Jay Kirk Baseball Thread since 2017: The 2021 season, Dodgers Repeat?

[PuntersArePeopleToo]

3 hours ago, NFLfan said:

 

Thanks for clarifying that. I misunderstood. I had been under the impression that the DH would be an extra player; I did not realize he would replace a reliever. If that is the case, I think I like the DH idea even less. Teams run out of pitchers. I don't like the idea of a position player replacing a reliever. 

It would be a low level player a only on roster but never plays. Or a bench guy who would not play otherwise. Not so much a player who is used often

[hippiejohn]

I've been reading the talk about the universal DH. I think it is going to happen. I really really really really do not want it to. In fact I would like it to disappear from the AL too. But it is going to happen. And it is going to happen at a time with Ohtani being a 2 way player, as well as Michael Lorenzen. Ther are a few others that are being considered as well.  Lorenzen hit homers in 3 consecutive at bats last year. I want to see more of that. I don't think the DH has hurt baseball. The AL is doing pretty well. But I don't like it. But then again I still struggle with accepting twist off beer caps.

[Jay Kirk]

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 7:49 PM, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Latest word on Harper and Machado are the Phillies are real interested in both. It would be odd if Harper went back to the Nats at this point. Cubs have no interest in either player as far as I know.

Cards are not interested either .

[Jay Kirk]

7 hours ago, hippiejohn said:

I've been reading the talk about the universal DH. I think it is going to happen. I really really really really do not want it to. In fact I would like it to disappear from the AL too. But it is going to happen. And it is going to happen at a time with Ohtani being a 2 way player, as well as Michael Lorenzen. Ther are a few others that are being considered as well.  Lorenzen hit homers in 3 consecutive at bats last year. I want to see more of that. I don't think the DH has hurt baseball. The AL is doing pretty well. But I don't like it. But then again I still struggle with accepting twist off beer caps.

I think it will as well , but I'm not a fan of the proposal .

[2006Coltsbestever]

I am hearing now the Giants are close to a deal with Bryce Harper. 

[hippiejohn]

I fear they may do an end around on the DH rule. MLB did a survey (I think it was MLB anyway) and the average baseball fan was somewhere around the age of 54 and half of all baseball fans are 55 and older. I have trouble accepting those findings, but I assume the methods used on the survey were legitimate. MLB wants to appeal to the younger fan base. I fear they are going to do a major realignment and completely dissolve the separate leagues. They are run together now. It used to be the AL offices were in NYC and the NL offices were in Cincinnati. I think they will dissolve the leagues and go to an NFL style geographical divisional lineup or an NBA one with seedings. They will go with identical rules and they won't eliminate the DH. If this happens, I hope it is well after I am gone. My 3 kids are all big MLB fans and I think the game will be ruined for them.

[hippiejohn]

Changing the subject a bit...I just read this about Dice K Matsuzaka, who is now back in Japanese pro ball. He injured his arm when a fan grabbed him.  This excerpt is from an AP article.

 

As a teenager, Matsuzaka threw 250 pitches in 17 innings in the quarterfinals of the 1998 summer high school baseball tournament -- one day after a 148-pitch complete-game shutout.

 

[NFLfan]

5 hours ago, hippiejohn said:

I fear they may do an end around on the DH rule. MLB did a survey (I think it was MLB anyway) and the average baseball fan was somewhere around the age of 54 and half of all baseball fans are 55 and older. I have trouble accepting those findings, but I assume the methods used on the survey were legitimate. MLB wants to appeal to the younger fan base. I fear they are going to do a major realignment and completely dissolve the separate leagues. They are run together now. It used to be the AL offices were in NYC and the NL offices were in Cincinnati. I think they will dissolve the leagues and go to an NFL style geographical divisional lineup or an NBA one with seedings. They will go with identical rules and they won't eliminate the DH. If this happens, I hope it is well after I am gone. My 3 kids are all big MLB fans and I think the game will be ruined for them.

 

That would be awful. I hope that does not happen.

 

Do the surveys show that younger folks prefer AL-style baseball (with the DH)?

[Jay Kirk]

10 hours ago, hippiejohn said:

I fear they may do an end around on the DH rule. MLB did a survey (I think it was MLB anyway) and the average baseball fan was somewhere around the age of 54 and half of all baseball fans are 55 and older. I have trouble accepting those findings, but I assume the methods used on the survey were legitimate. MLB wants to appeal to the younger fan base. I fear they are going to do a major realignment and completely dissolve the separate leagues. They are run together now. It used to be the AL offices were in NYC and the NL offices were in Cincinnati. I think they will dissolve the leagues and go to an NFL style geographical divisional lineup or an NBA one with seedings. They will go with identical rules and they won't eliminate the DH. If this happens, I hope it is well after I am gone. My 3 kids are all big MLB fans and I think the game will be ruined for them.

