2017 mlb

[LA Ute]

The season is around the corner. For starters, here's an interesting change to the intentional walk rule. No more meaningless pitches, just a signal from the dugout will do:

http://247sports.com/Bolt/Report-MLB-approves-intentional-walk-rule-change-51416978/

[chrisrenrut]

The season is around the corner. For starters, here's an interesting change to the intentional walk rule. No more meaningless pitches, just a signal from the dugout will do:

The Washington Post compiled some interesting twitter responses to this change:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/02/21/mlb-is-eliminating-the-four-pitch-intentional-walk-and-not-everyone-is-thrilled/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-sports%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.3871688c7998

[mUUser]

Ill put this here since it is sponsored by the MLB. If you haven't been watching the WBC, you've been missing out. Tremendous baseball atmosphere from countries across the world -- down to four. In a miraculous upset the US defeated the DR last week.

Seriously, if you love a world series atmosphere, and some terrific pumped-up baseball, tune in today, tomorrow and Wednesday. Great stuff.

[Utah]

I've been catching bits and pieces of it here and there. It has been a lot of fun.

[mUUser]

US vs PR for the championship tonight. Should be a great game and great atmosphere. Puerto Rican's love baseball. This has been a really fun tournament. I mean, where else will you see a pitcher over seven feet tall?

Anyway, the only thing that really bothers me is the number of American all-stars who take a pass on the event. In my world, if your country asks you to play -- you play. That includes everything from baseball to tiddlywinks. There's obviously legitimate reasons they don't want to play, but, I guess I love the guys that say eff-it and play anyway. I really appreciate the studs that decided it was important to wear our jersey -- besides they get a far better atmosphere than spring training and more meaningful cuts as well. Stanton, McCutchen, Jones, Yelich, Arenado, Crawford, Hosmer, Posey et al.....good job boys. Bryan, Trout, Kershaw, Scherzer, Bumgarner, Harper.....step it up, man.

[Utah]

US vs PR for the championship tonight. Should be a great game and great atmosphere. Puerto Rican's love baseball. This has been a really fun tournament. I mean, where else will you see a pitcher over seven feet tall?

Anyway, the only thing that really bothers me is the number of American all-stars who take a pass on the event. In my world, if your country asks you to play -- you play. That includes everything from baseball to tiddlywinks. There's obviously legitimate reasons they don't want to play, but, I guess I love the guys that say eff-it and play anyway. I really appreciate the studs that decided it was important to wear our jersey -- besides they get a far better atmosphere than spring training and more meaningful cuts as well. Stanton, McCutchen, Jones, Yelich, Arenado, Crawford, Hosmer, Posey et al.....good job boys. Bryan, Trout, Kershaw, Scherzer, Bumgarner, Harper.....step it up, man.

Ith
It has been a fun thing to watch. Last night's game was INTENSE.

This is the only time I've ever rooted for Posey...and he waffles out in the eighth. lol.

[mUUser]

US dominates PR in 8-0 final. Stroman awarded MVP. I would've given it to Brandon Crawford - .429 avg., .667 slugging percentage but whatever, Stroman pitched a 6 inning gem tonight.

Congratulations to Team USA

[Utah]

US dominates PR in 8-0 final. Stroman awarded MVP. I would've given it to Brandon Crawford - .429 avg., .667 slugging percentage but whatever, Stroman pitched a 6 inning gem tonight.

Congratulations to Team USA

So, did the US take first and second? lol. (p.s. I stole that from somewhere).

[DrumNFeather]

Nationals 1-0. Only 161 more to go to run the table.

[sancho]

End of an era. Verlander has been my favorite MLB player for a long, long time. He was absolutely must-see in his prime. I saw him in person only once - at Wrigley about 5 years ago (he won).

After the hurricane, Houston should be America's favorite to win it all. I hope JV can deliver.

[Mormon Red Death]

The champs are ready for the postseason. bring on the natty lights.

[DrumNFeather]

The champs are ready for the postseason. bring on the natty lights.

This is our year, I can feel it. (Probably not).

