2017 MLB Regular Season Thread

[Mike Sixel]

 

I also don't like to see people get hurt, but I'm not sure why you qualify it as entertainment.
This is their job. There are many job fields in the world where people get hurt.
Athletes have it better than most, at least they are well compensated for sacrificing their bodies. Many, many people have to sacrifice their body for their job and are left with nothing to show for it.

 

1. saying I hate it when people get hurt doing entertainment implies NOTHING about other people at all. nothing.

 

2. mostly because I don't hear about them, and they are probably working in a field with more intrinsic value than entertainment.

 

3. Also, this is a site to discuss, you know, entertainment.

 

but yes, I hate it when any humans get hurt, wasn't sure I needed to discuss all of humanity and it's ills on a website about baseball, but sure, ya, I don't like it when people get hurt.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Yeah, the real cost to sports - esp football - can really suck the entertainment of some of this.  You see a couple guys crash into each other and it's no longer "oooooo", it's "oh, I hope they don't have brain damage."

 

Also this, it decreases my entertainment knowing that these guys are getting hurt.

[Mr. Brooks]

1. saying I hate it when people get hurt doing entertainment implies NOTHING about other people at all. nothing.

 

2. mostly because I don't hear about them, and they are probably working in a field with more intrinsic value than entertainment.

 

3. Also, this is a site to discuss, you know, entertainment.

 

but yes, I hate it when any humans get hurt, wasn't sure I needed to discuss all of humanity and it's ills on a website about baseball, but sure, ya, I don't like it when people get hurt.

It may seem obvious on your end but it read as if to say you ESPECIALLY hate when its in the entertainment industry that people get hurt. I wasn't sure.

I certainly didn't think you enjoy people being hurt.

[spanman2]

 

Only 4 teams in the modern day 162 game schedule have won more than 109 games. The Astros and Dodgers are both on pace to win 109 and 110 games. 

.679 winning % is 56 wins in the NBA/NHL and 11 in the NFL...certainly not uncommon...speaks to just how high in volume 162 game season is to get things to go your way for 6 months of constantly playing ballgames. 

[spanman2]

 

Also, who put money on the Brewers being 5.5 games up on the Cubs and Cardinals heading into the All-Star Break? 

This is why baseball is so fun! 

Not a single sane person in any one of those cities!  It certainly is fun.

[Mr. Brooks]

.679 winning % is 56 wins in the NBA/NHL and 11 in the NFL...certainly not uncommon...speaks to just how high in volume 162 game season is to get things to go your way for 6 months of constantly playing ballgames.

Baseball also has much more parity in possible outcomes.

You just can't compare it to other sports in that regard.

If the best and worst teams in baseball played 100 times the worst team would still probably win 30 to 35 of those games.

In football the Patriots would beat the Browns 95 or 96 times.

[Vanimal46]

This just came out - https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/885587318320582657

 

Colby Rasmus is on the restricted list. Not sure if this means he won't get paid. Sounds like he is struggling with a hip injury and might just want to call it quits. Had a good slash line in limited games this year.

One, I thought Rasmus was still on the Astros. Two, this is sad. I hope he finds what he's looking for outside of baseball.

[biggentleben]

 

One, I thought Rasmus was still on the Astros. Two, this is sad. I hope he finds what he's looking for outside of baseball.

 

He's stated before that he didn't want to play beyond his mid-30s as he wanted to be home for his family, and from all accounts that I've been able to find, that's why he's making this choice. If that's the case, then good on him as he's made multiple millions of dollars and doesn't really "need" the game.

[gunnarthor]

 

He's stated before that he didn't want to play beyond his mid-30s as he wanted to be home for his family, and from all accounts that I've been able to find, that's why he's making this choice. If that's the case, then good on him as he's made multiple millions of dollars and doesn't really "need" the game.

Yeah, if he's retiring on his terms, great. If he's retiring because of a degenerative hip condition, less great.

[Oldgoat_MN]

 

Yeah, if he's retiring on his terms, great. If he's retiring because of a degenerative hip condition, less great.

I don't know how impairing it could be. His slash line in 129 PA is .291/.318/.579 (.896).

 

Agree with you all, hope it's just what he wants in life rather than physical pain or personal issues. Best of luck to him.

[ashbury]

hope it's just what he wants in life rather than physical pain or personal issues.

The team said "The Rays fully support Colby's decision to step away from baseball." This makes it sound like something needing support, and I find it hard to conjure up anything that doesn't involve something unpleasant, physical or psychic. Players don't step away easily.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

He's stated before that he didn't want to play beyond his mid-30s as he wanted to be home for his family, and from all accounts that I've been able to find, that's why he's making this choice. If that's the case, then good on him as he's made multiple millions of dollars and doesn't really "need" the game.

Yup.  See here, from March 2015:

 

https://www.thescore.com/news/715374

 

 

 

Colby Rasmus sometimes doesn't have fun playing baseball anymore.

The outfielder, who inked a one-year, $8-million contract with the Houston Astros this winter, wants to play this season, and three more before calling it a career. He's looking forward to retiring and spending time with his family at his newly purchased cattle ranch in Alabama.

“I’m getting a little older now,” the 28-year-old told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’ve been taking a beating on this body. I’m a lot older than I used to be. Playing on that turf in Toronto was pretty tough. It has a nice slab of concrete underneath and I was diving on it. I didn’t baby myself and take it easy.

