Arena The Major League Baseball Thread

I've got extremely mixed feelings about this: On the one hand, the derby is the only part of the ASG festivities I still very much enjoy, and the comedy that will occur when Puig bat flips after hitting a few homers; on the other hand, so many past derby participants have had horrible 2nd halves of the season due to the derby taking them out of their normal hitting rhythm- and Puig's been in a slump lately anyway.

 

I was very much hoping he wouldn't win the vote, just to see all the consternation that would come up when he was inevitably selected to the team. The talking heads on ESPN and MLB Network would have lost their minds.

Also, Jeter is decidedly below average this year. WAR is based on replacement level, not average level. According to Baseball Reference his WAA is -0.5. Fun fact, according to WAA, he hasn't been above average since 2009. It's a fairly complicated stat, I think.

Amazing.

 

That vaunted Ryu vs. Verlander pitching duel that was the hype for last night's Bums/Tigers game? The Bums scored 5 in the 1st, with Detroit roaring right back with 5 in the 2nd inning, en route to a 14-5 win (Verlander ended pitching 6, while Ryu lasted 2 1/3 innings). Good ******* grief.



http://dodgers.mlblogs.com/2014/07/08/josh-beckett-disabled-list-pedro-baez-recalled/]Beckett[/url] to go on the DL with a left-hip issue


As he's likely to miss just 1 scheduled start (during the Bums upcoming weekend series against San Diego), with the All-Star break helping along, so he could return on July 22nd... which is my father's birthday. Not bad, right?

 

That was an incredible outing for the Tigers offensively. I love the inter-league play, especially when they play at home. For once the bats came out and gave support for Verlander, who's been struggling of late. His breaking stuff is still pretty wicked.

 

The baseball gods seem to have turned on the Yankees with a vengeance recently. Tanaka just went on the DL with elbow inflammation.

Amazing.

 

There is speculation that this is a smokescreen and they are claiming he's complained about elbow pain and got the MRI so they could DL him and give him a rest and not do the All-Star game stuff, but realistically it's probably not.

 

I guess that's possible, the Mets play their fair share of DL games (Niese, Teagarden) and the workload is different in the US than Japan. But based on his last two outings, there's probably cause for some concern.

Amazing.

 

In which I talk myself into the idea that the Mets can compete for the wild card:

I already know how this story ends (hint: they lose six of their next seven and Terry Collins remains employed). But the more I watch this team, the more I see the pieces for a run falling into place. Lucas Duda is quietly putting together a really nice season, especially when he's kept away from lefties. Daniel Murphy is still a miserable defender, but he hits really well for a second baseman. Ruben Tejada is back to where he was as a 21 year old, putting up thoroughly adequate numbers for a shortstop. David Wright's best days are clearly behind him, but there's every reason to believe he'll post better numbers in the second half. Granderson had a miserable April, but has been one of the most productive players in baseball since then. Juan Lagares is probably the best defensive center fielder in baseball and seems to have figured out how to hit somewhat. Travis d'Arnaud is hitting over .300 with three homers since he was recalled. Left field is ripe for an upgrade, given how terrible the Youngs, Chris and Eric, have been. I'm almost at the point where I'd be okay with Bobby Abreu playing every day. But all in all, this is a decent offensive team. They're middle of the pack in runs, with a positive run differential.

The pitching has been just as decent (when I say decent and adequate, I really mean them as positives. I also mean it literally, as they are 8th in runs scored and allowed) with most of the crap removed from the bullpen. Niese, Gee, and deGrom have been great, Wheeler and Colon have had their ups and downs. Daisuke Matsuzaka has even somehow managed to put together a pretty good season.

Their record has been dragged down by a terrible showing in one run games, 12-20, which is mostly a function of luck. As of now, they're seven out of the wild card, with six teams ahead of them (including a four-way tie for first), but they have the fourth best run-differential and the teams behind them are all clearly inferior teams, so there won't be any additional competition from them.

I've spent all season tempering any actual hopes because I had absolutely no expectations going into the season. I suppose this is what happens when they have their first four-game winning streak in almost a year.

I have a feeling I've just created a nice, agonizing summer for myself.

Amazing.

 

1) I still, even with the niceties of certain matchups (not always concerning the Dodgers), loathe inter-league play. If I were commissioner, that'd be the first thing I'd do/push for (via division realignments, of course).


2) As I told my father earlier today, in a possible Fall Classic match-up between the Bums & Tigers, Detroit's edge would be their offense, while - even with Verlander & Scherzer - the overall pitching edge would go to the Bums.


