Thought I'd start a Spring Training Topic. This is the week teams open their camps in either Arizona or Florida. Pitchers and Catchers start reporting Tues, the last reporting date is the Reds on Thursday. Position players start reporting Saturday. The first games will be Feb 21st. I see that the Dodgers completed the Mookie Betts trade and the Joc Pedersen trade to San Diego is kaput. I wonder what they'll do now with him?
The one guy I'm really interested to see how he performs this Spring is Ohtani of the Angels. He didn't pitch last season, but he did bat...so is he ready to pitch again this year?
Interesting news item. Former MLB pitcher, Mike Bolsinger, is suing the Astros for ruining his career. He had a really bad outing 1x against the Astros in 2017, said it was like the Astros knew what was coming Bolsinger pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Astros on on Aug. 4, 2017. The relief pitcher faced eight batters and gave up four hits, including a three-run homer by Marwin Gonzalez. He also walked three batters in third of an inning. He never again pitched in MLB. Ex-MLB pitcher Mike Bolsinger is suing the Houston Astros over cheating scandal
Do we really need more teams in the MLB playoffs? MLB is mulling going from 10 to 14 teams. Sources: MLB mulling major changes to playoffs
My first reaction to a 14 team playoff was negative, but then I read Joel Sherman's - IMO - well thought out and well written column on why it makes sense. He directly addresses the so-called purists' flawed reasons for resisting change. Also, he doesn't hold back on the obvious motivation for the change on the part of league officials and team owners, but overall his reasoning is sound and persuasive. Makes sense to me. https://nypost.com/2020/02/11/the-purist-argument-doesnt-make-sense-in-mlb-playoff-expansion-debate/
Sid if his argument hangs on the fact that baseball has changed the playoffs many times since the 50's pre-expansion, that we've added DH's, etc...fine. But that's not my objection. My objection is that the season is already too long, we as fans don't need longer playoffs with more teams.
Terry, that's an opinion that I'm certain is shared by many fans, perhaps the majority. I happen to be on the other side of that conversation. In my world, you can't possibly have too much baseball.
I'm in that "its too long" crowd. I would be OK with lopping an entire month off of the season. But... while I LOVED baseball as a player, I'm not a big fan of watching the game. Maybe it's the huge stadiums, or the cost of taking the family... (and as with hockey, I don't like hardball on TV) I do still love to go to Aggie baseball when I can.
Neither is Tito, who has been a master at pitcher/batter matchups. But y'know what? I bet he becomes a master at matching up pitchers/batters with the new rule.
Among other aspects of baseball, it's a game of adapting to new rules and new conditions. Good managers like Francona will adapt and be successful. P.S. I just read that the 3 batter rule says the P must face 3 batters or end the half inning. In other words, if he comes in and gets the the second and/or third out, he can be pulled. He doesn't have to come back in the next inning. At least, that's how I interpret it.
Astro players are starting their apology tour. Press Conference to open Spring Training, all the players made available, Bregmen, Altuve, Springer, Guriel, Verlander all took responsibility for what went on in 2017.
I don't think any apology tour is going to be enough, honestly. People want bans, or title removals, and anything short of that is just marketing. People are tired of marketing. As for the 3 pitch rule, I think we're going to see a lot of 'fake injuries' to get out of it.
I thought about that as well, 100% increase in hangnail injuries on the horizon. But truthfully if that does become a strategy that is used very much, MLB will clamp down on it. It's not fair to the umps to have to be MD's/Trainers and evaluate whether or not the pitcher actually has an injury or something that keeps him from pitching to all 3 batters.
Here's my take. Baseball is the only sport of the Big 4 that the defense is in control of the ball. In this sport, unlike the other 3, it's the only one with no time clock to end the game. With that in mind, now think about this, every pitch means something. Every pitch affects the count, every pitch has a intended purpose, or result. Every call/sign/action in baseball affects what will / might happen next. Why would you limit the skipper of the team from rolling the dice in his defensive moves? Baseball is a human chess game.
Again not a fan of the rule. But solution is if you go out with an injury before you get to the three batters you sit out the next game (or two or whatever).
I'd agree Stu, but now the league is playing nanny/doctor when it could simply be a tweaked muscle? It seems like a can of worms that they'd lose against the MLBPA in the long run. I know Doc doesn't want to hear it, who does, but no one wants to hear they are working on improving the game when the integrity of the game if being drug through the mud with impunity by the Astros.