2021 MLB (non-Twins) Season news

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

A thread for news from around Major League Baseball.

 

Tonight in L.A., the Angels will forego their DH in order to let Shohei Ohtani both hit and pitch in the same game. Ohtani is starting pitcher and will bat second.

 

I think this is his first time in a true two-way role? Has an American League team voluntarily given up their DH in a game, since the rule change in 1973?

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-pitching-batting-second

 

So far hitting in 2021, Ohtani is 2-13 with a Homer and 6 K’s.

 

Can’t wait to see how he does!

[Squirrel]

Just crushed:

[strumdatjaguar]

Tonight in L.A., the Angels will forego their DH in order to let Shohei Ohtani both hit and pitch in the same game. Ohtani is starting pitcher and will bat second.

 

I think this is his first time in a true two-way role? Has an American League team voluntarily given up their DH in a game, since the rule change in 1973?

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-pitching-batting-second

 

So far hitting in 2021, Ohtani is 2-13 with a Homer and 6 K’s.

 

Can’t wait to see how he does!

With hitting stats like that, including that mammoth homer, it makes me wonder whether Miguel Sano should take up pitching.

[Doctor Gast]

It surprises me that any NL team didn't make more of an attempt to sign him

[Danchat]

 

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Braves have acquired infielder Orlando Arcia from the Brewers.

 

[Vanimal46]

Orlando Arcia traded from MIL to ATL. 26 years old and not too long ago a top 100 prospect.

[biggentleben]

 

It surprises me that any NL team didn't make more of an attempt to sign him

Quite a few did.

[Doctor Gast]

Quite a few did.

Let me rephrase. I'm surprised that a NL team didn't end up with him

[Vanimal46]

 

There were discussions on TD about signing Paxton last winter. Really unfortunate for him. And fortunately, the Twins dodged a bullet.

[stringer bell]

Paxton and Trevor Rosenthal both done for this season and both were discussed as potential Twins free agent signees. Health is a valuable commodity.

[big dog]

 

Paxton and Trevor Rosenthal both done for this season and both were discussed as potential Twins free agent signees. Health is a valuable commodity.

And so darn unpredictable these days.

 

How did those guys pitch 300 innings a year all those years? I guess maybe the answer is we only remember the survivors. Or they mainly threw fastballs.

[Nine of twelve]

 

Paxton and Trevor Rosenthal both done for this season and both were discussed as potential Twins free agent signees. Health is a valuable commodity.

 

 

And so darn unpredictable these days.

 

How did those guys pitch 300 innings a year all those years? I guess maybe the answer is we only remember the survivors. Or they mainly threw fastballs.

This is one of the reasons, and probably the biggest reason, why all major league organizations are carrying larger bullpens and pulling starters earlier than has ever been done in the past. The philosophy used to be to use your best pitchers as much as you possibly could. The philosophy is now to protect your best pitchers so that they will be available in the most important games over the course of the current season and over the course of as many future seasons as possible.

[Shaitan]

 

Let me rephrase. I'm surprised that a NL team didn't end up with him

I may remember it wrong, but I think he preferred to DH on non-pitching days as compared to playing OF.

[jkcarew]

 

How did those guys pitch 300 innings a year all those years? I guess maybe the answer is we only remember the survivors. Or they mainly threw fastballs.

I realize this is rhetorical...but it is amazing to think about. And a lot of fans probably don’t contemplate how this impacted other numbers for the top-end pitchers of previous eras.

 

Starting pitchers used to pace themselves. They didn’t Max-effort each pitch...far from it...because they were EXPECTED to pitch at least 7 innings, hopefully more....for 40 starts per season. That’s why you can’t compare any average/rate stats like ERA, H/9, or K/9, from that era to this era.

[stringer bell]

Probably why velo has gone up so much in recent years. I also think injuries have increased because of so many max-effort pitches.

 

I think the Twins have done a fair job of limiting arm injuries in this era. However, some guys will get hurt. That is the nature of the game.

[old nurse]

 

And so darn unpredictable these days.

 

How did those guys pitch 300 innings a year all those years? I guess maybe the answer is we only remember the survivors. Or they mainly threw fastballs.

 

And so darn unpredictable these days.

 

How did those guys pitch 300 innings a year all those years? I guess maybe the answer is we only remember the survivors. Or they mainly threw fastballs.

There was a time when low 90 was a fast fastball. Sinkers that got groundouts or singles became a home run trot

[old nurse]

 

I realize this is rhetorical...but it is amazing to think about. And a lot of fans probably don’t contemplate how this impacted other numbers for the top-end pitchers of previous eras.

 

Starting pitchers used to pace themselves. They didn’t Max-effort each pitch...far from it...because they were EXPECTED to pitch at least 7 innings, hopefully more....for 40 starts per season. That’s why you can’t compare any average/rate stats like ERA, H/9, or K/9, from that era to this era.

