Around Baseball 2022

[TheHurl]

I will now pump the Rays' tires: I think they'll do something to address their offense and look like ALE favourites come April.

 

Their rotation right now is

 

McClanahan

Glasnow

Springs

Rasmussen

Patino

Beeks/Chirinos/Romero

 

They need to consolidate pitching/prospect capital into a star bat who can hit in the middle of their lineup.

 

The roster crunch is still ugly. They will be moving positive assets for nothing once again. Mead, Edwards, Wisely (Fat guys who rake are sexy again), Basabe, Jones, Misner, Heriberto Hernandez, Taj Bradley, Mercado & Colby White all have to be added or exposed. Bradley, Mead and Edwards are must protect. At least 2 of the others likely get plucked.

 

They also have some of the shuttle players out of options now. I truly believe that now is the year to package together for a star...but I think they will do some 2 for 1 sideways moves instead

[Sorrow]

I wonder how many ALE teams are going to be above .500 with the more balanced schedule. Does a team around .500 win the Central?

[TheHurl]

I wonder how many ALE teams are going to be above .500 with the more balanced schedule. Does a team around .500 win the Central?

 

would have helped Boston a lot this year considering they had the best record against non AL East teams at 52-34

[Spanky__99]

Skip Schumaker hired as Marlins new skip.

[Spanky__99]

I told you f***ers Waino was coming back, he's been pitching too well to call it a day...

 

Veteran starting pitcher Adam Wainwright will return to the St Louis Cardinals in 2023, according to Derrick Goold of the St Louis Post-Dispatch. With his long-time battery mate Yadier Molina retiring at the end of the 2022 campaign, as well as Cardinals legend Albert Pujols, there had been plenty of speculation that Wainwright would call it quits, too. Instead, he’ll return for an 18th season.

[Carlos Danger]

I told you f***ers Waino was coming back, he's been pitching too well to call it a day...

 

Makes me feel better since I traded a good young SP prospect for him at the deadline in 2-3 of my leagues this year and I didn’t even win.. lol

[connorp]

I told you f***ers Waino was coming back, he's been pitching too well to call it a day...

 

Nostradamus reincarnate

[BTS]

I told you f***ers Waino was coming back, he's been pitching too well to call it a day...

 

He's kind of pitching himself into HoF consideration.

 

- 48 fWAR

- 195 wins

- 2.83 ERA in 115 playoff innings

- 2150 strikeouts

- entire career with the same team

- closer for 2006 world series team

[Terminator]

Skip Schumaker hired as Marlins new skip.

 

Keith Law thinks Kim Ng is a racist for this hire.

 

[jaysblue]

Keith Law thinks Kim Ng is a racist for this hire.

 

 

Keith Law used to be one of favorite writers back in the day. He has completely gone so woke its disgusting. Huge beta!

[BTS]

Keith Law thinks Kim Ng is a racist for this hire.

 

 

Law sucks. If someone hired an old white retread over a Latino candidate looking for his first managerial job, Law would also be complaining. He doesn't actually think it matters that Rojas has previous experience.

[BTS]

At least he's getting roasted in the replies.

[wamco]

It’s possible she felt he was the best person for the job. I mean that’s the criteria i always go by.

[Pendleton]

[connorp]

https://www.mlb.com/news/automatic-balls-strikes-robot-umps-challenge-system-a-hit-in-afl

 

I’m sure the way AFL is doing the challenge program has been discussed but just seeing it for the first time. What I thought was really funny is that only 33% of challenges were correct lol

[Captain_Obvious]

https://www.mlb.com/news/automatic-balls-strikes-robot-umps-challenge-system-a-hit-in-afl

 

I’m sure the way AFL is doing the challenge program has been discussed but just seeing it for the first time. What I thought was really funny is that only 33% of challenges were correct lol

 

Great. Vladdy will surely average at least 1 wasted challenge per game.

[BTS]

https://www.mlb.com/news/automatic-balls-strikes-robot-umps-challenge-system-a-hit-in-afl

 

I’m sure the way AFL is doing the challenge program has been discussed but just seeing it for the first time. What I thought was really funny is that only 33% of challenges were correct lol

 

I hate this idea. I like the finality of knowing that the call I just saw is the final call. It should be all human umps or all robo-umps. I don’t want to see ball/strike calls in big moments reversed.

[Brownie19]

Great. Vladdy will surely average at least 1 wasted challenge per game.

 

He certainly acts like he's never been wrong in his life. Simply having umps with an ear piece that tells the the correct call is the better way to go IMO. Challenges like his are stupid.

[Jimcanuck]

Stupid, but on the other hand, maybe it will increase umpire accountability and result in some of them (you know who they are) being let go. Wishful thinking?

[Laika]

https://www.mlb.com/news/automatic-balls-strikes-robot-umps-challenge-system-a-hit-in-afl

 

I’m sure the way AFL is doing the challenge program has been discussed but just seeing it for the first time. What I thought was really funny is that only 33% of challenges were correct lol

 

I like this system enough. I think it could work.

 

I am not sure I like the 3 challenge limit and exactly how that works. It would be really frustrating to see a team lose their 3 challenges on close calls and then suffer from a bunch of missed calls later in the game.

 

I think I'd prefer something like:

- if the player challenging is wrong they get a ball or strike against them in that plate appearance.

- there is a limit of 3 unsuccessful challenges per team, per game, on calls that end plate appearances.

[Laika]

I hate this idea. I like the finality of knowing that the call I just saw is the final call. It should be all human umps or all robo-umps. I don’t want to see ball/strike calls in big moments reversed.

 

I dunno. The challenge system works fine in tennis.

 

If MLB implements it in a way that is really fast and mostly seamless, this could work.

