your team down a run in a game where runs were scarce (ok, nonexistent).
Oh, and they went on to lose 1-0.
 
There's a time when you pass on the easy out.

0-0, 1 out, men on 1st and 3rd.
Fly ball hit to relatively deep right. Reynolds makes the catch. Runner tags and easily scores.

I thought Reynolds had more sense than that.
Didn't see the play. What is the issue?
The issue is, if he simply lets the ball drop foul, the run does not score in a 0-0 game.

I realize there's no guarantee that they'll get the next two outs, but that was 100% putting your team down a run in a game where runs were scarce (ok, nonexistent).
Oh, and they went on to lose 1-0.
You didn't say it was in foul territory in your initial post. Just deep fly ball so I thought it was a fair ball. Was it bottom of 9th and for a walk off? If so then you definitely let it fall foul and take another chance.

If it is top of 9th then you probably catch it to limit damage as you still have a shot to score a run. I am not sure what the analytics say in that case and probably depends on matchups, who is on deck, is the batter-runner a double play candidate etc.

But if it was prior to the 9th then you definitely catch it to limit damage because you have multiple chances to score a run. I mean you can't win if you don't score at all so being down 1-0 isn't the end of the world if you have more at bats to try and tie it. If you can't score in those other innings then you weren't going to win anyway.
 
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You didn't say it was in foul territory in your initial post.
:smacksforehead:

To be fair, when I typed that up, my rage knew no bounds, so errors were inevitable.
I just checked the box score and saw it happened in the 11th inning and that Pitt was home. In that case I think catching the ball is the right call there due to the ghost runner the Pirates would start the 11th with. Limiting them to 1 run allows you to have options in the bottom of the 11th that you wouldn't have if you are down 2+ runs (which you risk by letting it drop). Also, the D-backs bullpen is decimated with injuries as they are down to their 4th or 5th best relief guys. I understand your idea but looking at the whole situation I think you catch the ball in that situation.
 
Washington is apparently asking for any team's top three prospects for Mackenzie Gore.

That's ridiculous.
Under control for two more years. Trading Gore would really upset me as a fan. Means giving up on the rebuild that they have been through for five years already. If they want to trade Gore for some ho-hum prospects, Lerner should instead just sell the team to someone who will spend money on FAs to build around Gore, Wood, Abrams, Crews, etc. I don’t think out of the question that they compete before Gore’s contract is up if they just spend some of the money from Corbin and Strasburg coming off the books and open up the pocketbooks a bit.
 
I just checked the box score and saw it happened in the 11th inning and that Pitt was home. In that case I think catching the ball is the right call there due to the ghost runner the Pirates would start the 11th with. Limiting them to 1 run allows you to have options in the bottom of the 11th that you wouldn't have if you are down 2+ runs (which you risk by letting it drop). Also, the D-backs bullpen is decimated with injuries as they are down to their 4th or 5th best relief guys. I understand your idea but looking at the whole situation I think you catch the ball in that situation.
The only guarantee in that game was that if Reynolds catches the foul ball for the 2nd out of the inning, the Diamondbacks go up 1 run. The score is 1-0. Nobody else was on base. I suppose either the batter who hit the foul ball or the next guy might homer, but again, 0-0 score.

Down 2+ runs? Are we playing conjecture?

OK, Reynolds let's the foul ball drop. Pitcher strikes out the batter and the Pirates get the next out as well to end the inning. (BTW, this is certainly a more likely scenario than the Diamondbacks scoring 2 or more runs in the 11th. The run they scored when Reynolds fielded the foul ball WAS THE ONLY RUN THEY SCORED IN THE THREE GAME SERIES.)

Of course if they had gone into the bottom of the 11th tied at zero, they might still be playing that game. :D
 
The only guarantee in that game was that if Reynolds catches the foul ball for the 2nd out of the inning, the Diamondbacks go up 1 run. The score is 1-0. Nobody else was on base. I suppose either the batter who hit the foul ball or the next guy might homer, but again, 0-0 score.

Down 2+ runs? Are we playing conjecture?
Your OP said it was 1st and 3rd meaning someone else was on base. I based my comment to drop on that. With only a runner on 3B that changes it a bit. With 1st and 3rd a basehit now scores a run and puts a 2nd possible run at 3B. That is where I was referencing 2 runs (based on a runner on 1B too).

The biggest factor for me was the ghost runner aspect of extra innings. Starting with a guy on 2B and down one run is not insurmountable. Bunt, sac fly and you score. Plus like I said, you aren't winning without scoring so 1 run is not the end of the world. You don't score to tie then you wouldn't have scored to win so the potential loss just gets postponed.

I think there is at least a discussion on what the best approach is in that situation. It's not the same as the run being a walk off which he for sure should have let drop.
 

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