2022-23 MLB offseason thread

[tx 3 putt 77554]

Don’t blink at mlb games this year ……

 

[Herpa Derpa 6132]

Reminds me of many of my LL at-bats.

[UTexasFight 9551]

[Craig]
good morning

good afternoon 

goodn…ess , he’s already back on the bench

[Way]

Edited March 2, 2023 by UTexasFight

[wood 11287]

8 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Don’t blink at mlb games this year ……

 

I hate this stupid rule so fucking much.

[wood 11287]

nsiap ... So, MLB gonna take over the local broadcasts? Can we please put an end to our long, national blackout nightmare?

 

[Helobious 9467]

53 minutes ago, wood said:

I hate this stupid rule so fucking much.

This. That was 20 seconds the batter could’ve spent adjusting his batting gloves or the pitcher could’ve spent walking around the mound. Instead actual baseball happened. Total bullshit.

[wood 11287]

12 minutes ago, Helobious said:

This. That was 20 seconds the batter could’ve spent adjusting his batting gloves or the pitcher could’ve spent walking around the mound. Instead actual baseball happened. Total bullshit.

You took time out from yanking it to Judge videos? Cool, cool, cool.

[tx 3 putt 77554]

Baseball was never meant to be a sprint.

Edited March 3, 2023 by tx 3 putt

[henrygandorf 29197]

 

[shadow_operative2.0 16035]

Well, at least he has progressed to not posting the tweet directly above, so points for HG. 

[formermav43 4606]

9 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Baseball was never meant to be a sprint.

It wasn't meant to be a 3.5 hour adjustathon either.

[kevwun 15936]

I don’t need to watch 5 minutes of adjusting batting gloves every at bat.

[Hank Chinaski 6322]

I like the pitch clock. Watching guys go through their elaborate series of nervous ticks before every goddamn pitch gets old. They’ll adjust during the season.

Maybe MLB will tweak the duration of the clock after the season, but I’d bet it’s popular and here to stay. 

[Felix 607]

Especially when you play so may games on the West Coast.  With a 2.5 hour game I might be able to stay up to the end.  Getting old sucks.

[Scraps 13584]

yep...

 

[HRSchenker 2275]

Heading out to Arizona in a week and a half for some spring training baseball! Haven't been in nearly a decade. Have any of yall been this year or in recent years? Heads up on things I should expect?

[Beau Vine 54468]

12 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Heading out to Arizona in a week and a half for some spring training baseball! Haven't been in nearly a decade. Have any of yall been this year or in recent years? Heads up on things I should expect?

2017 was the last year I've gone and I couldn't believe how expensive tickets were.  Angels tickets were $35 for outfield and $50 for infield, IIRC.

[HRSchenker 2275]

6 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

2017 was the last year I've gone and I couldn't believe how expensive tickets were.  Angels tickets were $35 for outfield and $50 for infield, IIRC.

Goddamn! My dad and I walked up to the ballpark in Surprise and got 2nd row behind the dugout for less than $20. Thanks for the heads up

[Beau Vine 54468]

1 hour ago, HRSchenker said:

Goddamn! My dad and I walked up to the ballpark in Surprise and got 2nd row behind the dugout for less than $20. Thanks for the heads up

Yeah, A's tickets were like $7 then, but there was a lot of variability by park.  Cubs tickets were worse than Angels.  Edit: Jesus Christ!

Edited March 4, 2023 by Beau Vine

[tx 3 putt 77554]

5 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Yeah, A's tickets were like $7 then, but there was a lot of variability by park.  Cubs tickets were worse than Angels.  Edit: Jesus Christ!

 

 

[UTexasFight 9551]

On 3/3/2023 at 10:24 AM, Hank Chinaski said:

I like the pitch clock. Watching guys go through their elaborate series of nervous ticks before every goddamn pitch gets old. They’ll adjust during the season.

 

This.

now, do golf.

[tx 3 putt 77554]

I’m ready for opening day 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by tx 3 putt

[Scraps 13584]

Heading out to Arizona in a week and a half for some spring training baseball! Haven't been in nearly a decade. Have any of yall been this year or in recent years? Heads up on things I should expect?

You will be there during the WBC?

I would at least hit up a USA game....they have the night games every game

[Rimbo 26158]

 

[Helobious 9467]

Shit there’s actually 10+ really great ones in there.

[TonyTexas 10535]

52 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Shit there’s actually 10+ really great ones in there.

I can’t believe I’ve never heard “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beerholder”

[tx 3 putt 77554]

 

[Scraps 13584]

[Guest]

Admittedly a fluff piece, but it'd take a lot to get me to change my mind about George Springer being a genuine good dude.

https://www.mlb.com/news/george-springer-helped-writer-son-with-stutter

[Guest]

nm

Edited March 5, 2023 by slorch

[UTexasFight 9551]

A national treasure

 

 

 

[kevwun 15936]

92 is much harder than he has been throwing the last few seasons.  He’s been losing 1-2 mph on his fastball each year going back awhile.

[rvm96 1643]

1 hour ago, kevwun said:

92 is much harder than he has been throwing the last few seasons.  He’s been losing 1-2 mph on his fastball each year going back awhile.

Yes to the first part, but I disagree with the second part. He's been averaging 88 to 89 on sinkers and fastballs since 2019. 

[UTexasFight 9551]

And yet this is textbook Grienke. Only he would throw his hardest stuff in years against a guy he knows isn’t swinging.

[Vic Mackey 47168]

Took a ball straight to the face

[tx 3 putt 77554]

 

[txhorns 2413]

Sorry to interrupt the thread but we need more people for the Surly Roto League this year.  It’s a $50 buy in.  Here’s a link to our thread if you are interested.

