The boys of summer! (Baseball Thread)

[IRISHDODGER]

Changing Baseball, One Snack at a Time (Published 2022)

With each team required to have a dietitian on staff, the days of pizza, hot dogs and nachos are largely over.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Josh Donaldson: forever a jagoff.

 

[irishff1014]

My braves are done. The manager screwed up game 3 from the beginning. The phillies don't even have a full time manager.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

My braves are done. The manager screwed up game 3 from the beginning. The phillies don't even have a full time manager.

I’m starting to wonder how many managers truly have control of decisions like they historically did before analytics. In some cases, I suspect the Manager is simply a middle-manager who takes orders from the GM as to who to play/who not to play, whether or not to sacrifice/manufacture runs vs swinging away, who to pinch-hit or start on a given day. I think GMs control more of the game day decisions than we are led to believe on some teams.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Top 3 seeds in the NL had over 100 wins during the regular season. Looks like all three will be eliminated in their first series.

 

[ACamp1900]

Top 3 seeds in the NL had over 100 wins during the regular season. Looks like all three will be eliminated in their first series.

Long way to go for this still

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Long way to go for this still

Nah. Braves about to lose out & Dodgers‘ backs against the wall.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

This new format is going to make 100+ win seasons the kiss of death.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

 

[IRISHDODGER]

This new format is going to make 100+ win seasons the kiss of death.

Crazy. Granted, one can’t afford to sandbag but the focus has to be on October b/c now the WC get a 3-game series vs a one game playoff, there’s more of a “free-for-all” vibe to it.

Teams play 162 games in the regular season where they experience hot streaks and slumps to varying degrees in hopes that they come out the end as one of the top six teams in their league. Reminds me of NFL Fantasy Drafts…you don’t want to be first & you don’t want to be last.

That said, it didn’t seem to phase the Astros in the AL. The NL teams just pissed down their collective legs. Wasn’t surprised w/ the Mets the way the struggled down the stretch. Couldn’t tell if the Dodgers were taking the last few weeks off for rest b/c they clinched or were truly struggling at the plate & it carried over. The Braves were the biggest surprise. I thought they’d cruise.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

No words…

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Crazy. Granted, one can’t afford to sandbag but the focus has to be on October b/c now the WC get a 3-game series vs a one game playoff, there’s more of a “free-for-all” vibe to it.

Teams play 162 games in the regular season where they experience hot streaks and slumps to varying degrees in hopes that they come out the end as one of the top six teams in their league. Reminds me of NFL Fantasy Drafts…you don’t want to be first & you don’t want to be last.

That said, it didn’t seem to phase the Astros in the AL. The NL teams just pissed down their collective legs. Wasn’t surprised w/ the Mets the way the struggled down the stretch. Couldn’t tell if the Dodgers were taking the last few weeks off for rest b/c they clinched or were truly struggling at the plate & it carried over. The Braves were the biggest surprise. I thought they’d cruise.

I struggle with this narrative every single October, and these expanded everyone gets a trophy playoffs are only going to intensify how success is defined as the new format goes on.

All we are seeing these last few weeks, as we have seen in previous years, is the utter randomness of small sample sizes. The Dodgers won 111 games and got eliminated in a best of five series with San Diego where all four games played were relatively competitive. They will be defined as "failures."

The Dodgers could have also been rewarded with their Bye with a Mets team that won 101 won games, but they too lost a short series to the same Padres.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I struggle with this narrative every single October, and these expanded everyone gets a trophy playoffs are only going to intensify how success is defined as the new format goes on.

All we are seeing these last few weeks, as we have seen in previous years, is the utter randomness of small sample sizes. The Dodgers won 111 games and got eliminated in a best of five series with San Diego where all four games played were relatively competitive. They will be defined as "failures."

The Dodgers could have also been rewarded with their Bye with a Mets team that won 101 won games, but they too lost a short series to the same Padres.

I have a similar struggle. I see the importance of a bye week as it pertains to football. After a 162-game regular season, I wouldn’t want more than a one or two day layoff. I get that baseball players (esp pitchers) need rest/recovery too but when your 20 games ahead of the 2nd place team, you can use the last few weeks of the regular season for the few guys who truly need it to be useful in post season.

All that said, those teams knew the format well in advance. It’s up to them to navigate it and maximize any advantage. There’s no guarantee that a different format would‘ve led to the Dodgers hitting better w/ RISP. Sometimes it’s just plain timing. I knew the Dodgers could be in trouble w/ the Padres simply b/c of the law of averages were bound to favor the Pads after being dominated in the regular season 18-4. Hats off to the Pads…but go Phillies.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I have a similar struggle. I see the importance of a bye week as it pertains to football. After a 162-game regular season, I wouldn’t want more than a one or two day layoff. I get that baseball players (esp pitchers) need rest/recovery too but when your 20 games ahead of the 2nd place team, you can use the last few weeks of the regular season for the few guys who truly need it to be useful in post season.

All that said, those teams knew the format well in advance. It’s up to them to navigate it and maximize any advantage. There’s no guarantee that a different format would‘ve led to the Dodgers hitting better w/ RISP. Sometimes it’s just plain timing. I knew the Dodgers could be in trouble w/ the Padres simply b/c of the law of averages were bound to favor the Pads after being dominated in the regular season 18-4. Hats off to the Pads…but go Phillies.