For the time period of 2011 to 2019 there was in total as many complete games as there were most years before 1985. Every fourth day and 9 innings was the goal, not every fifth with an occasional extra day of rest and twice through the batting order

[Vanimal46]

Today, Cardinals C Yadier Molina will become the first player in MLB history to catch 2,000 MLB games exclusively with one team.

[biggentleben]

 

Today, Cardinals C Yadier Molina will become the first player in MLB history to catch 2,000 MLB games exclusively with one team.

He'll shove someone in the back along the way and the other guy will get suspended.

 

Good for him.

[Vanimal46]

Carlos Rodon is 3 outs away from a perfect game...

 

Edit: 8.1 perfect innings. A slider on the 102nd pitch got away from him and caught Roberto Perez’ foot. And a really close play was the first out!

 

[Vanimal46]

And ends with a no-hitter! Good for Rodon, who’s overcame quite a few injuries over his career.

[Otto von Ballpark]

So Odorizzi left his start today after 1 batter, which isn’t good...

 

But amazingly, the next Astros pitcher finished the game. And even more amazingly, it was a 28 year old making his MLB debut, Kent Emanuel. His final line was 8.2 innings, allowing only 2 runs on 90 pitches, as the Astros destroyed the Angels 16-2.

[ashbury]

So Odorizzi left his start today after 1 batter, which isn’t good...

 

But amazingly, the next Astros pitcher finished the game. And even more amazingly, it was a 28 year old making his MLB debut, Kent Emanuel. His final line was 8.2 innings, allowing only 2 runs on 90 pitches, as the Astros destroyed the Angels 16-2.

Odo starts, his team gets the W. That's what matters. All Jake Does Is Win.

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

Cleveland DFAs lefty reliever Oliver Perez, despite a $1.25 mil salary, an apparently effective 2020 season, and 5 appearances so far in 2021 without allowing an earned run or leaving any baserunners for subsequent relievers (he did allow one of the special extra innings baserunners to score, though).

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/04/indians-dfa-oliver-perez.html

 

Perhaps the first direct casualty of the 3 batter minimum rule? Or maybe Cleveland sees something troubling in his underlying pitch data, and are choosing to cut him before it becomes a problem? Outside of that single extra innings appearance, his other 4 appearances this year have been exclusively low-leverage mop-up work, so there already seemed to be a lack of trust.

[Danchat]

 

Cleveland DFAs lefty reliever Oliver Perez, despite a $1.25 mil salary, an apparently effective 2020 season, and 5 appearances so far in 2021 without allowing an earned run or leaving any baserunners for subsequent relievers (he did allow one of the special extra innings baserunners to score, though).

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/04/indians-dfa-oliver-perez.html

 

Perhaps the first direct casualty of the 3 batter minimum rule? Or maybe Cleveland sees something troubling in his underlying pitch data, and are choosing to cut him before it becomes a problem? Outside of that single extra innings appearance, his other 4 appearances this year have been exclusively low-leverage mop-up work, so there already seemed to be a lack of trust.

I'd put a waiver claim on him, as he's been effective the past few years. The Twins are at the point where they should be trying anything in the bullpen and seeing if it works - I'm sure he'd be better than Colome.

[Vanimal46]

 

This is most definitely the worst call in recent memory.

[AceWrigley]

 

This is one of the reasons, and probably the biggest reason, why all major league organizations are carrying larger bullpens and pulling starters earlier than has ever been done in the past. The philosophy used to be to use your best pitchers as much as you possibly could. The philosophy is now to protect your best pitchers so that they will be available in the most important games over the course of the current season and over the course of as many future seasons as possible.

Its just a theory. There are as many or more arm injuries today, even with pitching less innings.

[ashbury]

 

This is most definitely the worst call in recent memory.

A pretty good discussion has gotten underway on the SABR mailing list. The rule is pretty absolute about obstruction, whereas the rule about running in the outer lane is not so clear. By the book, the umpire apparently made the right call. IMO one rule or the other needs to be sharpened up.

 

[twinbythebay]

 

A pretty good discussion has gotten underway on the SABR mailing list. The rule is pretty absolute about obstruction, whereas the rule about running in the outer lane is not so clear. By the book, the umpire apparently made the right call. IMO one rule or the other needs to be sharpened up.
 

What does the relevant part of the obstruction rule say? I don't understand how obstruction could apply here when the pitcher didn't take a step outside of the infield grass at any point during the play.

[ashbury]

What does the relevant part of the obstruction rule say? I don't understand how obstruction could apply here when the pitcher didn't take a step outside of the infield grass at any point during the play.

 Let me excerpt from the discussion I mentioned, as it is the sum total of what I have seen on the topic:

 

The only reference to the three-foot lane is in Rule 5.09(a)(11), where if the runner is running outside of the three-foot lane and in the umpire's judgment interferes with the fielder taking the throw, the runner is called out.

 

The obstruction rule - 6.01(h)(1) is explicit,

"If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or *if the batter-runner is obstructed before he touches first base*, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction."