Game Thread: Twins vs. Angels, 7/5/17 @ 7:10 PM Central

[Riverbrian]

 

Southampton have been the mirror image of Pompey: rising to be relevant in the PL at the same time that Portsmouth dropped divisions.

 

I do think that relegation would make baseball more interesting. But the way I've thought of it (with the current minor league structure) is three divisions of 10 teams with relegation and promotion between these divisions (but not to AAA, AA, etc.). The playoffs would consist of 8 teams: the winner of the 3rd division, the top two teams in the 2nd division, and the top 5 teams in the premier division. If the World Series winner happened to be from the 3rd division, that team would get promoted straight to the premier level, otherwise its the usual 2 or 3 top teams move up and the corresponding bottom teams move down.

 

I want full blown relegation. I want the Lansing Lugnuts to have a chance to be in the majors.

 

 

[David HK]

Hm.  Gameday seems stuck in the top of the 6th.

 

Maybe they're just having a hard time typing up all that double-steal stuff.

[Aggies7]

Buxton hustles, you can't argue otherwise

[Cap'n Piranha]

Hm. Gameday seems stuck in the top of the 6th.

Yup. Apparently Gameday has also failed to receive coaching on how to handle a double steal.

[yarnivek1972]

A hit? He bobbled it in his glove but an on target throw still gets him.

 

A MLB infielder has to make that play and should be charged with an error if he does not.

[Aggies7]

I want full blown relegation. I want the Lansing Lugnuts to have a chance to be in the majors.

I know you're being facetious, but the problem with relegation and promotion in baseball is that minor league parks, even at AAA, aren't adequate for MLB. Most AAA parks have 10-15k seats

[ashbury]

I want full blown relegation. I want the Lansing Lugnuts to have a chance to be in the majors.

I think whichever team finishes last should have to be Lugnuts for the following season.

[Riverbrian]

 

I'd settle for Hudson. That would be a fair ball.

 

Balls hit that hard tend to hook hard to the left. 

[Linus]

God how many mediocre breaking balls are we going to miss?

[Dr. Evil]

Like Buxton's new approach. Not going to say I told you so. But, if he turns things around at the plate I'm gunna go ahead and take credit. Hopefully that's cool with everyone.

[Puckett34]

RUNS!

[Puckett34]

 

RUNS!

well, a run

[Dr. Evil]

I say it's time for some runs!

I believe this qualifies as a successful "call."

[ashbury]

I know you're being facetious, but the problem with relegation and promotion in baseball is that minor league parks, even at AAA, aren't adequate for MLB. Most AAA parks have 10-15k seats

I attended a Brooklyn Cyclones game last weekend. The park is set up appropriately for a short-A league, but is easily expandable if a third MLB team is ever slated for NYC.

[Aggies7]

I think whichever team finishes last should have to be Lugnuts for the following season.

Last year, my hometown team won the AAA championship. I have a good chuckle when thinking about Scranton hosting major league games

[70charger]

Speed kills

[LaBombo]

Buxton's steal of second looked like that guy in high school who knew he was going to win the hundred at the invitational and ran his qualifying heat accordingly so he could shoot for a personal best in the final.

[ashbury]

Balls hit that hard tend to hook hard to the left. 

Aim for Red Wing, hit Hudson, then.

[70charger]

The real problem with promotion-relegation is the way the league is set up. There aren't hundreds of independent teams, there are 30 systems. Also, the MLB, and American sports in general, have an amateur draft. What happens to that when relegation happens? Do relegated teams lose their right to draft? Or is the first round of the draft just going to be more than a hundred picks?

 

It's a fun thing to think about, but you would literally have to clean-sheet major league baseball.

[ashbury]

Like Buxton's new approach. Not going to say I told you so. But, if he turns things around at the plate I'm gunna go ahead and take credit. Hopefully that's cool with everyone.

Remember to offer a hat-tip to the signing scout.

[Aggies7]

I attended a Brooklyn Cyclones game last weekend. The park is set up appropriately for a short-A league, but is easily expandable if a third MLB team is ever slated for NYC.

Some are, but most, especially the newer ones, are crammed into a downtown block. Charlotte was always the hot candidate to get an expansion team, but I'm pretty sure they were barely able to fit a 10,000 seat stadium in the spot they just built their new place on.

[Riverbrian]

 

When I first came to the East, English football was all that was on sports-wise, for the one English language channel I could get.  Luckily, I happened across a website that was a primer for Premier League teams for baseball fans, equating each team with an MLB team of similar attributes.  Man U was the Yankees, of course, and I think Chelsea was the Red Sox, but a little farther down the list was Everton=Minnesota Twins.  

 

As I recall, the reasoning was they were always fielding good teams, always contending and playing tough, but never quite cracking the top echelon.  But the best part was- they were doing it with home-grown talent, who then got expensive and went away to the richer clubs. And besides, how easy is it to root for a team whose long-time sponsor is a Thai beer?  Oh, and I almost forgot- their long-time goalie was Tim Howard, the USA national goalie for years.

 

For the life of me, I've never been able to track down that website since, but I've been rooting for the Toffees ever since.  And hey--- seems they've got a lot of good young guys coming into their own, and now they're dealing for a stud or two to put them over the top... Hmmmm....  sounds vaguely familiar.

 

North is going to show up and go all Liverpool on Ya. 

[Puckett34]

Double steal?

[Aggies7]

The real problem with promotion-relegation is the way the league is set up. There aren't hundreds of independent teams, there are 30 systems. Also, the MLB, and American sports in general, have an amateur draft. What happens to that when relegation happens? Do relegated teams lose their right to draft? Or is the first round of the draft just going to be more than a hundred picks?

 

It's a fun thing to think about, but you would literally have to clean-sheet major league baseball.

You'd probably have to abolish the entire draft and farm system thing. Like the old old days of unaffiliated minor league ball where local teams would usually just sign local players who were talented, then the major league teams would swoop in and sign the best of the best.

[Aggies7]

We've been missing the big hit all night

[Riverbrian]

 

I'm not surprised, since I thought of the same kind of thing. I considered putting something about that in there, but I was already quite wordy.

 

Also, I never got into English soccer, but when I moved to Istanbul a few years ago, I wanted to pick a Turkish soccer team. Turns out it's almost more of a political choice than a geographic or sporting one. Soccer in Turkey is nuts, man.

 

There are more good soccer teams in Turkey than good soccer teams in Chicken. 

 

 

[LaBombo]

 

well, a run

 

Eh. Close enough.

 

[ashbury]

It's a fun thing to think about, but you would literally have to clean-sheet major league baseball.

They didn't have official relegation, but back in the 19th century the National League and related leagues almost operated that way. The American League basically promoted itself en masse in 1901.

[Riverbrian]

 

Oh, and I'm also pretty much obligated to like Brighton & Hove Albion, after my brother's adoption of the team when he was in Sussex. But they've done quite well recently.

 

Cue the Jeffersons

 

"Movin on Up"

[Cap'n Piranha]

So Santiago to the DL according to reports. I wonder who gets a chance now???

For now, Busenitz. On Friday against Baltimore, probably Jorge.