Main Menu

Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 08:49:50 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Baseball 2018

Started by Ferris, March 29, 2018, 01:38:39 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

BlodwynPig

I reckoned you didn't want the socar so booked tickets anyway. June 7 is good, hope the game goes to The Wire. I dug out my old Blue Jays jersey from 1990 but it jus about fits my bum now.


Dr Syntax Head

I've been a Pirates fan since around 1991/1992. The last time I watched Baseball was around 1991/1992. If it was shown on terrestrial TV I'd watch it like the loyal fan I am. I genuinely like the game but have no access to it. Sad.

fat_abbott

Just a quick update for bgmnts my fellow Tiger's fan (family ties, wife and family lived across river in Windsor, Canada).

Doing surprisingly well so far, almost got a .500 record. But the feeling is there that they have punched above their weight so far and it's set to go tits up at any time. Players are getting injured, and that will take it's toll over the full season. As someone mentioned earlier, they aren't expected to do much, they are in the process of rebuilding after spunking millions trying to win the World Series.

Famous Mortimer

Looks like St Louis' most beloved pitcher of the last ten years, Adam Wainwright, may have to hang up his...whatever it is that pitchers hang up. Gloves? Boots? Pulled from another game with a re-aggravation of the elbow injury that did for him at the end of last season, he's not been very good since the end of 2014 and I hope he decides to give up rather than struggling through the rest of the season and tarnishing his legacy further.

Perhaps this is a thing common to all athletes, but I don't really pay attention to other sports, but Wainwright was on TV last year mocking the "internet haters" who said he was done, saying his injuries are fine and not that bad...and he doubled down on it at the beginning of this season. It's not like you're fooling anyone (other than the wildly pro-Cardinals local media).

Ferris

Right Blodz - you and me are booked in for June 7th, Jays v Orioles.

Section 526, row 7, seats 1 & 2. That's my fave section if I'm not massively arsed about the game (which... I'm not really. Jays are done for the year alas). But by god, you'll get a fantastic view and watch the Toronto skyline settle from afternoon, to evening, to night. It's brilliant.

See you there.

BlodwynPig

Thank you Ferris. Really looking forward to this

Famous Mortimer

I decided to avoid the Memorial Weekend games as I don't think I can tolerate that much ra-ra flag-waving pro-military guff at one time. Plus, the Cardinals are really struggling at the moment.

It's been interesting to see the reaction to Cubs player Anthony Rizzo doing the take-out slide on the Pirates catcher, how it was held up as legal on the field but very obviously wasn't. Joe Maddon has gotten a lot of leeway for being happy fun-time party manager, but it looks like that honeymoon period is well and truly over, with the approvingly visiting Trump in the White House and defending the worst sort of old-school baseball like this.


Ferris

^missed this post, totally agree (and I like Rizzo!). Contrast to the reaction Odor got for doing the same slide a day or 2 later.

On a side note, me and Blodders are off to the Jays tonight to watch them play Baltimore. The stoppable force meets the moveable object! Promises to be atrocious but the weather is lovely and we have those nice seats up in the bleachers I like. May post a few photos in here if they're any good.

Ferris

Missed this by one day! Aargh. Looks well good. Free pride hats!

Went to this last year, they had the CN Tower lit up in rainbow colours all night. I love Canada sometimes.


Ferris


Ferris

Jays walk it off in the tenth!!

Ferris

Great result, great night, lot of fun!


BlodwynPig

The Paul Ross dream team did it for the jays!

BlodwynPig

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on June 07, 2018, 04:17:29 PM
Missed this by one day! Aargh. Looks well good. Free pride hats!

Went to this last year, they had the CN Tower lit up in rainbow colours all night. I love Canada sometimes.



You had rainbows tonight.

#104

Famous Mortimer

The Cardinals are on track for another season of mediocrity. I'm beginning to wish I'd moved somewhere else.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on June 18, 2018, 12:42:02 PM
The Cardinals are on track for another season of mediocrity. I'm beginning to wish I'd moved somewhere else.

When are you coming up?

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: BlodwynPig on June 20, 2018, 01:06:42 PM
When are you coming up?
It might be a while now, I got fired from my job the other day (I fiddled with the clocking-in system to help a mate who was on his last warning, it took them three months but they figured it out and sacked us both). Shite, might even be next season.


