America's National Game (MLB 2015)

[delicatemoth]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

I still don't know if 'hot mess' means something is good, bad or a bit of both. My instinct is to assume it means good in a sexy way.

[ursus arctos]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Very much not.

Very similar to "shit show".

[Hugh Fatbastard]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Moth, why does it have to be NL ?

Toronto fits your criteria.

They wear blue, and they never fail to disappoint (which is what I gather you mean by being shit).

Actually, if a laugh is what you're after, they're good for that as well.

[ursus arctos]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

I presume that the Moth is anti-DH, as all right thinking individuals are.

I do wonder if the Brewers aren't a progressive social attitudes disaster waiting to happen, though.

Billy Bean's response to Murphy's bigotry was genuinely impressive.

When I took this job at MLB, I knew it was going to take time for many to embrace my message of inclusion. Expecting everyone to be supportive right away is simply not realistic. If you asked anyone who has competed in high-level men's professional sports, I believe they would agree with me. This doesn't change the way I go about my business, or my belief in what I am doing, but it's reality.

After reading his comments, I appreciate that Daniel spoke his truth. I really do. I was visiting his team, and a reporter asked his opinion about me. He was brave to share his feelings, and it made me want to work harder and be a better example that someday might allow him to view things from my perspective, if only for just a moment.

I respect him, and I want everyone to know that he was respectful of me. We have baseball in common, and for now, that might be the only thing. But it's a start.

[Renart]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Related, I'm proud to be a Giants fan as the organization filed a pro-marriage equality amicus brief.

[danielmak]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

I somehow missed this thread, so I'm copying and pasting from the unneeded thread I started last night:

We're a few days into Spring Training. A-Rod was 1 for 2 with a walk in his first game. I didn't hear what happened today (if he played). And so far, no major problems with this time clock. It makes sense that the batters should be in the box and the pitcher is ready to go when the commercial break ends.

It's very early and major injuries should change things but I'm already going to jump out with my picks since waiting until the end of spring training hasn't done very well for me the past two years picking a Rays-Dodgers World Series.

NL West
Dodgers
Padres
Giants
Dbacks
Rockies

I'm really torn about the second spot. The Giants as we all know are crap every other year, a reason some folks are reluctant to dub this team a dynasty. I think they could break that streak but I am not super confident in the starting pitching and I think they will miss the Panda (although he's more Mr October and November than Mr April-September). The Padres have had solid pitching and that rotation will be better with Shields. The offense should be much better but that outfield is likely to be near the top of both leagues in errors (or not getting to balls that should be caught). The rest are the rest in this division.

NL Central
Cardinals
Pirates
Reds
Cubs
Brewers

I had been picking the Reds the past few years and am ready to jump off that pick after consecutive disappointing seasons. The Cardinals should be the class of a much better division. Pirates will feel the loss of Martin but really he was revitalized with them so maybe he will feel the loss of the Pirates even more. I'm not buying the Cubs as contenders. The kids are going to take some time. Maybe next year after they add Price or Grenke or Zimmerman or all 3. Brewers = Meh.

NL East
Nationals
Marlins
Braves
Mets
Phillies

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that the Nationals should run away with this division. I actually think the rest of the teams will be super bunched up around the .500 mark, including the supposedly rebuilding Phillies. Braves have faded the past couple years. Maybe no or low expectations will keep them in the hunt. Marlins have added a lot. Maybe enough for a Wild Card, which the other two times have meant a championship. The Mets might surprise if that pitching is healthy. But the offense is a concern.

AL West
Angels
Mariners
As
Rangers
Astros

This is another tough division. I keep picking against the As and thy keep coming back. I think they've chopped and changed too much this time. Angels will actually be better off without Hamilton, which has to be (next to renewing ARod after he opted out) one of the dumbest signings in the past 5 years. The SABR nerds have shown for awhile that Hamilton can't hit good pitching, but feasts on bad pitching. Not ideal given the tactics of the day: good pitchers pitch deep, average pitchers are out quick and amazing bullpens take over. I do wonder about the Angels pitching. I don't think I'm sold on the Mariners, although they might have the pitching.