[UBlender]

The champs are ready for the postseason. bring on the natty lights.

It was fun tonight to see the Iowa Cubs eliminate the Cardinals from wild card contention.

The Cubs are coming together at the right time. They currently lack an "ace" on their staff, but they do have four solid guys who can win big games. (They also lacked a standout ace last year but the overall performance and consistency of all of the starters was better than this year). The bullpen depth is also a concern but with so many days off in the playoffs they can hopefully stick with their top 3-4 relievers who have been pretty good. The offense has been pretty consistently good lately.

It will be interesting. Nice that we're playing with house money now. We broke the curse, we're not going in as the favorite, we're in a no-lose situation. (I'm going to try to keep telling myself that through the playoffs).

P.S. I will not be shocked at all if Arizona takes out the Dodgers.
P.P.S. This thing is Cleveland's to lose, but Houston also looks very tough if Keuchel is right.

[sancho]

October!

Red Sox vs Astros. Gotta go for the Astros. They just had a big hurricane, they have Justin Verlander, and the Red Sox have been the Yankees for about a decade.

New York vs Cleveland. I'll be pulling for the Yankees for the first time ever. Can't have a division rival win, and the Yankees aren't the Yankees anymore. The Red Sox are.

Cubs vs Nats. Go Nats. The Cubs had their turn. Time for DC to have a sports moment.

DBacks vs Dodgers. Go LA. The Dbacks are still an afterthought of a team.

[Scratch]

October!

Red Sox vs Astros. Gotta go for the Astros. They just had a big hurricane, they have Justin Verlander, and the Red Sox have been the Yankees for about a decade.

New York vs Cleveland. I'll be pulling for the Yankees for the first time ever. Can't have a division rival win, and the Yankees aren't the Yankees anymore. The Red Sox are.

Cubs vs Nats. Go Nats. The Cubs had their turn. Time for DC to have a sports moment.

DBacks vs Dodgers. Go LA. The Dbacks are still an afterthought of a team.

The Yankees will always be the Yankees, even if the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cubs are the Yankees, too.

[concerned]

There is only one Yankees, in any and all sports. How can anybody not root for Cleveland, unless their absolutely favorite team is still alive?

[sancho]

There is only one Yankees, in any and all sports. How can anybody not root for Cleveland, unless their absolutely favorite team is still alive?

What makes Cleveland lovable? Did they have a hurricane? Such a spoiled sports state with a recent NBA title and Ohio State football. Yet they want us to feel for them because of the Browns. Cleveland is a division rival for me. Hard to root for that.

[DrumNFeather]

October!

Red Sox vs Astros. Gotta go for the Astros. They just had a big hurricane, they have Justin Verlander, and the Red Sox have been the Yankees for about a decade.

New York vs Cleveland. I'll be pulling for the Yankees for the first time ever. Can't have a division rival win, and the Yankees aren't the Yankees anymore. The Red Sox are.

Cubs vs Nats. Go Nats. The Cubs had their turn. Time for DC to have a sports moment.

DBacks vs Dodgers. Go LA. The Dbacks are still an afterthought of a team.

Were I a Cubs fan, I'd be confident to the point of overconfidence given the Nats playoff flame outs. As one sports writer in DC has noted: "They are the Capitals with Bats." Here's hoping that the trend reverses itself this year.

[sancho]

Bummer.

Easy choices in the championship series - Go Dodgers, Go Astros.

[DrumNFeather]

Were I a Cubs fan, I'd be confident to the point of overconfidence given the Nats playoff flame outs. As one sports writer in DC has noted: "They are the Capitals with Bats." Here's hoping that the trend reverses itself this year.
Sad swish here...

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

[sancho]

JV with 13 Ks in a complete game.

[LA Ute]

Dodgers are heading into Chicago with a 2-0 series lead, propelled by Justin Turner’s walkoff Grand-Slam [EDIT: oops, 3-run homer] , delivered on the 29th anniversary of Kirk Gibson‘s walk-off home run. I tell you, the stars are aligning....

[concerned]

Dodgers are heading into Chicago with a 2-0 series lead, propelled by Justin Turner’s walkoff Grand-Slam, delivered on the 29th anniversary of Kirk Gibson‘s walk-off home run. I tell you, the stars are aligning....

3 run homer; not a grand slam.

and the most astounding part of the play was the guy who caught it in the centerfield bleachers.

[UBlender]

3 run homer; not a grand slam.

and the most astounding part of the play was the guy who caught it in the centerfield bleachers.

Well, he's a Dodgers fan so he showed up in the 4th inning and left in the 7th and whiffed on the walk-off home run. The only thing stupider is Joe Maddon running Lackey out there in a jam while Wade Davis languishes in the bullpen.

[LA Ute]

3 run homer; not a grand slam.

and the most astounding part of the play was the guy who caught it in the centerfield bleachers.

I goofed. I’ll take the 3-run homer.

[LA Ute]

Well, he's a Dodgers fan so he showed up in the 4th inning and left in the 7th and whiffed on the walk-off home run. The only thing stupider is Joe Maddon running Lackey out there in a jam while Wade Davis languishes in the bullpen.

If you’re talking about me then I challenge you to a duel.

[concerned]

I SWEAR Turner is Ygrette's brother.

[UBlender]

If you’re talking about me then I challenge you to a duel.

Declined, just take your NLCS sweep and move on. I think the Cubs never fully recovered from the hangover of last year's championship and put themselves in a position where they had to leave it all on the field to get past Washington. I hope I'm wrong, but the team looks pretty cooked right now. Decent starting pitching that can't go deep enough in games, terrifying bullpen and batters that aren't producing at all right now.

[LA Ute]

Declined, just take your NLCS sweep and move on. I think the Cubs never fully recovered from the hangover of last year's championship and put themselves in a position where they had to leave it all on the field to get past Washington. I hope I'm wrong, but the team looks pretty cooked right now. Decent starting pitching that can't go deep enough in games, terrifying bullpen and batters that aren't producing at all right now.

OK then. Concerned will be relieved as he was going to be my second.

I have not yet let go of my fear that the Dodgers will yet find a way to blow this.

[concerned]

OK then. Concerned will be relieved as he was going to be my second.

I have not yet let go of my fear that the Dodgers will yet find a way to blow this.

It would have been an honor proudly accepted.

The Cubs dont have the bullpen to enable the Dodgers to blow this.

[LA Ute]

I’m at the game — my first Series game ever — and it’s a great one!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171026/1bdd49022c82861e5573c4bd33252be1.jpg

[LA Ute]

Top of the 11th.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171026/c8a305d0b8cf294b59170d426996b1ba.jpg

[LA Ute]

I do wish the Dodgers pitchers would stop throwing gopher balls.

[Scratch]

I hate the Dodgers and was ecstatic with the outcome and Roberts's horrible management of his pitching staff, but man I love, love, love Vin. He is just the flat-out greatest. LA, I hope you were there in time for his pre-game appearance.

[LA Ute]

I hate the Dodgers and was ecstatic with the outcome and Roberts's horrible management of his pitching staff, but man I love, love, love Vin. He is just the flat-out greatest. LA, I hope you were there in time for his pre-game appearance.

Yes I was, I recorded the whole thing. It was a terrific evening, with so much electricity in the air. I’ve never been to a World Series game before. It was two great teams playing each other in a great game. The Astros deserved to win, because in the end they outplayed the Dodgers.

Sancho my son, lose your hatred for the Dodgers. It’s bad for the soul.

[concerned]

The pregame with Vin, Yeager, and Fernando is a memory for all time. (Almost as great as seeing Koufax on TV just for a moment.) You couldn't see it, but Hill was soooo pissed off in the dugout when told he was being taken out. Smoltz is a great commentator, and he correctly pointed out several times (early on) that the risk of Roberts' strategy is that you are counting on every reliever to do his job--and it doesn't always happen. It only takes one to have an off night to ruin it (or in this case, three).

