I think fangraphs is underestimating the Rays. I don't think I posted this here but told one of my friends at a time when the free agent market was very slow that teams should load up on guys who can provide length. The fact that the Rays pen got rocked last season showed that exposing bullpen arms in an effort to prevent a third time through the order is probably just as flawed. I think Houston was onto something with tandem starts in 2017 (less so in 2019--though the Nats used that move a couple times). I like that move for the Dodgers with 7 starters and the Rays clearly have that plan as well. It seems to me that the experts are overestimating the Yankees. The young arms could flourish or they could suck. I'd look for the Rays to be there or thereabouts.
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The gap between the Rays and the BoSox strikes me as particularly debatable and I would expect that Tampa Bay's odds are largely a function of their rating of NYY, Toronto and BostonComment
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It's not rocket science to say, the pitching will dictate the season. Toronto feels a lot like the Yankees for me. If those pitchers are healthy and pitch to their capability then they really should be challenging for the AL East title. But Riyu rarely qualifies for ERA titles even though his quality is amazing because he can never log the innings. Ray and Matz are mostly average even though they have shown moments of top quality. Boston won't be as bad as last year, but they aren't going to push Sale and they aren't going to push the Rays, Yankees, or Jays. Basically to repeat what I wrote in that last post and this one, I won't be surprised if the Rays win the East again because the Yanks and Jays will not have enough starting pitching quality.Comment
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I'm shocked by this Padres deal. I get it from Tatis' perspective. Massive deal. But the Padres are loading up on a lot of big contracts, which is something that has create problems for smaller teams in the past (including the Padres when Preller first took over and signed all of those free agents). Look at the Rockies. Only a couple years after locking up Blackmon and Arenado, they felt constrained. Same thing with the Mariners before the Mets bailed them out. Machado and Tatis make sense, Hosmer less so, Meyers is probably at the end of his deal soon (although he had an excellent 2020). Hopefully the TV deal is paying out and when fans are back, Padres are the only game in town.
BTW, about Tebow. Good for him for giving it a shot. My sense is he never grumbled or complained. On that general note, I heard a bit on MLB Now about Michael Jordan. He has been viewed as a baseball bust, but his stats in Double-A have apparently not been topped by a White Sox prosepct since Jordan played. Of course, part of that is that someone who is good gets bumped up to Triple-A or the big leagues, but still that's a long time ago. If I remember correctly, 50 RBI, 50 walks, 35 stolen bases.Last edited by danielmak; 18-02-2021, 08:00.Comment
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More on Tebow here: https://sports.yahoo.com/tim-tebow-r...005125915.html
His phrasing makes it sound like his next move will be into professional religion. (He says he feels "called in other directions.")
I'm happy with the Tatis deal. He is going to be a money-maker for the Padres for a while yet.Comment
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As I understand it, Tebow already has a job doing TV commentary for the SEC Network.Comment
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Useful graphic on the new minor league affiliations
The generic names for the new leagues are a travesty
https://twitter.com/mlb/status/1362452211247312903
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AAA is now a 142 game season an increase of two matches, but the AA and A levels have reduced by 20 to make it a 120 game season. In the FSL as was it seems that Monday will be an off day every week followed by a series of 6 games against the same opponent.
Edit to add: and, totally agree, the new league names are shocking.
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The whole thing is a traveshamockery. Baseball is not well run.Originally posted by ursus arctos View PostComment
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This is manifestly true
Have the Spikes found a home in a wooden bat league?Comment
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The State College Spikes and five other sides that lost out in the reshuffle are forming the new MLB Draft League, which is apparently intended to serve as a showcase for top draft prospects.Comment
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They're going to be in the new Draft League. To me it sounds like it's going to just be a glorified skills combine. There's no promise the best draft eligible players will be in it. Then after the draft, they'll restock the league with whoever is left over. And they're telling the players to bring their own equipment "because of COVID." I don't get that part. It just seems Bush League. Because, of course, it is a Bush League, but the New York Penn League didn't operate like that.Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
My main fear isn't just that it will be shit, but that it won't last more than a year or two once MLB decides it doesn't really need it because, as far as I can tell, it really doesn't need any more opportunities to scout players. Yeah, there are some players they might be looking at who they haven't seen against comparable competition, but that's what the Area Code games and The Cape Cod league is for.