NL Central
White Sox
Tigers
Royals
Indians
Twins

I feel bad picking the Royals to fade but I'm not trusting that the Moose is ready to be what he was in the playoffs and their punch and judy style might not be enough in a revamped division. Tigers have too many question marks for me to be confident that they will be dominant.

AL East
Red Sox
Blue Jays
Orioles
Yankees
Rays

One of these days the Mayan calendar will sync up in such a way that the Red Sox and Giants are good during the same year. It's time for the Sox again, but not by a lot. The division is down so their rotation of five number 3s will be ok. Yankees will be injury-plagued again and their identity-less brand of baseball will continue, unfortunately. Orioles did nothing in the off-season, which might not be a problem since they won the division last year, but their competition is better.

NL: Padres and Marlins are the Wild Cards
Dodgers beat the Nationals to win the NL

AL: Mariners and Tigers are the Wild Cards
Tigers beat the White Sox to win the AL

Dodgers win this thing. Or Kershaw and Grenke get hurt and the Dodgers crash and burn.

[ursus arctos]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Dodgers and Nationals are clearly the class of the National League and of MLB as a whole, though both have failed to live up to expectations before.

I'm optimistic about the Cubs in the medium term, but large sections of the fan base are completely delusional. If we are .500, I'll be happy.

Early picks (may be modified before season starts)

NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Pirates
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Marlins, Giants

AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Angels
AL Wild Cards: Mariners, Orioles

[Gerontophile]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Delicate, why not have a go at Arizona?

[Cesar Rodriguez]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

danielmak wrote: It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that the Nationals should run away with this division. I actually think the rest of the teams will be super bunched up around the .500 mark, including the supposedly rebuilding Phillies.

Shit, if the Phillies are .500 that would be an incredible achievement.

[danielmak]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Cesar Rodriguez wrote:

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that the Nationals should run away with this division. I actually think the rest of the teams will be super bunched up around the .500 mark, including the supposedly rebuilding Phillies.

Shit, if the Phillies are .500 that would be an incredible achievement.

The chances of that seem to have decreased with the news that Cliff Lee's elbow might be shot. I think that so much has been expected of the Phillies (and rightfully so) over the past two years because of the players: Utley remains one of the top 2nd basemen when healthy (when is always key), Howard's first nearly full season was last year and it always takes a year+ to be back from major surgeries. So I think they can still surprise some folks. But the outfield will be a question and I don't know who will fill Rollins' spot. Do they have a plan there?

[ursus arctos]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Freddie Galvis, he of the lifetime .218 batting average. They evidently have a decent prospect in the minors, but is going to be a long season down there.

[Flynnie]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

If we have learned anything over the last three years it's that the Phillies absolutely, positively do not have a fucking plan.

[danielmak]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

I think Amaro has made a mess of things but I also understand why he thought he could get another year out of that team, which was last season. Now he gets killed for not dealing Hammels. But Hammels has 4 years left on a deal that looks cheap given the money paid to Lester (older) and Scherzer (not as good statistically). I can't blame Amaro for wanting something of value for Hammels. I say all of this as someone who doesn't really care one way or the other about the Phillies. They're not in my second tier of teams I follow after the Dodgers and Yankees and they're not in the mix of teams I hate. What I don't understand is why another GM thinks that a pool of prospects (most of whom will not pan out) is more useful than Hammels, a proven #1 or #1A. I get that the Red Sox, for example, have a catching prospect who is nearly there but how many outfield prospects do they need to keep when they've got Hanley on the hook for 3+ years, Victorino in the mix still, Craig healthy again, Nava, Bradley Jr., Betts, and probably others I can't remember. Their infield is loaded as well.

I get that Hammels will probably have an arm injury in the next few years given the way things are going these days, but still at his price he will cost less than any other pitcher of the same stature.

[Cesar Rodriguez]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

You're right danielmak, the feeling in Philly was that they had one more championship run with the aging core of Howard-Utley-Rollins. Even if that thinking was pie in the sky they were pretty much hamstrung from making moves and rebuilding because of, amongst other things, Howard's $125 million contract.