The Astros had to win Verlander's start to make it a series. Now it will be, and could be a great one.

When you watch the game, pay close attention to Jack Buck's tribute to Scully. Coming from the son of Joe Buck, it was great.

[LA Ute]

The pregame with Vin, Yeager, and Fernando is a memory for all time. (Almost as great as seeing Koufax on TV just for a moment.) You couldn't see it, but Hill was soooo pissed off in the dugout when told he was being taken out. Smoltz is a great commentator, and he correctly pointed out several times (early on) that the risk of Roberts' strategy is that you are counting on every reliever to do his job--and it doesn't always happen. It only takes one to have an off night to ruin it (or in this case, three).

The Astros had to win Verlander's start to make it a series. Now it will be, and could be a great one.

When you watch the game, pay close attention to Jack Buck's tribute to Scully. Coming from the son of Joe Buck, it was great.

In fairness to Roberts, he had every reason to think his bullpen was on a roll — because it had been almost perfect throughout the post season.

Roberts, BTW, is one of the true good guys in baseball.

[concerned]

In fairness to Roberts, he had every reason to think his bullpen was on a roll — because it had been almost perfect throughout the post season.

Roberts, BTW, is one of the true good guys in baseball.

I get it--the stats say the odds of Maeda et. al. succeeding are greater than the odds of lefty Hill facing a bunch of righties for the 3rd time. But that is why you play the game, as they say.

[LA Ute]

Here’s the Vjn Scully first pitch video:

https://www.facebook.com/foxsports/videos/1452955974818118/

[LA Ute]

Four batters. Seven pitches. Two homers, a double and a single. I’ve never seen a performance that bad from a reliever in a big game.

[concerned]

Four batters. Seven pitches. Two homers, a double and a single. I’ve never seen a performance that bad from a reliever in a big game.

Roberts fault for pitching him 3 straight. Horrible pitching all game. How many walks? Kershaw sets new record for most homers in a post season. I'm prejudiced but he will never be Koufax.

[sancho]

Roberts fault for pitching him 3 straight. Horrible pitching all game. How many walks? Kershaw sets new record for most homers in a post season. I'm prejudiced but he will never be Koufax.

No, but Verlander has a chance to be Koufax.

To be fair, Sandy didn't have to throw juiced balls when he pitched.

[Diehard Ute]

Yeah....the article today about the baseballs was interesting.

MLB is saying nothing has changed, but everyone else says it’s obvious the balls are more slippery.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sancho]

Yeah....the article today about the baseballs was interesting.

MLB is saying nothing has changed, but everyone else says it’s obvious the balls are more slippery.


Gotta admit, it's making for a really entertaining series.

[LA Ute]

This has got to be one of the greatest World Series games ever.

[sancho]

This has got to be one of the greatest World Series games ever.

Only if Houston wins.

[chrisrenrut]

I am not a big baseball fan in general, but this is a helluva game. Fun to watch, especially not having a rooting interest in ether team. I can only imagine the emotional roller coaster diehard fans of either team are going through.

[LA Ute]

Only if Houston wins.

Have a little respect for your Dodgers fan buddy here!

[sancho]

Have a little respect for your Dodgers fan buddy here!

Under other circumstances, I'd be pulling for LA here. But no one in baseball deserves this series more than JV.

[LA Ute]

I'm prejudiced but he will never be Koufax.

Kershaw’s post-season record has made that a certainty.

[concerned]

I was I hadn't taken the under at 24.5.

[LA Ute]

This is not a baseball game, it’s war of attrition.

[concerned]

You lose bc you hit a batter and walked another with 2 outs? Can't any pitcher play this game?

[LA Ute]

You lose bc you hit a batter and walked another with 2 outs? Can't any pitcher play this game?

And it was the Dodgers‘ ace reliever who did all that. Sports!

[concerned]

And it was the Dodgers‘ ace reliever who did all that. Sports!


It is astonishing how many runs were scored by batters who walked or hbp. There cant be another game that has 1/2 or 1/3 that many.