[Brownie19]

I dunno. The challenge system works fine in tennis.

 

If MLB implements it in a way that is really fast and mostly seamless, this could work.

 

Tennis is an individual sport. The player is in charge of their own decisions. I wonder how this plays out in baseball. Vlad is up in the 3rd inning and the Jays are winning 2-0. A close strike call goes against him, and, like he almost always does, he shows his emotion and calls for a challenge.

 

But Schneider doesn't want him wasting a challenge in the 3rd inning, oh and by the way, the Jays video staff are watching and they know the umpire made the correct call. Now what? In this video - it was the batter who just immediately signaled for a challenge. I just can't imagine teams will give players that freedom and thus there will be constant looking back into the dugout to wait for the sign to challenge it. We might get to the point that the Manager wears a headset like in the NFL so he's in constant communication with the video room.

 

I'm not on board with this yet. Why not just put an ear piece in the umpire and get every ball/strike call correct?

[Laika]

Tennis is an individual sport. The player is in charge of their own decisions. I wonder how this plays out in baseball. Vlad is up in the 3rd inning and the Jays are winning 2-0. A close strike call goes against him, and, like he almost always does, he shows his emotion and calls for a challenge.

 

But Schneider doesn't want him wasting a challenge in the 3rd inning, oh and by the way, the Jays video staff are watching and they know the umpire made the correct call. Now what? In this video - it was the batter who just immediately signaled for a challenge. I just can't imagine teams will give players that freedom and thus there will be constant looking back into the dugout to wait for the sign to challenge it. We might get to the point that the Manager wears a headset like in the NFL so he's in constant communication with the video room.

 

I'm not on board with this yet. Why not just put an ear piece in the umpire and get every ball/strike call correct?

 

This is why I like my permutation more.

 

When the call did not already end the PA, a player challenge if unsuccessful should carry the potential to hurt that player only. An extra ball or strike against them if wrong.

 

In my rule the players would also have to make the decision to challenge within like 2 seconds. So no looking into the dugout and waiting. Or I guess if teams can somehow signal in 1 second whether or to challenge, all the power to them.

[Brownie19]

This is why I like my permutation more.

 

When the call did not already end the PA, a player challenge if unsuccessful should carry the potential to hurt that player only. An extra ball or strike against them if wrong.

 

In my rule the players would also have to make the decision to challenge within like 2 seconds. So no looking into the dugout and waiting. Or I guess if teams can somehow signal in 1 second whether or to challenge, all the power to them.

 

So in the event of a called 3rd strike - the player would look into the dugout to decide if the manager is OK with them using one of their 3 challenges (that end an at bat)? How many challenges a game are you comfortable with? I understand the penalty if the batter is wrong - but this could lead to like 15+ challenges a game. Nobody wants that do they?

 

Plus - what about the pitcher/catcher - same rules? Can only challenge 3 times on calls that result in walks? I could see the pitcher getting pissed, asking for a challenge and the catcher trying to wave him off because he thought it was the right call.

 

I can't for the live of me see how this is a good approach. The only reason to take this approach is to keep 'some' element of human decision on the balls/strikes. f*** that - just get the call right every time. The technology is there.

[Laika]

So in the event of a called 3rd strike - the player would look into the dugout to decide if the manager is OK with them using one of their 3 challenges (that end an at bat)? How many challenges a game are you comfortable with? I understand the penalty if the batter is wrong - but this could lead to like 15+ challenges a game. Nobody wants that do they?

 

Plus - what about the pitcher/catcher - same rules? Can only challenge 3 times on calls that result in walks? I could see the pitcher getting pissed, asking for a challenge and the catcher trying to wave him off because he thought it was the right call.

 

I can't for the live of me see how this is a good approach. The only reason to take this approach is to keep 'some' element of human decision on the balls/strikes. f*** that - just get the call right every time. The technology is there.

 

A lot of your concerns are just details. There would be no issues if the implementation of this is done the right way.

 

Things like: A player has to make a clear physical signal to ask for a challenge and once they do that the challenge happens, full stop.

Players are not allowed to look to the dugout for instruction before asking for a challenge. The umpires can refuse a challenge if they do.

 

I actually do not care how many there are if the review process is extremely fast. I'd be happy to see 20+ reviews a game if each one is super quick and the result is that the calls are right.

 

I do think having a ball-strike penalty against players most of the time would help dissuade frivolous challenges. Those are big penalties.

[Brownie19]

You very well could be right. I guess that's why they test it out in the AFL first.

 

Why don't you prefer the ear piece in the umpire? Think it will upset Angel too much?

[Spanky__99]

You very well could be right. I guess that's why they test it out in the AFL first.

 

Why don't you prefer the ear piece in the umpire? Think it will upset Angel too much?

 

lol

[Spanky__99]

So in the event of a called 3rd strike - the player would look into the dugout to decide if the manager is OK with them using one of their 3 challenges (that end an at bat)? How many challenges a game are you comfortable with? I understand the penalty if the batter is wrong - but this could lead to like 15+ challenges a game. Nobody wants that do they?

 

Plus - what about the pitcher/catcher - same rules? Can only challenge 3 times on calls that result in walks? I could see the pitcher getting pissed, asking for a challenge and the catcher trying to wave him off because he thought it was the right call.

 

I can't for the live of me see how this is a good approach. The only reason to take this approach is to keep 'some' element of human decision on the balls/strikes. f*** that - just get the call right every time. The technology is there.

 

If you watch the video clips you'll see both hitters and pitchers challenge.

[Laika]

One reason to like the challenge system is that it makes good players better.

 

If the player has a strong sense of the zone they are better. Challenging is a new skill! That's kind of fun.

[MikeM3]

Wish we could get Stearns somehow