 

[Huckleberry 33115]

On 3/3/2023 at 12:12 AM, tx 3 putt said:

Baseball was never meant to be a sprint.

Then why were games 2 hours long for decades? The clock is a great rule because it holds umpires accountable. There was a rule requiring pitchers to pitch within 12 seconds of the batter being ready that was never enforced. If you need 30 seconds to review the situation then you're too dumb to play (and that's saying a lot because often times dummies make great baseball players).

The clock rule is great. The shift rule is the dumb one.

[Wulaw Horn 19153]

43 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Then why were games 2 hours long for decades? The clock is a great rule because it holds umpires accountable. There was a rule requiring pitchers to pitch within 12 seconds of the batter being ready that was never enforced. If you need 30 seconds to review the situation then you're too dumb to play (and that's saying a lot because often times dummies make great baseball players).

The clock rule is great. The shift rule is the dumb one.

I think I’m going to like the shift rule just fine. Takes baseball back to the way it was when we were growing up and a ball smoked up the middle was a hit. There are rules in football and basketball for alignment it’s not absurd for baseball imo. It’s an entertainment business- I think getting more bats on balls and base hits will add to most peoples enjoyment. 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Wulaw Horn

[Huckleberry 33115]

1 hour ago, Wulaw Horn said:

I think I’m going to like the shift rule just fine. Takes baseball back to the way it was when we were growing up and a ball smoked up the middle was a hit. There are rules in football and basketball for alignment it’s not absurd for baseball imo. It’s an entertainment business- I think getting more bats on balls and base hits will add to most peoples enjoyment. 

Except it probably won't accomplish what you want. The reaction to the rule from hitters was "sweet I can continue with my three true outcomes approach." Far likelier is that there's a temporary jump in averages but the trendline toward more HRs, BBs, and Ks continues unabated. And the 2023 rule does nothing to ensure hot shots up the middle are hits. The shortstop will be one inch from directly up the middle and will take a step toward the second baseman on the pitch.

If you want more bats on balls then make that skill more valuable. Simultaneously lowering the seams and deadening the ball is the only certain solution. But that will never happen. 

[Wulaw Horn 19153]

14 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Except it probably won't accomplish what you want. The reaction to the rule from hitters was "sweet I can continue with my three true outcomes approach." Far likelier is that there's a temporary jump in averages but the trendline toward more HRs, BBs, and Ks continues unabated. And the 2023 rule does nothing to ensure hot shots up the middle are hits. The shortstop will be one inch from directly up the middle and will take a step toward the second baseman on the pitch.

If you want more bats on balls then make that skill more valuable. Simultaneously lowering the seams and deadening the ball is the only certain solution. But that will never happen. 

I thought there was an entire wedge behind 2nd base they weren't allowed in.  We've had no Astros spring training games on TV other than when I was having surgery and I haven't seen the rule play out.  

No- nobody wants dead balls and lower seams I don't think.  I guess all I can say is there have been what- 2 famous shifts in the history of the game (Williams and McCovey) and beyond that it never happened before 2011 more or less- so I'm fine with the game returning to the old way it was played. If the rule proves too gimmicky or doesn't accomplish what they want they can get rid of it easy enough.  

[Huckleberry 33115]

I wouldn't say nobody. I would greatly prefer it. You want baseball the way it used to be on one hand but you don't want batting averages and home runs the way they used to be? 

Athletes and training methods and analytics mean today's players aren't the same as yesterday's players. Stop with the gimmicky bullshit like banning shifts and change the ball. Make it to where it used to be and only the elite power hitters can threaten 40-50 home runs and only the elite nasty pitchers can strike out 10 per 9. Until you make swinging for the fences and power pitching purely for strikeouts less valuable none of this other stuff is going to change anything in the end. 

Old man signing off. 

[tx 3 putt 77554]

This is horrible …..

 

[Scraps 13584]

22 hours ago, txhorns said:

Sorry to interrupt the thread but we need more people for the Surly Roto League this year.  It’s a $50 buy in.  Here’s a link to our thread if you are interested.

 

Come get your asses whipped 

[Dr Fear 1268]

The T-Mobile free MLB tv package is officially back March 28.

[Guadaloopy 11023]

On 3/7/2023 at 9:43 AM, txhorns said:

Sorry to interrupt the thread but we need more people for the Surly Roto League this year.  It’s a $50 buy in.  Here’s a link to our thread if you are interested.

 

Just what I need... something to make me MORE obsessive about baseball.

[Fudge Nuggets 19228]

On 3/2/2023 at 11:00 PM, wood said:

I hate this stupid rule so fucking much.

The entire MLB is going Savannah Bananas.  We're going to have relief pitchers repelling in from Blackhawk helicopters next year.

[formermav43 4606]

On 3/7/2023 at 2:49 PM, Wulaw Horn said:

I thought there was an entire wedge behind 2nd base they weren't allowed in.  We've had no Astros spring training games on TV other than when I was having surgery and I haven't seen the rule play out.  

To be clear, no, that’s not the rule. I believe it’s just that 1) all 4 infielders have to have their feet in the dirt (which is now standardized in size at every park) and 2) 2 on each side of 2nd. They’re often lining up against lefties the way Huck described. Someone lined up against Joey Gallo with the LF in shallow RF, in fact.

That wedge is something that’s been talked about, maybe even experimented with at some level in the minors. 

[Vic Mackey 47168]

.

[WBT 20675]

The Braves and Rays are on MLB Network, playing in the Trop.  I thought that was strange.  Somehow I missed this news:

Quote

Following a joint assessment of the damage to Charlotte Sports Park caused by Hurricane Ian, Charlotte County and the Rays determined the facility is unable to host this year's spring training games. For the 2023 spring training season, all remaining spring training home games will be played at Tropicana Field.