[UBlender]

Wow, I'm kicking myself this morning. I have not been sleeping well lately and was pretty exhausted yesterday. With Houston up by 3 in the 8th I figured it was safe to take a unisom and go to bed. Woke up and saw that I missed plenty more fireworks.

[chrisrenrut]

Wow, I'm kicking myself this morning. I have not been sleeping well lately and was pretty exhausted yesterday. With Houston up by 3 in the 8th I figured it was safe to take a unisom and go to bed. Woke up and saw that I missed plenty more fireworks.

And if you tried to DVR it, it probably didn't record all the way to the end, since the game lasted 5 hours and 20 minutes.

[concerned]

Great Verducci story on the effect of this year's series.


https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/10/30/houston-astros-los-angeles-dodgers-world-series-slick-baseball

[LA Ute]

Verlander looks locked-in tonight. Bad news for Dodgers.

[LA Ute]

Justin Verlander is human after all!

[LA Ute]

BRING ON GAME 7! An epic World Series!

[sancho]

Justin Verlander is human after all!

Disappointing. Guy gives up 5 hits in two starts in the World Series and comes away 0-1 with a no decision. He was my reason to root for the Astros. Now that he can't win it, game 7 is less interesting to me than it should be.

[concerned]

Justin Verlander is human after all!

I did not realize until tonight that Verlander has never won w s game. Not everybody can be a Koufax.

[sancho]

I did not realize until tonight that Verlander has never won w s game. Not everybody can be a Koufax.

I knew. It's crazy. And he has a super low postseason ERA (lower than Koufax, I think). The Tigers just became a wreck each time they made it.

[concerned]

I knew. It's crazy. And he has a super low postseason ERA (lower than Koufax, I think). The Tigers just became a wreck each time they made it.

I have been a tiger fan since a guy from Detroit married my aunt. The days of Al Kaline and Norm Cash. I have always loved Verlander, and felt really bad for him tonight.

[sancho]

I have been a tiger fan since a guy from Detroit married my aunt. The days of Al Kaline and Norm Cash. I have always loved Verlander, and felt really bad for him tonight.

My dad grew up watching Kaline at tiger stadium.

[concerned]

My dad grew up watching Kaline at tiger stadium.

If kaline had not broken his collarbone diving for a catch in June or July 1961, the tigers would have beaten the Yankees for the pennant, in case you were wondering. I hated the Yankees. The tigers were my favorite amer league team, but of course they were not the dodgers, or the nat league.

[LA Ute]

Oh well. I am very disappointed. It was such a great World Series, and it was a shame to see have a seventh game that was over after the first inning and a half. But that’s sport. Congratulations to the Astros.

[UBlender]

I really thought that once Ethier finally broke through and got the Dodgers on the board that the floodgates would open and this would become another wild one like games 2 and 5 with Houston's bullpen struggling to find enough outs to get through the 9th. While Morton was obviously rolling I'm sure there had to be a voice in Hinch's head telling him to start using his actual relievers in the last couple of innings--credit to him for resisting that conventional thinking.

On the other hand, Roberts is under fire for not just starting Kershaw. I don't know that I blame him for not starting him, but based on Games 3 and 4 I think starting Wood made a lot more sense. I think you start Wood with Kershaw piggybacking and you can get 6 or so innings out of those two and then turn it over to your bullpen. Of course hindsight is 20/20 but Darvish got shelled both times this series and that was all that was needed for the game to be over.

[LA Ute]

The Dodgers placed this full page ad in the Houston Chronicle:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171107/f39ef961b50803ff6b1c3d12108b1aa1.jpg

[Irving Washington]

Nothing about the Evil Empire?

[LA Ute]

Nothing about the Evil Empire?

Its members were watching the Series on TV this year.

[Irving Washington]

Its members were watching the Series on TV this year.

Feeling very good about their "transition" year.

[LA Ute]

Feeling very good about their "transition" year.

Well played. At least you didn't say, "Well, they've won 27 world championships, you know," which is what almost all of my New York partners say. Must be a New York thing.