I hope this never happens , it would remove much of the history or mystic of the game. Who knows though , all rivalry's for all intense purpose diminished. Comparison wise Indiana high school basketball Hoosier Hysteria , was wiped out by class basketball. That comes to my mind. I honestly despise the idea .

[buccolts]

Lead, follow, or get out of the way, I suppose.

 

I hope they don't follow through with it, though.

[2006Coltsbestever]

If Baseball does get realigned I hope they still keep teams like the Yankees and Red Sox in the same Division, same for Cubs and Cards, and Dodgers/Giants. Those 3 are a must IMO.

[NFLfan]

4 hours ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

If Baseball does get realigned I hope they still keep teams like the Yankees and Red Sox in the same Division, same for Cubs and Cards, and Dodgers/Giants. Those 3 are a must IMO.

 

6 hours ago, buccolts said:

Lead, follow, or get out of the way, I suppose.

 

I hope they don't follow through with it, though.

 

Realignment would be awful. Leave things as they are. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

1 minute ago, NFLfan said:

 

 

Realignment would be awful. Leave things as they are. 

I CONCUR. I am happy with how things are in Baseball period. I even like the playoff system. Only 5 teams get in (makes the Reg Season real important) and one Wildcard game, best of 5 in the Divisional, then best of 7's in the Final 4, best of 7 in the WS.

[NFLfan]

Baseball is back.  

[PuntersArePeopleToo]

3 hours ago, NFLfan said:

 

 

Realignment would be awful. Leave things as they are. 

If they expand to 32, which they want to, it will have be realigned. But basically id say take one team from each division, and try to make them the new division with the others. 

[Jay Kirk]

3 hours ago, NFLfan said:

Baseball is back.  

 

[PrincetonTiger]

Trivia Question   

   What does the Crosley Automotive Company have to do with the MLB?

[Jay Kirk]

2 hours ago, PrincetonTiger said:

Trivia Question   

   What does the Crosley Automotive Company have to do with the MLB?

Former owner of Reds until early 60's , possibly longer.

[PrincetonTiger]

20 minutes ago, Jay Kirk said:

Former owner of Reds until early 60's , possibly longer.

The older brother died in 1961 but the younger lived into the mid 70s

[buccolts]

2 hours ago, PrincetonTiger said:

The older brother died in 1961 but the younger lived into the mid 70s

 

Crosley field 

[PrincetonTiger]

2 minutes ago, buccolts said:

 

Crosley field 

WLW too

[Jay Kirk]

https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/20-questions-that-will-define-the-nl-central/c-303936160      MLB writer Will Leitch 

[2006Coltsbestever]

22 minutes ago, Jay Kirk said:

https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/20-questions-that-will-define-the-nl-central/c-303936160      MLB writer Will Leitch 

Great read Jay. It took me a while to read it all. I see they have the Cards at 96-66 and the Cubs 94-68, Brewers only at 83-79. That article had a lot of solid points. On paper the Cards look great. Picking up Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Miller was huge. The Cubs haven't really done anything big in the offseason but still have a team that can win 90 games. Yu has been a bust but the article says he is healthy now, we will see? Firing Chili Davis will help too IMO. Bryant has to stay healthy which he could not do last season. Brewers have a lot of talent but no #1 Ace and they won a load of 1 run games last season. I do not see them being that lucky again in close games. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

Right now if I had to put a number of wins on the Cards and Cubs, I have both at 93. I have the Brewers at 90. I think they fall off a bit and the Cards improve. Cubs will be about the same as last year. I think all 3 teams win 90+ games.

[NFLfan]

I wonder what baseball fans here think about this article. It is somewhat long but it is a good read. See link below.

 

A Plead for Less Negativity in Broadcasts

 

Here is an excerpt:

 

Basically, baseball should be presented by people who enjoy watching baseball, but it instead feels like those who cover fundamentally do not enjoy it, have more complaints than positive things to say, and do not fluently understand the current analytics and methods of the game. While baseball isn’t exactly “dying,” it is true that the game is not as popular among younger fans as it once was. There are many reasons for this, basically none of which MLB has ever properly or fully addressed, but the fact that nearly every local or national broadcast has an overall negative outlook on the game is certainly not helping. No impressionable 8-year-old child wants to hear about how much better the sport was 30 years before they were born; they’d rather hear about what a special time this is in the game’s history...

 

Simply put, baseball is pretty dang awesome right now, and the people who broadcast these games to wide audiences should enjoy this current iteration of the game and highlight its strengths instead of harping on its weaknesses...

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 hours ago, NFLfan said:

I wonder what baseball fans here think about this article. It is somewhat long but it is a good read. See link below.

