You can’t spell ‘no big contracts’ without RSN: 2024 regular MLB season thread!

i'm going to be in NYC at the very end of march with my 13-year-old son who is totally uninterested in sports. i'm going to try to convince him that we should go to a mets game (probably not the home opener, more likely their second game).

What is he interested in?

oh you know, art/music/"geek culture" stuff, generally the same things i was into at his age. he'll probably be fine with going to a game if i buy enough snacks

You should tell him basically all the players are gamers and Lindor is probably the most stylish player in the whole leagues if he’s into drip at all

Padres manager Mike Shildt just announced that Xander Bogaerts will move to second base to clear the way for Gold Glover HSK to play short.

“My admiration for Xander went through the roof,” he said.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) February 16, 2024

you know, rendon isn't *wrong* -- playing baseball is a difficult job that only becomes harder when your body starts to fall apart. i imagine most people in any line of work would say that family and faith were higher priorities than their work

but baseball players are entertainers, and part of the job is at least trying to make the fans happy. and the fans do not want to hear complaints from dudes who made $103 million while playing 148 games (badly!) over the last three seasons. you just sound like an asshole -- and people are going to treat you accordingly. there are no points for honesty in this; just mouth some platitudes a la jeter and go about your day

It’s a bad look when there are journeymen taking 12 hour bus journeys in the minor leagues who dream of making league minimum. It’s a hard game, it’s a grind, but both those things are easier with the big club’s accoutrements and all that money.

Come on, man

“It’s never been a top priority for me,” Rendon said regarding the game. “This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith, my family come first before this job.”
…

But, he also recognizes he has a certain perception among the fanbase for his lack of on-field production combined with his public comments. Last season, for example, he injured his shin in July, declined interviews for two months, then claimed the Angels doctors misdiagnosed a fractured tibia as only a bruise. That came months after getting suspended for grabbing an Oakland A’s fan in the stands following the first game of the season.

it's fair for Rendon to feel however he wants about baseball, Larry Walker iirc for example was not really Ernie Banks when it came to love of the game, though he did have fun with it and most crucially was a guy who played hard and was putting up excellent numbers til the day he retired. But Rendon has been paid like a Trout-level superstar while delivering the numbers of a decline phase Jeff Blauser.

Rendon probably doesn't even like SpongeBob

You know who does though

“I feel like SpongeBob going into work” - Dugie pic.twitter.com/J21Rk50gaY

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 19, 2024

queuing this one up for gyac:

The catcher hits for .318 and catches every day
The pitcher puts religion first and rests on holidays
He goes into cathedrals and lies prostrate on the floor
He knows the drink affects his speed, he's praying for a doorway
Back into the life he wants and the confession of the bench
Life outside the diamond is a wrench

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXiRbf-4RXc

(Did you know that Stuart Murdoch married a SF bay area gal after spending quite a bit of time here and he became a SF Giants fan whether by proxy or choice?

The first time I saw him live he was wearing a Barry Bonds jersey)

Thank you! I had been linked this song before and I didn’t know that about them.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3oBxgMSxtB/?igsh=dmN0bXEyeXY2dWhz

Teoscar is bringing some of the best vibes you can possible ask for to this team. Contagious smile

Spring training starts tomorrow people. Baseball is just about back!

Buenos días, fanáticos!

We are going to the Dodger-Angels game Saturday. My nephew wants to see Shohei.

Thanks, I hate this

Kodai Senga has a mild strain of his posterior capsule in his shoulder.

He will be shut down until symptoms subside and is expected to begin the season on the IL. pic.twitter.com/N9Ok7eVstW

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 22, 2024

Mets are so fucked

Speaking of, Sheehan has this to say about Pete Alonso

Hitters are losing value earlier and earlier in their careers, as power pitching and designer breaking balls put a premium on eyesight, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination. Lose even a tiny bit of that at 31, at 32, and you get run out of the league. Shortstops, center fielders, even catchers can make up for that with baserunning and defense. First basemen cannot.

Is he saying Alonso is already not ageing well? He’s projected to hit over 40 next year. Or is he suggesting this is why they haven’t extended him?

i'd be slightly wary about extending him, just due to the fact that while he's a good guy to have, i think he's not as good as the counting stats might indicate. he's more a Schwarber than a Judge. ftr i like Pete, but maybe not at whatever he'll eventually get paid.

he hit .217/.318/.504 with 3 war in his age 28 season. the homers are lovely, but yeah that's edging into schwarber territory. i'd pay him a fair bit of money on a four-year deal, but i'm sure he'll want 8+

not to be all 'wahh, boras' but boras' clients almost never sign extensions before hitting the market. and considering the deals he's gotten bogaerts and kris bryant and eric hosmer, that seems pretty effective! it only takes one sucker

if being a met means that much to alonso, i'm sure they can get a deal done -- boras works for him, after all. but they're all just posturing now

I was looking at this looking for parks that are friendly to right handed pull hitters who might be looking for a first baseman whose main skill is hitting it out, and I didn’t realise Citi field is actually so unfriendly to Alonso!

