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The thing about the play that sticks out to me is how nonchalant Pittsburgh's first baseman was initially when Baez reversed course. He knew he had the force play and Baez was dead to rights, tag or not. No idea how he lost the plot sometime after that, but not knowing the number of outs could explain the toss to the catcher.

It was obviously super unique and not something anyone would practice, but it's crazy to me that nobody backed up first once he started chasing Baez back towards home plate. Any out on Baez before he touches first would nullify the run. The first baseman obviously fucked the play up completely, but it is a team sport after all, and another infielder should have had the awareness to cover for his mistake.
 
Today the 2,000,000th run in MLB history was scored. In the bottom of the first inning Nelson Cruz of the Twins hit a blooper that ended up as a ground-rule double that scored Josh Donaldson. It might end up being changed in the future if/when the Negro League stats get included with MLB stats.
 
As if things couldn't get any worse for the Braves, Ozuna is popped for domestic violence just a few days after dislocating a couple of fingers and missing up to six weeks of time.

Jesus fucking christ.
 
In case any of you didn't know, MLB have been streaming games on Youtube every week. Currently watching D-backs getting ass raped by the Mets. they managed to pull a couple back.
Don't remember them showing live games on youtube before, are ratings that bad that they are trying to drum up interest on youtube or am I being overly cynical?
 
Stasi said:
In case any of you didn't know, MLB have been streaming games on Youtube every week. Currently watching D-backs getting ass raped by the Mets. they managed to pull a couple back.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=GLHV5nBuUKADon't remember them showing live games on youtube before, are ratings that bad that they are trying to drum up interest on youtube or am I being overly cynical?
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They've been showing games on Youtube for years now (I've been watching this one too lol, voted for Schilling in that poll earlier), at least since around 2017. There typically seems to be 75k-200k concurrent viewers whenever I tune in.
 
This is a position player pitching and the hitter didn't whiff totally on top of it, but it still cracks me up. I'm a dude in poor shape and I would absolutely lace a pitch like this into left field. I've fucking done it multiple times in beer league softball. Be better, MLB hitters.
 
Ralph Cifaretto said:
This is a position player pitching and the hitter didn't whiff totally on top of it, but it still cracks me up. I'm a dude in poor shape and I would absolutely lace a pitch like this into left field. I've fucking done it multiple times in beer league softball. Be better, MLB hitters.
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I'm assuming that he was instructed by his manager not to swing considering the situation (top of the 8th, Royals up 9 runs IIRC). One of those "unwritten rules" that old-timers get butthurt about. I personally think a lot of those unwritten rules are garbage. If you're gonna serve me up a meatball like that, then I should be able to smash that fucker 400+ feet.

Some might say that it's disrespectful to tee off on a non-pitcher in a blowout. I'd say that it's disrespectful to put a position player on the mound and expect the opposing team to not swing away. I can understand not wanting to use your bullpen in what is essentially a lost cause, but it's ridiculous to expect a dude not to swing just because the guy throwing to him isn't a pitcher. Baseball is a very numbers-centric game after all, and things like HRs and RBIs go a long way in determining a player's market value.

Imo the batter should've blasted that pitch into orbit and then flipped his bat for good measure. Props to him for holding off though, you know it took some restraint to not hammer that thing into the atmosphere.
 
BSC said:
I'm assuming that he was instructed by his manager not to swing considering the situation (top of the 8th, Royals up 9 runs IIRC). One of those "unwritten rules" that old-timers get butthurt about. I personally think a lot of those unwritten rules are garbage. If you're gonna serve me up a meatball like that, then I should be able to smash that fucker 400+ feet.

Some might say that it's disrespectful to tee off on a non-pitcher in a blowout. I'd say that it's disrespectful to put a position player on the mound and expect the opposing team to not swing away. I can understand not wanting to use your bullpen in what is essentially a lost cause, but it's ridiculous to expect a dude not to swing just because the guy throwing to him isn't a pitcher. Baseball is a very numbers-centric game after all, and things like HRs and RBIs go a long way in determining a player's market value.

Imo the batter should've blasted that pitch into orbit and then flipped his bat for good measure. Props to him for holding off though, you know it took some restraint to not hammer that thing into the atmosphere.
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I definitely get the timing thing, given that these dudes are trained to smoke 98+ MPH fastballs. Fucking BP is like 80+ MPH fastballs. Given that training, I think I might fucking whiff on a 40 MPH curve, but at least I'd swing the bat if it's center cut.
 
Ralph Cifaretto said:
I definitely get the timing thing, given that these dudes are trained to smoke 98+ MPH fastballs. Fucking BP is like 80+ MPH fastballs. Given that training, I think I might fucking whiff on a 40 MPH curve, but at least I'd swing the bat if it's center cut.
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It's one thing if it's a guy like Zack Greinke who throws heat and occasionally tosses up a 57-MPH eephus, but we're talking about a position player in a blowout game who you know is most likely throwing lollipops.
 
Preferred Penne said:
It's one thing if it's a guy like Zack Greinke who throws heat and occasionally tosses up a 57-MPH eephus, but we're talking about a position player in a blowout game who you know is most likely throwing lollipops.
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Lol funny you mention Greinke. I totally misread @BSC's original comment and have this shit lined up.
 
BSC said:
Baseball is a very numbers-centric game after all, and things like HRs and RBIs go a long way in determining a player's market value.
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It's interesting the players association is quiet about it. Player bonuses could hinge on it down the line.
 
Iron Hamster said:
It's interesting the players association is quiet about it. Player bonuses could hinge on it down the line.
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Supposedly they're going to destroy the foreign substances in the next couple of weeks (the pitcher puts the lotion and pine tar upon the fingers or else he gets the hook). I just dont see that fucking happening midseason.
 