Famous Mortimer

I was sorely tempted to blow $19 on a ticket to last night's game, for the free Hawaiian shirt, but then the weather got to 95 degrees (see, I'm even starting to think in fahrenheit now, damn you America) so I thought bollocks to that and went to a DSA meeting in a nice air conditioned library instead. Good too, cos the Cardinals stank.

We're creeping up on the trade deadline now, so hopefully something interesting will happen. Trade for big names or trade their big names away, I don't care. This season is obviously going to be a wash anyway.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on June 20, 2018, 02:10:46 PM
It might be a while now, I got fired from my job the other day (I fiddled with the clocking-in system to help a mate who was on his last warning, it took them three months but they figured it out and sacked us both). Shite, might even be next season.

Sorry to hear this. Happened to my friend also recently. Hope you manage to get back on your feet and drinks and hot dogs on me if you do come up.

Ferris

The Jays have called up a pitcher who looks a suspicious amount like me (albeit 10+ years ago). Glad he is successful.

I'll leave it to Blodz to confirm the accuracy of this statement.


BlodwynPig

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on July 30, 2018, 12:50:57 AM
The Jays have called up a pitcher who looks a suspicious amount like me (albeit 10+ years ago). Glad he is successful.

I'll leave it to Blodz to confirm the accuracy of this statement.



Yup, amazing resemblance minus the flab.

Ferris

Quote from: BlodwynPig on July 30, 2018, 02:39:56 AM
Yup, amazing resemblance minus the flab.

Yeah but once he works it off I reckon he'd be the spit of me tbh

Ferris

After a hectic few weeks at work, I'm able to watch an entire game. It's fantastic. I'm enjoying it so much. Jays leading it 2-1 into the top of the 5th

Both pitchers top of their game, a young Jays team is hitting well, and both shortstops have made laughable errors. Fun!

Yay, baseball.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on August 04, 2018, 04:15:44 AM
After a hectic few weeks at work, I'm able to watch an entire game. It's fantastic. I'm enjoying it so much. Jays leading it 2-1 into the top of the 5th

Both pitchers top of their game, a young Jays team is hitting well, and both shortstops have made laughable errors. Fun!

Yay, baseball.

2 on the bounce, good times.

Ferris

Selfie with Vlad Guerrero Jr!



Jays stink, as expected for this year. 2022 competitors I reckon.

FamousMortimer - I see the Cards are alright this year. Tough division to be in but might be some post season action for you. I'd love to see Cecil turn it around for you - he seems like such a nice chap.

fat_abbott

Was hoping to catch a Jays game in August but when I'm there they are in LA, almost like they are trying to get as far away as possible from me. Oh well, have to settle for the marginally worse Tigers, losers 13-0 last time out.

If you're looking to get more into baseball, this guys Twitter video breakdowns are both amusing and sometimes informative. You have to wade through a bunch of Yankees minutia on his Twitter feed but he's been posting them fairly regularly.

https://twitter.com/Jomboy_/status/1137452580718731265

https://twitter.com/Jomboy_/status/1137196210245308416

https://twitter.com/Jomboy_/status/1136764538957811714

Ferris

#118
I won't bother starting a "2019" thread, but I will bother bumping this.

What are the storylines this year?

1 - The quest for the #1 draft pick, aka "how low can we go".

I thought the Jays had a shot at this, but the O's got us beat I think. They are fielding absolute dirt and I think forgotten Sopranos character Trey Mancini leads them for oWAR. Shambles. Royals an outside shout, possibly the Tigers but I think that likeable outfielder they drafted (Tim Anderson? Might be misremembering) is a bit too good and will ruin the Quest For Last Place which is good for him, but a shame for Detroit's long term prospects.

2 - Who will win it all

Dodgers or Yankees. Yawn. Boring. Big market teams with the highest payroll win. No fun or romance there, it's like cheering when the Death Star blows up Alderaan.

I'm hoping Milwaukee (or the Cubs?) can disrupt the procession. Maybe the Astros as well, but I'm not convinced by Keuchel. Speaking of...

3 - Those big free agent contracts

It was the summer of spending. Personally, I don't think any of them are that good. You can always get a better player for cheaper by scouting. Acuña, Bellinger and Yelich are all on league minimum - scout better and play minor leaguers more, instead of spending exorbitant sums on reliably pretty good players,

Machado was always going to be a smart signing - he is consistently good and after a slow start is coming into form now. I don't think he's worth what the Padres are paying him (10 years for $300m), but they have a lot of young stars and if Tatis and co can get consistent, they should be a real challenger in a couple years (and Machado will be a big piece of that). If he helps get them over the line, then who am I to say he's not worth it. Fez Sez - finishes the season at 6 WAR. Padres don't advance to postseason.

Keuchel/Kimbrel - lazy pitchers who think they are worth much more than they are. A number 3 starter (at best) and a patchy closer seeking monster long term deals = no thanks. The cheapest way to get a good closer is to take a mediocre SP with good velocity and give them the CP role (and let them know this is it for them if they want to be in The Show). Teams don't do this, and I have no idea why. Tradition, I suppose. Paying Kimbrel will work out fine for the Cubs, but they could have gotten the same value for a fraction of the cost. Idiots, though I suppose they have money to burn.

Keuchel is mediocre. His "heat" tops out at 90mph, and he relies on finesse. In a world of pitch-tunneling and extreme scouting, he won't be that great (especially as he ages). Surprised the analytics-driven Astros went for him. Fez Sez - finishes the season with a 4.30+ ERA. Costs the Astros some big games.

And my favourite "big contract"; the absurd albatross that is paying Bryce "30% Strikeout Rate" Harper, the 3rd worst defensive right fielder in Major League Baseball, $330 million dollars (yes, a third of a billion) for 13 years. 13!! He had a ridiculous 2015, no question, but it was BABIPed out the ass (think it was .370 for the season). He has an elite walk rate still, but he is a defensive liability (even for a corner outfielder) and has huge holes in his plate coverage. You don't pay a corner outfielder nearly $30m a year to take walks. He is also incredibly streaky, and has gone to the most unforgiving sports market in North America; Philadelphia, and they don't take kindly to bad streaks. He was getting booed after a week, good luck for the next 12.5 years.

The idea was that NPV would take care of this contract value, but with the MLBPA union talks 18 months away, who knows what contracts will look like in 2021? He's playing national league ball, so he can't just DH and has to play the field until he's 40! He has a shitty attitude (to the point where members of his own team have attacked him on the field), every single offensive number has declined every season for the last 5 years, and he is hitting a decent .820 OPS but because of his defensive struggles he's only worth a miserable .2 WAR. For what they're paying him, that's embarrassing. And this is when he's supposed to be helping you win titles!

Fez Sez - I cant say how much of a disaster this will be. It's a misstep on so many levels, I'm embarrassed to be an amateur sabermetrician and have figured out how out of wack this is, when a major league ball club has already gone for it. Phillies will regret this one for a long time. I'm going to sit back and enjoy the dumpster fire. In 3 years, he'll profile like a Russell Martin/Jose Bautista. Lots of walks, poor defence, getting beaten on fastballs and not much else.

4 - Dark Horses and Ones to watch.

I mentioned them already, but I think the Brewers are legit this year. I expect them to win the division (or make the wildcard at least). The Rays will drop off, but will still impress and have a shot at the WC (before they move to Montreal...). Guerrero Jr will have a mediocre year. Worth about .780 OPS, 3 WAR. He's been overhyped and I think he needed a quiet season to adjust which is the opposite of what the Toronto media gave him - I think both Biggio and Gurriel Jr will have better numbers this year.

NL MVP will be close between Yelich and Bellinger but I think Yelich will edge it, AL I have no idea but have a feeling a rebounding Gary Sanchez will take it. Cy Young for Kershaw (but only if the Dodgers win it all).

Happy to spew my opinions on a range of other topics if required, though obviously no one has bothered to read all that. You should though, it's like Nostradamus but good.

Edit: forgot to add under "big contracts" Mike Trout re-signing with the Angels. I forget what they're paying him, but it's more than Harper and whatever it is, he's worth it. Whatever you pay Mike Trout to play centre field for you, you are getting a good deal. He's great and I won't hear a thing said against him. He is this generation's Mickey Mantle, and a thoroughly nice chap to boot.

chveik

my only knowledge of baseball comes from Peanuts, but maybe I should look into that. I'm getting really tired of football.