nextyear

BBBB is the man. I have to give thanks to o2cui2i for moderating this forum. Especially since there is so little thanks to volunteering and no money either.

I think BigBounceyBlueBalls would make a good mod.

Here is today's lineup from the Blue Jays twitter - . Gibbons has Colabello at 1B, hopefully that won't hurt the Blue Jays defensively. I hope Colabello will get 2 - 3 hits.

Here is the lineup for tonight from The Blue Jays Twitter -

No, I am not saying anything other than it is an odd fact.

This following information, that should remain classified information (which is why I posted it in this obscure thread), is the outlier of all outliers almost like someone winning the 6/49 lottery. Almost at the same level as someone being hit by lightning twice. Almost like the Buffalo Bills win-loss record when Doug Flutie started at QB ("he just wins" Doug Flutie). When Ryan Goins has started at 2B in 2015, the Blue Jays record (up to and including the game on Thursday August 13th) is 30 wins and 11 losses. I have posted the games below that Ryan Goins started at 2B: (the starting 2B and win-loss information comes from the MLB website here - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2015_04_21_nyamlb_detmlb_1#game=2015_04_21_nyamlb_detmlb_1,game_state=Wrapup). Isn't this the flukiest and least valuable piece of information around? I am not a superstitious person so I know this information is meaningless (really, please no one get hostile and start calling me names ). The only connection between this information and the thread topic is that Reyes was at SS for all but one of the games not played by Tulowitzki (other than Tulowitzki, Diaz played one of these games). Tue, 4/21 Orioles W 13-6 Fri, 5/1 at Indians L 4-9 Mon, 5/25 White Sox W 6-0 Wed, 5/27 White Sox L 3-5 Fri, 5/29 at Twins W 6-4 Sat, 5/30 at Twins L 2-3 Sun, 5/31 at Twins L 5-6 Tue, 6/2 at Nationals L 0-2 Wed, 6/3 at Nationals W 8-0 Fri, 6/5 Astros W 6-2 Sat, 6/6 Astros W 7-2 Sun, 6/7 Astros W 7-6 Tue, 6/9 Marlins W 4-3 Wed, 6/10 Marlins W 7-2 Fri, 6/12 at Red Sox W 13-10 Sat, 6/13 at Red Sox W 5-4 Sun, 6/14 at Red Sox W 13-5 Mon, 6/15 at Mets L 3-4 Tue, 6/16 at Mets L 2-3 Wed, 6/17 Mets W 8-0 Thu, 6/18 Mets W 7-1 Fri, 6/19 Orioles W 5-4 Sat, 6/20 Orioles L 3-5 Sun, 6/21 Orioles L 9-13 Tue, 6/23 at Rays L 3-4 Wed, 6/24 at Rays W 1-0 Wed, 7/1 Red Sox W 11-2 Sun, 7/26 at Mariners L 5-6 Wed, 7/29 Phillies W 8-2 Thu, 7/30 Royals W 5-2 Fri, 7/31 Royals W 7-6 Sun, 8/2 Royals W 5-2 Mon, 8/3 Twins W 5-1 Tue, 8/4 Twins W 3-1 Wed, 8/5 Twins W 9-7 Thu, 8/6 Twins W 9-3 Fri, 8/7 at Yankees W 2-1 Sat, 8/8 at Yankees W 6-0 Sun, 8/9 at Yankees W 2-0 Tue, 8/11 Athletics W 4-2 Wed, 8/12 Athletics W 10-3

I think that having Justin Smoak at 1B is critical to the Blue Jays winning the East Division. He is one of my favorite players, especially on defense. He also seems like a good guy based on how he treats other players on the team. He didn't seem to complain, at least publicly, when he wasn't getting much playing time. I can't think of anything bad to say about him. (but what do I know, I am just a fan )

Tulowitzki is great. I like defense so watching Tulowitzki playing SS is much more satisfying than watching Jose Reyes.