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Stasi said:
In case any of you didn't know, MLB have been streaming games on Youtube every week. Currently watching D-backs getting ass raped by the Mets. they managed to pull a couple back.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=GLHV5nBuUKADon't remember them showing live games on youtube before, are ratings that bad that they are trying to drum up interest on youtube or am I being overly cynical?
Click to expand...
I think they started doing it in 2019.
Ralph Cifaretto said:
Supposedly they're going to destroy the foreign substances in the next couple of weeks (the pitcher puts the lotion and pine tar upon the fingers or else he gets the hook). I just dont see that fucking happening midseason.
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I read that it's a 10-game suspension for using "foreign substances", not sure how they're going to enforce it though because basically everyone is doing it. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Cole is allegedly one of the biggest offenders (his spin rate increased massively from 2017 to 2019), and some people on twitter are already drawing connections between the new rule announcement and him getting lit up by the Rays the other day. Hope Cashman kept the receipts for that $300 million contract just in case...
 
FaramirG said:
I think they started doing it in 2019.

I read that it's a 10-game suspension for using "foreign substances", not sure how they're going to enforce it though because basically everyone is doing it. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Cole is allegedly one of the biggest offenders (his spin rate increased massively from 2017 to 2019), and some people on twitter are already drawing connections between the new rule announcement and him getting lit up by the Rays the other day. Hope Cashman kept the receipts for that $300 million contract just in case...
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Lol I'm an Astros fan (so sorry) and Cole fucking went from a mediocre to above average starter in Pittsburgh to a Cy Young winner over fucking Verlander in a year (the year after we won the chip) with a sick four-seamer. Steinbrenny gave him the bag. Good for those guys. We used that cash to sign Jake Odorizzi for 3/30. Jokes on you, major league baseball.
 
One of the worst calls I've ever seen*. Bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, tie game, runners on the corners, a full count, and this is a called strike 3.

streamable.com

Matt Barnes "strikes out" Rougned Odor to send Sunday Night Baseball to extras.

Watch "Matt Barnes "strikes out" Rougned Odor to send Sunday Night Baseball to extras." on Streamable.
streamable.com streamable.com

That was literally a solid 6 inches off the plate. I don't know if this guy had money on the game or what, but that's just unacceptable.

*Not including Angel Hernandez calls
Ralph Cifaretto said:
Lol I'm an Astros fan (so sorry) and Cole fucking went from a mediocre to above average starter in Pittsburgh to a Cy Young winner over fucking Verlander in a year (the year after we won the chip) with a sick four-seamer. Steinbrenny gave him the bag. Good for those guys. We used that cash to sign Jake Odorizzi for 3/30. Jokes on you, major league baseball.
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Bauer's average spinrate just dropped by 250+ RPMs, I've got a really bad feeling about Cole's next start.
 
FaramirG said:
That was literally a solid 6 inches off the plate. I don't know if this guy had money on the game or what, but that's just unacceptable.
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His date must have cancelled on him.

Anyway, if I still cared about baseball, I'd be welcoming our new robot umpire overlords.
 
Couple of interesting moves from the last 24 hours that I thought were worth noting:

  • Yesterday the Phillies outrighted Scott Kingery to AAA. He's the guy that they signed to a six-year extension worth a guaranteed $24 million before he even reached the Majors in 2018. His rookie season was pretty bad, but his 2019 sophomore season was solid. Since then, however, he's been horrendous at the plate.

  • Today the Rangers DFA'd Khris Davis after getting him from Oakland this past winter as part of the trade involving Elvis Andrus.

  • Also from today, pitcher Riley Pint announced his retirement. He was the 4th overall pick by the Rockies in 2016. He battled lots of injuries and severe control problems before calling it quits. He was pitching in High-A ball with Colorado this year, the highest level that he made it to in his pro career. It should be noted that Colorado's first round pick (27th overall), pitcher Mike Nikorak (drafted one spot ahead of Mike Soroka of the Braves), from 2015 also retired this year in late April due to a couple of major elbow injuries too; he also never made it past A-ball.
 
Ralph Cifaretto said:
Lol I'm an Astros fan (so sorry) and Cole fucking went from a mediocre to above average starter in Pittsburgh to a Cy Young winner over fucking Verlander in a year (the year after we won the chip) with a sick four-seamer. Steinbrenny gave him the bag. Good for those guys. We used that cash to sign Jake Odorizzi for 3/30. Jokes on you, major league baseball.
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Snell won the Cy in 2018, Verlander won it in 2019. Garret Cole has never won a Cy Young. It wasn't just Cole who went from mediocre to Cy contender. Charlie Morton did it as well upon arriving in Houston, and Verlander went from a 3.82 ERA in Detroit, to a 1.06 the rest of the year with the Astros in 2017, 2nd in Cy voting in 2018, and winning it in 2019. Just about every pitcher uses something sticky when they pitch.

I forget who said it, but someone said that you can tell who is dirty when they don't lick their fingers. If they're licking their fingers they're probably just using rosin on their fingers, which baseball has been fine with forever. Those who aren't doing that are people like Bauer and Cole. Bauer is so gung ho about it there's video of him during warm ups taking the can of shit he uses out of his shorts pocket and smearing it inside of his glove.

By the way, for those who are unfamiliar, this is how easy you can get a grip without cheating by MLB standards:


And yet teams apparently have chemists on retainer creating sticky shit for their pitchers. So says the Angel's clubhouse guy who got fired for providing "go go juice" to pitchers, including Garret Cole and Justin Verlander.
 
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