“It’s a tough game. A lot of stuff goes on. I haven’t got much more in me.”

 

I'm guessing the hip injury just moved up the timeline by a season.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The team said "The Rays fully support Colby's decision to step away from baseball." This makes it sound like something needing support, and I find it hard to conjure up anything that doesn't involve something unpleasant, physical or psychic. Players don't step away easily.

I think it just clarifies that he's not on the restricted list for punitive reasons, or any reason that might be in dispute.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Interesting that his younger brother Casey Rasmus also retired unexpectedly early in 2014, albeit as a minor leaguer of relatively little regard:

 

http://archauthority.com/2014/06/11/cardinals-minor-leaguer-casey-rasmus-retires/

[Vanimal46]

For those hoping Michael Pineda would be a FA target for the Twins.... 

He recently tore his UCL, and will undergo TJ Surgery. 

[Vanimal46]

Here's a very interesting interview with Billy Beane talking about the never ending rebuilding cycle the A's have been on. 

 

 

 

Really, what’s been missing the last 20 years is keeping these players. The frustration isn’t that we’ve had success; the frustration is that after success, we haven’t kept them. And we need to change that narrative by creating a good team and ultimately committing to keeping them around, so that when people buy a ticket, they’ll know that the team is going to be there for a few years....

The important end of the sentence is rebuilding and keeping them. This is my 20th year on the job. There are only so many cycles that I can go through before I get as exasperated as everybody else.

Finding players has never been an issue for us. Keeping them and ultimately keeping the faith and commitment from people who follow the team, that’s got to be done by keeping them around. Again, I’ve been assured by ownership that that’s what we’re going to do as it parallels with the stadium.

 

[Vanimal46]

Frankly, I'm surprised that MLB has not stepped in to address their horrendous stadium situation, and the fact that this organization has just been a developmental team for other organizations. 

 

Rob Manfred has discussed 3 cities where MLB expansion could make sense. I would think first they should take care of the Oakland situation... And have ownership step up to the plate to pay for a new stadium either in Oakland, or somewhere else. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Frankly, I'm surprised that MLB has not stepped in to address their horrendous stadium situation, and the fact that this organization has just been a developmental team for other organizations. 

 

Rob Manfred has discussed 3 cities where MLB expansion could make sense. I would think first they should take care of the Oakland situation... And have ownership step up to the plate to pay for a new stadium either in Oakland, or somewhere else. 

 

I think he said in an interview that TB and Oak were still MLB's top priority.

[Vanimal46]

 

I think he said in an interview that TB and Oak were still MLB's top priority.

 

Man, Tampa is so forgettable... Yes their stadium is horrendous as well. Perhaps relocation would work out for either of those cities as we've seen in the NFL. 

[drjim]

The Oakland stadium situation seems pretty easy on the surface, let them move to San Jose area. Politically, a little bit more difficult.

[Vanimal46]

 

The Oakland stadium situation seems pretty easy on the surface, let them move to San Jose area. Politically, a little bit more difficult.

 

Would moving an hour down the freeway help with attendance/popularity numbers? The Giants are dominating that market, and should continue to dominate that market for the foreseeable future. 

[drjim]

 

Would moving an hour down the freeway help with attendance/popularity numbers? The Giants are dominating that market, and should continue to dominate that market for the foreseeable future. 

 

I suspect a new stadium anywhere would help for starters. But San Jose is a really big city, could help as a new pivot point, try and keep most of the East Bay, expand into South Bay and snatch up some of the sweet, sweet Silicon Valley cash.

 

There's a reason the Giants don't want this to happen.

[gunnarthor]

 

Would moving an hour down the freeway help with attendance/popularity numbers? The Giants are dominating that market, and should continue to dominate that market for the foreseeable future. 

San Jose is 50 miles away from San Francisco and is the 10th biggest city in the US (bigger than SF). I suspect they'd get enough support to be all right. Some will stay loyal to the Giants but others will grow up with the new team and support them. They'll probably always be the Mets to the Giants' Yankees but they'd be in pretty good shape overall. 

[gunnarthor]

Carlos Correa out for a few months with a torn ligament in his thumb. Real bummer for the Astros.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/carlos-correa-out-six-to-eight-weeks-with-torn-thumb-ligament.html

[Otto von Ballpark]

Trades could be a-brewin':

 

JD Martinez to Arizona:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/tigers-trade-jd-martinez-diamondbacks.html

 

Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/yankees-nearing-deal-to-acquire-frazier-robertson-kahnle.html

 

Very interested to see the haul on that latter deal, assuming it happens...

[PseudoSABR]

 

Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/yankees-nearing-deal-to-acquire-frazier-robertson-kahnle.html

Very interested to see the haul on that latter deal, assuming it happens...

I don't think much of the Sox' haul, at all.

[drjim]

I don't think much of the Sox' haul, at all.

I thought they did fine, Frazier and Robertson didn't have a lot of value.

[Vanimal46]

White Sox now have 6 top 30 prospects according to the MLB.com list....

[drjim]

White Sox now have 6 top 30 prospects according to the MLB.com list....

10 top 100 as well. Could be something in 3 years.

[Mike Sixel]

 

10 top 100 as well. Could be something in 3 years.

 

If half hit, that's a lot of hits! They've given themselves a chance to get better, imo.

 

They still have more assets. They could get this to 12 or even 13 this year. Unlikely, but possible.