 

A Plead for Less Negativity in Broadcasts

 

Here is an excerpt:

 

Basically, baseball should be presented by people who enjoy watching baseball, but it instead feels like those who cover fundamentally do not enjoy it, have more complaints than positive things to say, and do not fluently understand the current analytics and methods of the game. While baseball isn’t exactly “dying,” it is true that the game is not as popular among younger fans as it once was. There are many reasons for this, basically none of which MLB has ever properly or fully addressed, but the fact that nearly every local or national broadcast has an overall negative outlook on the game is certainly not helping. No impressionable 8-year-old child wants to hear about how much better the sport was 30 years before they were born; they’d rather hear about what a special time this is in the game’s history...

 

Simply put, baseball is pretty dang awesome right now, and the people who broadcast these games to wide audiences should enjoy this current iteration of the game and highlight its strengths instead of harping on its weaknesses...

I actually think Baseball is the best sport ran out there. I have grown to like it better than Football and Basketball even. Baseball is the one sport IMO where I do think it is just as great now as it was 30 years ago. Basketball definitely isn't better now and nor is Football what it was 20/30 years ago. In Basketball you breathe on someone wrong it is a Flagrant Foul and the REFS are at an all time worst in that sport, also you have stars wanting to team up with other stars to ring chase/forming super teams. You did not see that in the 80s or 90s. In Football, all the rule changes favor the offense and it makes it tough to play defense unless you are the Pats who get away with holding a lot .  

[NFLfan]

17 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I actually think Baseball is the best sport ran out there. I have grown to like it better than Football and Basketball even. Baseball is the one sport IMO where I do think it is just as great now as it was 30 years ago. Basketball definitely isn't better now and nor is Football what it was 20/30 years ago. In Basketball you breathe on someone wrong it is a Flagrant Foul and the REFS are at an all time worst in that sport, also you have stars wanting to team up with other stars to ring chase/forming super teams. You did not see that in the 80s or 90s. In Football, all the rule changes favor the offense and it makes it tough to play defense unless you are the Pats who get away with holding a lot .  

 

The author wrote that there are too many broadcasters that criticize baseball rather than highlight what is great about it. He especially  called out John Smoltz, who the author finds too negative. The author believes that broadcasters like Smoltz do not help to attract fans. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

30 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

The author wrote that there are too many broadcasters that criticize baseball rather than highlight what is great about it. He especially  called out John Smoltz, who the author finds too negative. The author believes that broadcasters like Smoltz do not help to attract fans. 

I have never had a problem with Smoltz the way he analyzes a game. I know people dislike Joe Buck because they say he is homer for certain teams and is bland though. 

[NFLfan]

16 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I have never had a problem with Smoltz the way he analyzes a game. I know people dislike Joe Buck because they say he is homer for certain teams and is bland though. 

 

Here is what he writes about Smoltz. He described Tony Romo's color commentary as being much more positive and informative.

 

Quote:

 

For an example of what color commentary should be like, you don’t have to look any further back than last week’s Super Bowl. For the biggest stage in sports, CBS put Tony Romo in the booth. For those who do not follow football, Romo has received critical acclaim from all over for his style of broadcasting games. Not only is he extremely enthusiastic about the game, channeling his passion and excitement in huge moments, but his in-depth analysis and knowledge of all facets of the game is a fresh, different view of the game that better informs the viewer of what they’re seeing.

 

Meanwhile, in the World Series, baseball fans were treated to the commentary of Joe Buck and John Smoltz, neither of whom display much enthusiasm about the sport, and who both spent most of the postseason openly complaining about the way the game is played now. Smoltz, in particular, would drone on about the way pitchers are handled now in rants that occasionally lasted multiple innings.

None of this is exactly breaking new ground; Smoltz’s disdain for the current game has been well-documentedand written about quite a bit in recent months. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

9 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

Here is what he writes about Smoltz. He described Tony Romo's color commentary as being much more positive and informative.

 

Quote:

 

For an example of what color commentary should be like, you don’t have to look any further back than last week’s Super Bowl. For the biggest stage in sports, CBS put Tony Romo in the booth. For those who do not follow football, Romo has received critical acclaim from all over for his style of broadcasting games. Not only is he extremely enthusiastic about the game, channeling his passion and excitement in huge moments, but his in-depth analysis and knowledge of all facets of the game is a fresh, different view of the game that better informs the viewer of what they’re seeing.

 

Meanwhile, in the World Series, baseball fans were treated to the commentary of Joe Buck and John Smoltz, neither of whom display much enthusiasm about the sport, and who both spent most of the postseason openly complaining about the way the game is played now. Smoltz, in particular, would drone on about the way pitchers are handled now in rants that occasionally lasted multiple innings.

None of this is exactly breaking new ground; Smoltz’s disdain for the current game has been well-documentedand written about quite a bit in recent months. 