3) Speaking of Scherzer, he was rather impressive today (1 ER over 7 innings, 2 walks, 7 K's), and I suppose Greinke's "quality start" counts (3 ER, 8 K's, 0 walks over 7 innings) for something, right? Because the 2-games in Detroit constituted a "series", it's the first time this season in which the Bums have been swept.




http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/11196081/jury-finds-los-angeles-dodgers-negligent-beating-san-francisco-giants-fan-bryan-stow-absolves-owner-frank-mccourt]The[/url] (Frank McCourt) Dodgers found negligible in the Bryan Stow beating; Stow's family awarded $13+ million dollars



GOOD.

 

The reason I like inter-league is because I really only have time to watch the Tigers (sometimes) and I like too see the talent in the national league. So I rarely get to see the Dodgers, Pirates, Meta, Braves, Cards and so on. I'm really familiar with our Division and AL, but unfamiliar with the NL.


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Well, since I live close enough to Anaheim (about 50+ miles south of me), I've never had to deal with that issue concerning the American League, so thus a possible future without inter-league play wouldn't be much of a deal.



Concerning tonight's Bums game:


The Good: Due to their win and the Giants loss, the Bums are back in 1st place!



The Bad: Just 9 hits, and 2 runs against the Padres? Jeesh.



The Ugly: Kershaw's scoreless innings streak ended at 41 -obviously, quite the impressive feat-, via a Chase Headley home run; of course the streak ends against the worst offensive team in all the minors majors, 'cause it's baseball.

 

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/clayton-kershaw-scorless-innings-streak-historic-2014-season/]22[/url] amazing stats concerning Kershaw's scoreless innings streak


Definitely worth a read, if you haven't done so already.

 

Brewers /Cardinals game on MLB TV channel

Awesome game with Uecker and Costas super team.

 

Uecker was a nice surprise when I flipped over after the Met game. Makes watching the Cardinals tolerable.

Amazing.

 

I would love for someone to explain to me what Lorenzo Cain did wrong on the "interference" call.

 

How could the Bums mess that up? Considering that Campanella wasn't able to play here in L.A. because of his accident, there ought to be a Brooklyn 'B' on the cap there.

 

Boy, the Brewers sure needed that win. I hope that ends this slump.

Costas stuck around the booth the rest of the weekend for the radio broadcasts and it was pretty fun. Letting Uecker bounce off him is pretty good. DarthTunick would like the story he half-told about Vin Scully. He said back while he was playing, he played a prank on Scully -- he kept saying he couldn't relate it on-air, but it involved visitors to the broadcast booth. Sounds like Uecker sent a couple hookers up to the booth during a game asking for Scully. God, I love Ueck.

 

I feel awful for Jean Segura. I know this win doesn't at all make up for it, but the one-two punch of the news Friday night and then the crushing loss Saturday I'm sure didn't help.

 

Yeah. What terrible news. I don't know how anybody deals with something like that.

 

That is easily one of the best baseball stories I've ever heard; priceless in just thinking about the visuals there, the vast contrast in the inherent qualities of a hooker in comparison to Scully.









Even though they need to work on getting that home record up to a few more games above .500, and with the center-field platoon having its issues (ie: defense), among some other stuff (in particular: their 5th starter, Dan Depression (Haren)... he's garnered that nickname from some Dodger-bloggers for a reason), obviously seeing them having the best N.L record at the All-Star break is rather nice & lovely.



I remain essentially nonplussed concerning the All-Star festivities, but I can't help but to watch (the MLB Network coverage is going to be craaaaaaazy); if Puig doesn't do at least 1 bat flip during the HR Derby, then there's something terribly, terribly wrong with this world.

 

Fun fact I just read: Mike Trout is younger than 14 players who were in yesterday's Future's Game.

Amazing.

 

I know I'm likely in the minority opinion here, as these two fellas can be quite insufferable, but I can watch Brian Kenny & The Mad Dog for a lengthy amount of time concerning any baseball topic; the MLB Network ought to give them a PTI-esque show.

 

Even without any bat flips from Puig, he didn't even so much as a 1 home run! Wow... boooooo.



And that aside, some of these rule changes are utter crap... 7 outs, limited to 10 HR's in the first round? Ridiculous.

 

I like how ESPN is saying the rule changes are designed to speed things up, but it's ESPN who've slowed the whole event down in the first place.

Amazing.

 

If they cut down on the number of "back back back"s Chris Berman yells it'd be over in 45 minutes.

But LOL@Puig!