To be fair to Jose Reyes though, in games in which Reyes started at SS the Blue Jays record was 38 wins and 30 losses (excluding one games, a loss, in which Reyes started but left after one at-bat due to injury). I looked it up out of curiosity since Jose Reyes was at SS for the previous 11 game win streak this year. These are the games in which Jose Reyes started at SS: (I excluded the April 16th game when Jose Reyes left the game after 1 at-bat with the game tied at 0-0) Mon, 4/6 at Yankees W 6-1 Wed, 4/8 at Yankees L 3-4 Thu, 4/9 at Yankees W 6-3 Fri, 4/10 at Orioles W 12-5 Sat, 4/11 at Orioles L 1-7 Sun, 4/12 at Orioles W 10-7 Mon, 4/13 Rays L 1-2 Tue, 4/14 Rays L 2-3 Wed, 4/15 Rays W 12-7 Tue, 4/21 Orioles W 13-6 Wed, 4/22 Orioles W 4-2 Thu, 4/23 Orioles W 7-6 Fri, 4/24 at Rays L 3-12 Sat, 4/25 at Rays L 2-4 Mon, 4/27 at Red Sox L 5-6 Mon, 5/25 White Sox W 6-0 Tue, 5/26 White Sox W 10-9 Wed, 5/27 White Sox L 3-5 Fri, 5/29 at Twins W 6-4 Sat, 5/30 at Twins L 2-3 Sun, 5/31 at Twins L 5-6 Tue, 6/2 at Nationals L 0-2 Tue, 6/2 at Nationals W 7-3 Wed, 6/3 at Nationals W 8-0 Fri, 6/5 Astros W 6-2 Sat, 6/6 Astros W 7-2 Sun, 6/7 Astros W 7-6 Mon, 6/8 Marlins W 11-3 Tue, 6/9 Marlins W 4-3 Wed, 6/10 Marlins W 7-2 Fri, 6/12 at Red Sox W 13-10 Sat, 6/13 at Red Sox W 5-4 Sun, 6/14 at Red Sox W 13-5 Mon, 6/15 at Mets L 3-4 Tue, 6/16 at Mets L 2-3 Wed, 6/17 Mets W 8-0 Thu, 6/18 Mets W 7-1 Fri, 6/19 Orioles W 5-4 Sat, 6/20 Orioles L 3-5 Sun, 6/21 Orioles L 9-13 Mon, 6/22 at Rays W 8-5 Tue, 6/23 at Rays L 3-4 Wed, 6/24 at Rays W 1-0 Fri, 6/26 Rangers W 12-2 Sat, 6/27 Rangers L 0-4 Sun, 6/28 Rangers W 3-2 Mon, 6/29 Red Sox L 1-3 Tue, 6/30 Red Sox L 3-4 Wed, 7/1 Red Sox W 11-2 Thu, 7/2 Red Sox L 6-12 Fri, 7/3 at Tigers L 6-8 Sat, 7/4 at Tigers L 3-8 Sun, 7/5 at Tigers W 10-5 Mon, 7/6 at White Sox L 2-4 Tue, 7/7 at White Sox W 2-1 Wed, 7/8 at White Sox L 6-7 Fri, 7/10 at Royals L 0-3 Sat, 7/11 at Royals W 6-2 Sun, 7/12 at Royals L 10-11 Fri, 7/17 Rays W 6-2 Sat, 7/18 Rays L 2-3 Sun, 7/19 Rays W 4-0 Tue, 7/21 at Athletics W 7-1 Wed, 7/22 at Athletics L 3-4 Thu, 7/23 at Athletics W 5-2 Fri, 7/24 at Mariners L 2-5 Sat, 7/25 at Mariners W 8-6 Sun, 7/26 at Mariners L 5-6

Yes that has worked out well for the Blue Jays. Most thought it might be a matter of moving him 90 feet, who would have thought that it would be 2,500 km. I hope things will work out well for Reyes in Colorado.

You probably know this but the MLB website gives a pitch to pitch "game day" stream. So you can follow the game with a description of every play. It is at this link (once the game starts) - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2015_08_13_oakmlb_tormlb_1#game=2015_08_13_oakmlb_tormlb_1,game_tab=box,game_state=Pregame They don't provide video highlights though, until the game is over.

This is good. It will allow the Blue Jays to rest Bautista (as DH) and also Pillar (days off). However, he is being assigned to Buffalo so in the end it is possible that Pompey could be called up instead. In any case, it gives the Blue Jays more options for a real 4th outfielder other than Goins and Pennington.

Agreed, we know why they are 7 - 9. However, on the positive side, Revere led the NL last year in hits and Pillar had a great June, while Goins at-bat successes have been more spotty. I just hope they can get something going even if by random chance/luck.

I had to thank you just for the great looking woman you have as an avatar (whoever it is, it is certainly pleasant to look at).

Most people on here already know the lineup for tonight but for the few that don't here it is from the Blue Jays Twitter - . It would be good to see the number 7, 8 and 9 hitters getting on base again. It looked like Ben Revere was starting to hit but he didn't get on base last night. Pillard had a single and Goins a walk but that was it for the 7, 8 and 9 hitters. Although Goins is showing a better eye at the plate, he is also letting hittable pitches go by; now that he is a more patient hitter, it would be good if he could start being just a bit more aggressive. The rest of the lineup looks solid. I think the Blue Jays will score 6 runs tonight, and the A's no more than 2 (because Dickey has been great lately, and the Blue Jays can easily score 6).

I am not too worried about the Tampa Bay Rays. They don't seem to have enough offense to go on an extended hot spell.

That is quite remarkable. However, there have only been 15 games played on a particular night since 1998. I believe the random chance of it happening (assuming home team and road team have an equal chance of winning) would be 1/(2^15) = 1/32,768 (for one game played it is 1/2, for two games played it is 1/4, for three games it is 1/8 ...) It is good to see that the O's lost, and even better that the Yankees lost thereby extending their losing streak to 4 games. Meanwhile the Blue Jays have won 9 straight. How quickly things have changed.

Interest in baseball and sports in general seems to be declining amongst the young in the USA. In another 30 - 40 years I wonder if MLB attendance will have plummeted. (source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/baseballs-trouble-with-the-youth-curve--and-what-that-means-for-the-game/2015/04/05/2da36dca-d7e8-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html ) According to Nielsen ratings, 50 percent of baseball viewers are 55 or older, up from 41 percent 10 years ago. ESPN, which airs baseball, football and basketball games, says its data show the average age of baseball viewers rising well above that of other sports: 53 for baseball, 47 for the NFL (also rising fast) and 37 for the NBA, which has kept its audience age flat. (source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-baseball-is-losing-children-1432136172 ) http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-CB756B_LITTL_9U_20150519170608.jpg PS: I just love that WAR statistic

Poor old Yankees, just can't get a break. PS: I just love that WAR statistic.

Good game by Hutchison and the defense. But after the Yankee series it doesn't seem very entertaining.

Tonight's lineup. Smoak is at 1B (source: )

Good point, thank you. I was considering it's use as a predictive indicator, but I understand that the data for this year can be calculated fairly precisely. It seems like WAR is often used to indicate what type of player one has been in the past. Such as a 2.0 WAR player over one's career. In the case of a player with 1000 - 2000 plate appearances I can see it as being a useful indicator, although for me I prefer to look at the individual stats instead of an all inclusive stat such as WAR.

I won't call you a moronic twit because I don't want to insult moronic twits. Of course sample size is important but you don't indicate what the sample size should be. Should it be 1000 plate appearances, if so then why indicate WAR to one decimal point for players with fewer than 300. Do you think that expressing WAR to one decimal point is legitimate for such a small sample size? In the case of predicting Devon Travis future WAR, I would say it is probably in the range of 0 - 4 because so little data is available. If you want to act rational then don't throw sample size comments around, actually provide some meaningful information by stating a sample size parameter for WAR and why it is meaningful.

You are a troll. What a pitiful excuse for a human being.

I made a rational explanation of why I don't believe in the stat. I doubt that you can take what I stated and dispute any of it. In other words, you are just clueless jackass who likes to annoy people. I assume you are very good at that.