Thanks. I actually did read the article and read what you just posted while reading the article. I get it, the younger generation is critical of how Smoltz talks about today's game. I do not see much of it is all I am saying. He talks down about it at times but it isn't anything overbearing, JMO.

[HOZER]

I don’t give a about Joe Buck. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NFLfan]

4 minutes ago, HOZER said:

I don’t give a about Joe Buck. 

 

 

Why is he disliked so much? Vikings fans absolutely despise him.  I'm not crazy about him but he isn't that bad. I think Alex Rodriguez and the two people who broadcast with him do a pretty good job. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

Just now, NFLfan said:

 

Why is he disliked so much? Vikings fans absolutely despise him.  I'm not crazy about him but he isn't that bad. I think Alex Rodriguez and the two people who broadcast with him do a pretty good job. 

Yeah the Sunday night crew with Alex, the lady, and the other guy is pretty good.

[NFLfan]

9 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Yeah the Sunday night crew with Alex, the lady, and the other guy is pretty good.

 

I like them a lot. I also enjoy Dan Shulman, also on ESPN. 

 

Speaking of ESPN, I read that they are looking to make changes to Baseball Tonight -- less baseball shown weekly. They were trying to keep it quiet but apparently one of their rising broadcasters leaked the info. The broadcaster got fired.

[2006Coltsbestever]

8 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

I like them a lot. I also enjoy Dan Shulman, also on ESPN. 

 

Speaking of ESPN, I read that they are looking to make changes to Baseball Tonight -- less baseball shown weekly. They were trying to keep it quiet but apparently one of their rising broadcasters leaked the info. The broadcaster got fired.

ESPN has been getting rid of their best people for 5 years now. The Sunday night crew consists of Alex, Jessica Mendoza, and Matt Vasgersian. As far as I know they will all be back. Adnan Virk was fired, he is now suing ESPN. I hope he wins, he was good and filled in for Wingo when Wingo took off.

[2006Coltsbestever]

Here is a question for everyone, when and why did you become a fan of your favorite Baseball team?

 

-Here is when and why I became a Cubs fan:

*When = 1984

*Why = In the summer of 1984 all of the Cubs games were on WGN, at the age of 12 going on 13 being on summer break I watched almost everyone one of them. Indiana had no team and still doesn't. Around here, it was either be a Cubs, Reds, or Cards fan. That 1984 Season, the Cubs had a great team too (lost though in the NLCS) and announcers Harry Caray and Steve Stone were entertaining to listen too. So I latched on to them. Little did I know, I would have to wait 32 more seasons for a Championship (2016) but it was worth the wait .

[NFLfan]

2 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Little did I know, I would have to wait 32 more seasons for a Championship (2016) but it was worth the wait .

 

Had you only known to become a Cards fan. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

22 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

Had you only known to become a Cards fan. 

1985 would still pee'd me off today had I chose the Cards. They got ripped off by the UMPS in that WS. No replay back then to overturn that call at 1st base in Game 6. They had the best team and got screwed out of a Championship. They have won 2 WS' in 2006 and 2011 since 1984 though. Hard to believe they only have 1 more WS win than the Cubs do since 1984. Reds have only one since 1984 = 1990. So since I have been a Cubs fan, those 2 fanbases have about as much bragging rights as I do. Over the last 4 seasons from 2015-2018 the Cubs have been better than both the Cards and Reds.

[NFLfan]

19 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Here is a question for everyone, when and why did you become a fan of your favorite Baseball team?

 

I jumped on the 1986 Mets bandwagon.

 

I knew nothing about baseball before 1986. I was in high school and many of the students talked about these guys playing in Flushing who were winning a lot of games. They mentioned people I never heard of -- my family did not watch baseball.  My classmates went on and on about Dykstra, Darling, Gooden, Hernandez, Mookie and Backman and of course Strawberry who hit home runs. It was such a fun year. My mother had a friend who was a Cardinals fan. He disliked the Mets and Yankees with a passion. His dislike for the Mets only strengthened my fanaticism over the years. He and I would have a lot of debates over the years. He won a lot of those. Lol.

[NFLfan]

6 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

1985 would still pee'd me off today had I chose the Cards. They got ripped off by the UMPS in that WS. No replay back then to overturn that call at 1st base in Game 6. They had the best team and got screwed out of a Championship. They have won 2 WS' in 2006 and 2011 since 1984 though. Hard to believe they only have 1 more WS win than the Cubs do since 1984. Reds have only one since 1984 = 1990. So since I have been a Cubs fan, those 2 fanbases have about as much bragging rights as I do. Over the last 4 seasons from 2015-2108 the Cubs have been better than both the Cards and Reds.

 

It seems like the Cards have won more. I swore they won a WS before 2006 but I think you're right. The Giants have won at least 3 since 1984, no?