Brownie19

Brandon Phillips drives me nuts. Just retire please.

Jesus Ken - you could say that about every bullpen in baseball. If a couple of the bullpen pieces don't throw well - the bullpen will suck. Thanks for all the hard work there bud.

but Pedro Alvarez isn't a first baseman...

Herpderp with a masterful troll job. That's how it's done Dogg.

And Cleveland was going to trade him for a year and a half of Lucroy?

Jesus f*** man - you need to drain the oil out of the ground beef before you add the pasta or you'll have a heart attack at age 35.

More seriously though - has Brian Wilson announced whether he'll return as a starter or closer once he perfects the knuckleball? And is Thole going to be his personal catcher?

I would suggest you explore the joy of finger cooking. Bill knows his s***.

This idea creates movement in my pants.

2017's version of Dom Brown.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/josh-donaldsons-last-four-seasons-in-context/ Cool article on how BOSS JD is (not that many of us needed a reminder).

Where is Mejia landing on the prospect lists? Is he legit?

Out of budget - and Upton was a 3 WAR player if you combine 2015 to the first half of 2016. There is some upside there + you have Pompey as a wild card. I understand the decision vs. bringing in a guy like Pagan, who's likely a 2 WAR player in a best case scenario.

yes! I love cooking shows.

Finishing 13th on the BJMB hot list may be his career highlight...

I'd put a muzzle on that bumbling idiot too.

The problem I typically find with NCAA football is in seemingly half the games I'm able to watch, the score is 70-7 or something like that. That said I love watching NCAA football or basketball when two similarly ranked teams are playing.

AJ Ellis is on the US team...We're they looking for a true backup catcher or is he the bullpen catcher

Can you smart guys learn me on what the biggest change in the game today is vs. back in the late 80's and 90's? Back then you had guys like Glavine and Maddux utilizing monster strike zones - yet only striking out 5 or 6 per 9. There were a lot more balls in play back in those days, which I assume is what Manfred is looking to mimic. A few things stand out to me: 1. Relievers are significantly better and pitchers throw much harder. 2. Hitters have made a conscious decision that cutting down their swing to put the ball in play isn't actually more productive....especially now that shifting is a massive part of the game. I heard some turd on the Fan the other day suggesting it's because they don't teach hitters how to hit anymore. He said hitters used to be taught to take the ball the other way and that's why there never used to be shifts. I think it's obvious that swings are analyzed and worked on a considerable amount more than "back in the day". IMO, shifts weren't used "back in the day" mostly because teams didn't have access to the data and/or didn't use it to their advantage enough. Side note - Greg Maddux 1994 - 1.56 ERA and 7.4 WAR in only 25 starts. What a beast.

In the CFL - doesn't the team start with the ball on the 40 yard line or something? That's about the best equivalent to starting with a runner on 2nd base...

The strike zone change is as much about getting more balls in play (and increasing action) as it is about improving the pace. I think there's real concern that K% and BB% are spiking the way they are.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-pick-up-the-pace/ Interesting article. Some interesting comments to such as a "millennial" suggesting his generation don't own TV's and thus blackouts for live streaming are killing interest amongst younger fans.

More than Joe West does?

What % of games played extend into or beyond the 12th inning? I can't for the life of me see what the issue with an extra inning or two during a tied game would be....too much excitement and drama?

That explains why there's a sac bunt almost every time. Where do you play?