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2024 MLB Season Thread - Catch All


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11 hours ago, Derka said:

 

I love this guy so much:

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After playing 13 years in professional baseball as an outfielder, Brett Phillips began the first leg of a comeback tour to return to the majors — as a pitcher — in Wichita on Monday evening. Since being released by the Chicago White Sox in May, the 30-year-old has been working with a pitching coach in Texas to capitalize on his best asset, his right arm, in a different way.

On Monday, Phillips made his first start on the mound since his little league days in Seminole, Florida, for the GPS (Texas) Legends in a 9-3 victory over the Seattle Blackfins in the National Baseball Congress World Series at Eck Stadium. It took about the same amount of time it required Phillips to strike out the side in the top of the first inning, as he routinely hit 97 mph on the radar with his fastball, as it did for his pitching debut to go viral on social media.

“Honestly, it felt like I was playing in the big leagues,” Phillips told The Eagle following his pitching debut. “Just because of how new (pitching) is to me, that’s how it felt emotions-wise. I’m excited to see where this takes me, but it was a great first step.”

Because Phillips was not listed on the roster for GPS Legends, which features primarily college-aged players from Texas, few in attendance on Monday even realized who they were watching. When clips of him touching 97 mph on the mound started to circulate online, baseball fans wondered two things: First, is this the same Brett Phillips who was a World Series hero? And second, is he serious with pitching?

The latter is a fair question considering Phillips was also known for a comical wind-up and lobbing 45 mph pitches across the plate at the end of blowouts when the Rays didn’t want to waste the arm of a pitcher. He made five major league appearances on the mound with a career earned-run average of 15.19.

Back then, Phillips was in on the joke. But his transition to full-time pitcher is no joke, which he proved Monday with an electric fastball and a sharp breaking ball he used to strike out the third batter.

“This wasn’t something where I got ready in a week for this,” Phillips said. “I’ve put in a lot of good work. This has been a thought-out process and something I really want to pursue and I feel like I can still make a difference at the big-league level.”

Even the Legends were a bit skeptical when they reached out to Chicago White Sox director of personnel Gene Watson, who lives in Texas, for pitching suggestions for the NBC World Series and were told Phillips was interested.

“Not someone who is messing around,” Phillips recounted hearing about their initial reaction to the idea. “We need someone who is an actual pitcher.”

During a 13-year professional career, Brett Phillips played for the Brewers, Royals, Rays, Orioles and Angels at the MLB level. The outfielder-turned-pitcher made his debut on the mound in Wichita on Monday night at the NBC World Series.

Dispelling the notion that his pitching was a novelty act was exactly the goal for Phillips on Monday. After doing their own due diligence, the Legends were more than happy to offer that opportunity in a summer-baseball tournament against mostly college-aged competition. Phillips raved about his time in Wichita, including a host dinner sponsored by local businessman Doug Lampton, and the first-class nature of the Legends organization. While Phillips was just grateful for the opportunity, he turned everyone who watched him throw 12 fastballs and three breaking balls into a believer in his comeback on Monday.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to make that journey all the way back to where he wants to be,” Legends coach Daryl Reeves said. “And when he does, the GPS Legends are going to be there in full force behind him. He’s got some guys who will definitely give him a hard time and let him know that we’re there. We’ve built such a great relationship with him through baseball. What a great sport and a great opportunity we had because of this sport.”

“If you look at pitchers in professional baseball today, most of them are electric,” Phillips added. “If you’re not throwing from a different angle like myself, who is right over the top, you better have something to feature. (Velocity) definitely in the back of my mind. If you want to pitch in the big leagues, you have to be up there velocity-wise and just go out there and have fun and attack the zone.”

Read more at: https://www.kansas.com/sports/other-sports/nbc-baseball/article290560474.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

DAMMIT.

So you’ll be wanting to join the r/NYYankees subreddit for sure. Pinstripe Alley is decent for analysis but it is still SB Nation at the end of the day. Talkin’ Yanks is a must. Can’t go wrong with a Judge jersey as your first one for sure. Super excited I have a friend to join me in the Yankee thread now!!

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43 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Paul DeJong switching dugouts in Chi to KC's side. Clearly he'll move Witt off SS. 

@Shoxthemonkey

God, I hope so. That kid is turrible.

Doesn't look like KC gave up much for the modest moves. What it really means is that the farm is so shitty that nobody wants any of the hands. Erceg looks like a decent pickup. He's better than any of the warm bodies in the pen.

Onward and upward.

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just tuned in to the dodgers vs padres game that’s in extras. watched one pitch, a k from suarez. the announcer: “uno, dos, a-di-os. outman is out man.” i immediately had to

giphy.gif?cid=9b38fe917zzpxvedzeiaa1zar0

never turned a game off so quickly in my life.

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