Statistical evidence shows that too much rest really isn't a thing. Teams with layoffs win their first game back from said layoff 70% of the time going off of the playoff format from 2012-2021. What happens after that, why and how is really anyone's guess.

The 2019 Nationals had a week off, won the first game of the World Series and the series itself.

 

[ab2cmiller]

They need to wack an entire month off the schedule. It’s beyond stupid that we are deciding the World Series in November. World Series Champs may end up being won by whoever was simply the better cold weather team. Brilliant.

 

[stpeteirish]

They need to wack an entire month off the schedule. It’s beyond stupid that we are deciding the World Series in November. World Series Champs may end up being won by whoever was simply the better cold weather team. Brilliant.

Ironically yesterday Houston won in a dome and it was 90 degrees in San Diego.

As far as knocking a month off the schedule baseball is in a bind. A lot of fans are pissing and moaning about the expanded playoffs but it really does help the regular season to give more teams a shot to still be in it in Sept. And I can't see why anyone would want those 1 game Wild Card "playoffs" back. The only way you'd save a month using just the playoffs would be to go to a two team playoff which wouldn't have a chance of happening (although it would remind me of what baseball was like when I was 10 years old!)

Knocking 30 games off the regular season would raise havoc on revenue and consequently, salaries. Since they just signed a new agreement with the union, it ain't happening.

So get ready for watching guys breath on TV this weekend in NYC and Philly.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

They need to wack an entire month off the schedule. It’s beyond stupid that we are deciding the World Series in November. World Series Champs may end up being won by whoever was simply the better cold weather team. Brilliant.

Zero chance the owners give up all of those games. What else ya got?

 

[Irish#1]

They need to wack an entire month off the schedule. It’s beyond stupid that we are deciding the World Series in November. World Series Champs may end up being won by whoever was simply the better cold weather team. Brilliant.

Agree, go back to double-headers, knock some games off just figure something out. November is no time to be playing baseball. Even with teams like Houston and SD, there are too may teams in areas where the weather will be a factor.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Zero chance the owners give up all of those games. What else ya got?

I’m not saying that cutting a bunch of games would ever get approved. I’m telling you what needs to be done. The regular season is too long. I’m fine with the expanded playoffs. Wack a month off the regular season, make first round 5 game series, finish by mid October.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I’m not saying that cutting a bunch of games would ever get approved. I’m telling you what needs to be done. The regular season is too long. I’m fine with the expanded playoffs. Wack a month off the regular season, make first round 5 game series, finish by mid October.

Reality is always going to be more games. Regardless of whatever anyone feels needs to be done.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

They need to wack an entire mo

Statistical evidence shows that too much rest really isn't a thing. Teams with layoffs win their first game back from said layoff 70% of the time going off of the playoff format from 2012-2021. What happens after that, why and how is really anyone's guess.

The 2019 Nationals had a week off, won the first game of the World Series and the series itself.

Therein lies my conundrum. At the end of the day, teams have to build for October and be ready to navigate whatever schedule is thrown at them whether it be a bye w/ a long layoff or an immediate best-of-3 WC Series. That should put more importance on managerial strategy but that’s assuming the players you’ve chosen to compete with can produce when it counts most.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I’m not saying that cutting a bunch of games would ever get approved. I’m telling you what needs to be done. The regular season is too long. I’m fine with the expanded playoffs. Wack a month off the regular season, make first round 5 game series, finish by mid October.

I think the majority of fans (if not all) would agree playing baseball April through November is overkill. But like others have said, the owners are squeezing every ounce of blood out of that turnip that they can. I think that will lead to even more disparity moving forward between teams investing in winning a WS & teams investing in netting as much profit as possible. In other words, the off-season may have more fireworks than the post season. I don’t think there’s a guarantee Judge re-signs w/ NY. Ohtani is rumored to be discouraged that he’s in an organization not committed to winning. There’s some excellent SS who are eligible FAs (Correa, Swanson, Turner, Bogaerts, etc)

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

October is random. You get in and it is a crapshoot. The Atlanta Braves were October regulars for over a decade straight and won one World Series during their run.

The chalk in the NFL and NBA playoffs generally move on. MLB Playoffs are about as March Madness of a vibe as you'll find in the North American sports. Hockey can give you a few lower seeded upsets here and there too, but there is a reason why so many of these 100+ win teams don't win World Series and it isn't necessarily due to them doing or not doing certain things.

The same size gets reduced significantly. And now they've added more teams to the randomness of it all.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

The Texas Rangers have hired Bruce Bochy as their manager.

 

[irishff1014]

The Texas Rangers have hired Bruce Bochy as their manager.

He had some real good years in San fran

 

[IRISHDODGER]

He had some real good years in San fran

That’s an understatement. He won three WS championships. Before that he took the Padres to the WS in 1998. Not saying he’s guaranteed to be a success in Arlington, but if he got buy-in from ownership to invest in talent, it should be fun to watch.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Beyond happy for this kid.

 

[Irish#1]

Really disappointed in how the Yankees flamed out. I don't think I've ever seen a team get called out watching so many third strikes or swing at a bad strike three. Badar came alive, but Judge didn't look like the guy about to win the MVP.

 

[ACamp1900]

Never been less interested in a WS in my life

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Really disappointed in how the Yankees flamed out. I don't think I've ever seen a team get called out watching so many third strikes or swing at a bad strike three. Badar came alive, but Judge didn't look like the guy about to win the MVP.

I think the Astros had a lot to do with it, for whatever it's worth.