But they do need to develop players and they need to do a much better job at convincing kids, and adults, who cannot regularly attend major league games (or even ones who can) that baseball isn't dull. They aren't doing that.
I really hoped the Spikes could get into an independent league or a proper low A league. Partly, they're not in a good geography for it and partly I think they don't want to start in April because Penn State plays games there until May. So it might be hard to make a full-season team work and, as I understand it, PSU technically owns the stadium.
But Penn State baseball draws fuck all. It's often too cold and they haven't been any good in a long time. Meanwhile, the lacrosse team is becoming a legit entertainment option just down the street. Honestly, if PSU ever has to cut sports, baseball might be on the list despite Monty Ward and all that.
Every year, the players and coaches say "Oh yeah, we've got a new philosophy this year!" and every year, they're not much fun to watch. We'll see. If Michigan can get to within a game of winning a National Title, PSU should at least be able to qualify for the conference tournament. They haven't in at least five years. Sadness.
One hope might be that college baseball - or at least the B1G, Big East, Ivies and a few others, finally reforms and goes all summer, like it should. Then maybe PSU baseball, along with northern college baseball overall, could have a chance to be something.
Because what college baseball does have over minor league baseball is a feeling like the players are emotionally invested in every game. Everyone in the dugout is hanging over the railing. Lots of chatter. Minor league baseball doesn't have that same feel. If PSU could just win more and play when the weather was better, that emotion would transfer to the crowd and it could be a fun atmosphere.
Otherwise, it just feels like baseball is dying in the northeast.Last edited by Hot Pepsi; 18-02-2021, 21:16.Comment
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Reading HPs excellent post and the discussion back along reminds me of how cheap minor league baseball is compared to the majors.
For three of us tickets for the Tortugas were $27 (would have been $21 if bought in advance), parking a further $2 and we probably spent a further $25 on food and drink but only because we wanted the full hotdog and beer at the park experience. I know my mate often pays $7.11 through the shop of the same name deal for the Rays but nothing else compares favourably.Comment
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I see you, Geelong Graeme Lloyd (greatest Yankee middle reliever in World Series history.)Comment
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Strikes me as odd how even by the the postwar years that the Rocky Mountain areas/US Southwest are still pretty sparse. Note how California's numbers really pick up after World War 2. And I was interested in how Florida didn't really have a lot until much later than I thought they would.Comment
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Some of those are trying too hard, but Daytona Tortugas and Toledo Mud Hens are great, really euphonious. Birmingham Barons is hilarious. And surely Indianapolis Indians don't have Cleveland's "we need to sell all the merch before we change it" excuse?
Amarillo Sod Poodles, though. I'm lost.Comment
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https://www.texasstandard.org/storie...e-sod-poodles/
The Tortugas are quite new, but the Mud Hens have been around since 1903 (with a dozen year break in the 50-60s)Comment
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Sod Poodles? Is that the best that rough and tumble Amarillo can come up with? Very weak. Hell, stick w/ prairie dog.Comment
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I agree. The weather is crap in that part of the US but it's also crap in the upper Midwest and the Northeast. I saw an interview with Carlton Fisk a few weeks back. He said he played something like 12 games a year when he was in high school (Vermont).Originally posted by Incandenza View PostComment
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Of course googling what Graeme Lloyd was up to, I saw Manny Ramirez almost ended up in Sydney for their Blue Sox...
https://sydneybluesox.com.au/
They have his picture everywhere, next to the story that he won't be joining the team because of Covid.Comment
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The Amarillo Gold Socks got replaced by the Sod Poodles and the old ballpark is being demolished. (I was looking it up because Tony Gwynn played for Amarillo for half a season.)
Back in the Major Leagues, the Padres have signed another pitcher - Keone Kela from the Pirates. I know nowt about him.
Some wag on Facebook pointed out that when Tatis's deal expires in 14 years time, Bobby Bonilla will still have a year left on his contract with the Mets.Comment
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Not really. They're practically empty of people.Originally posted by Incandenza View Post
Venezuela kind of exploded onto the scene quite late.Comment
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