[delicatemoth]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

gerontophile wrote: Delicate, why not have a go at Arizona?

Time difference again. Staying up till 3 to watch a game finish is one thing, staying up till 3 waiting for a game to start is another.

Guess I'll just watch a few games and see who I like the look of.

ursus was spot on about Billy Bean's response to Murphy. Real patience and compassion exhibited there.

[Cesar Rodriguez]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

If you are looking for East coast NL teams to root for the Phillies and the Pirates are by far the most palatable.

[Renart]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

I like the Pirates. They don't wear blue, though.

[Hugh Fatbastard]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Blue Jay pitcher Marcus Stroman is out for the season

That's so Toronto.

[ursus arctos]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Leafs/Sabres tonight!

[danielmak]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

delicatemoth wrote:

Delicate, why not have a go at Arizona?

Time difference again. Staying up till 3 to watch a game finish is one thing, staying up till 3 waiting for a game to start is another.

Guess I'll just watch a few games and see who I like the look of.

ursus was spot on about Billy Bean's response to Murphy. Real patience and compassion exhibited there.

I didn't reply to your earlier post, but if you're looking for any sports team that is going to be filled with players guided by an egalitarian spirit, you'll have to dump watching sports. Now, I can say that I was always an NL guy and when I moved from LA to NYC, I first went with the Mets (I loved those mid-80s teams so I had that motivation as well), but after Coleman tossed firecrackers at kids, Saberhagen squirted bleach at reporters, and some other equally mean-spirited actions, I moved to the then struggling Yankees (92-93); it didn't hurt that I really enjoyed Sterling and Kay on the radio. So I get dumping the Mets because of players' words/actions. At the same time, I'm guessing Murphy's idiocy is equaled by someone on most teams.

Of the current players, there are only two that I have heard speak that showed any level of thoughtful depth that took me by surprise: Breslow (sp?) the Red Sox reliever and this reliever for Colorado who was a guest panelist on MLB Now a few weeks back. I can't remember his name. But Breslow is canceled out I am sure by a range of fools playing for the Red Sox.

[Cesar Rodriguez]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

.

[ursus arctos]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Craig Breslow is a Yalie, so it isn't that surprising.

Brandon McCarthy is an interesting guy, but he's a Dodger now, so he can die in a fire.

I think that it is a bit unfair to expect ballplayers to exhibit the full range of their personalities during their career. I wouldn't have thought Ron Darling or Gabe Kapler or CJ Nitkowski were as interesting as they are when they were playing.

[Renart]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

I having trouble believing anybody could enjoy John Sterling's announcing, but to each his own!

[Cesar Rodriguez]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

.

[Flynnie]

America's National Game (MLB 2015)

Eric Byrnes is an economics graduate from UCLA, and is a much smarter guy on Bay Area sports talk radio than you would ever expect. And he's a guy who seemed like a total douchebro as a player.

I can't imagine anybody liking Michael Kay, although he is much less painful than Sterling. Bob Murphy, Gary Cohen and Howie Rose made/make a lot of bad Mets ballgames worth listening to. An honorable mention to the great Lindsay Nelson as well. Since CBS fired Mel Allen for being gay/high and Red Barber for being honest, the Mets have had it all over the Yankees on broadcasters.

Anyway, the Phillies going for it in 2013 wasn't an awful idea, it's that they still kinda seem to be going for it now that's awful. They're just sitting on Hamels and to a lesser extent Utley. They sat on Lee and now he's broken. The smart move would have been to trade those guys and use some of that Philly TV money to sweeten the pot for talent (that's the other thing, the Phillies have struck out on draft after draft since Mike Arbuckle left). Plus those poison pill contracts to Howard and Lee really do kill them.

I understand Amaro wants to get a great deal for Hamels, but he's boxed himself into a corner on that because he has to nail that trade by almost everybody's standards because it's Philly's last chance to replenish the farm system by trading their own talent.