Also, now I understand why Alex Cora is always trying to get his left handed hitters to go oppo. Had no idea Fenway was that difficult for lefties.

yeah it’s a vast prairie out there in right for the most part

Unless you’ve got like 70 or 80 power or are lucky enough to reach the pole, I guess? I was surprised that Ted Williams claims he only had four oppo homers there.

Anyway, Alonso could do well in St Louis maybe? Goldy is still good but he’s a free agent at the end of 2024 at the age of 37, and they’d be able to pay Alonso if they want to.

so are they going to fix the uniforms?

word on the street is that of universal concern is the pant

word on the street is that of universal concern is the pant

there is spring training baseball on tv!

New statement on the pants from an MLB official: “The uniform pants have the same material and thickness as the uniform pants used last season. There were changes to the fabric of the jersey, not the pants.”

i.e. design and sizing changed but not the material, per the league. https://t.co/1km20Q3U3E

— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) February 23, 2024

They’re going to be laughing on the other side of their faces when there’s a rainy game at Citi or Fenway and having to see Kenley or Pete Alonso exposed to the eyes of children. Otoh maybe players will finally start wearing cups again?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqEFzxpGQx0

Baseball.
On at Australian prime time.
Only 10 hours away?

We are so back

First AB of the 2024 MLB season ends with a pitch clock violated walk. Didn't have that on my bingo card

atmosphere sucks

Facts

Omg I love Ohtani

Look at his happy mother! Wholesome 🥰

Oof this padres catcher. Not quite the cannon arm is it?

I feel like Manny Machado's ears get even more elvish as the years go on

commentators keep going on about the passion of the fans in korea but all we see on tv are bored millionaires in half-empty leather seats looking at their phones

Tbf, that's the case behind homeplate for most games

maybe in LA lol

exactly the right pitch from darvish there

Well, they're full in la, and the bleachers make up for it.

Hyunjin ryu spotted. King

Wtf is that hat mullet yamamoto?!

Sheeeeeesh lotta spikes tonight on glasnow

And the first great AB and run of the year comes from: Tyler Wade?

Never doubt the -.6bwar guy

Oh jesus

can anybody recall when the last time a hurricane had an impact on a playoff race?

apparently atlanta is gonna get rained on wed/thur

Today, with just six games left, the Pirates DFA'd Rowdy Tellez, who has been an above-average hitter by wRC+ over the past month.

Coincidentally, Tellez's contract reportedly entitled him to a $200,000 bonus at 425 plate appearances.

His time with the Pirates ends at 421.

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) September 24, 2024

Are the Padres going to pull it out? They need to sweep the Dodgers and won the first one.

My Giants are hot. The Dbacks are slumping at the worst time and might miss the playoffs after all?

I quit baseball for a minute there but the playoffs are coming and the ending of the season this year is fun.

Padres ended the game by turning a triple play! They might just win the division.

Thw Braves looked great taking the first game from the Mets. They're now one game back and have Sale pitching tonight...

I couldn’t believe my brain went “well the only thing that ruins this is a triple play” as the pitch was delivered to Rojas. Credit to the Pad’s, they literally have the ability to win the division completely within their control if they win out. Going to be a fun last week.

apparently atlanta is gonna get rained on wed/thur

Atlanta is expecting 8-9" of rain over the next 48 hours, not good baseball weather

last i heard the rain was expected to continue through sunday morning, so that means 4 of the braves 5 remaining games might get rained out? and there's only one day between the end of the season and the start of the wildcard games?

MLB, what are you gonna do?

Move the games to a domed stadium is my guess

would they do that? whats the closest one? Houston?

braves last series is against the royals btw who are also in the thick of a wild card race. so the fate of multiple teams may come down to hastily scheduled double headers in ‘neutral’ domes. just a huge cluster

would they do that? whats the closest one? Houston?

Really hoping the Padres take the division and force LA to scramble to trot out Kershaw or whatever IL-residing ghoul in an effort to fight for their lives in the NLDS.

Wasn’t there that rumour they’d get Ohtani to pitch?

INT. A MYSTERIOUS HOSPITAL OUTSIDE LOS ANGELES

The hospital is unmarked on maps and can’t be found on GPS. The only hints as to its true nature are the distinct blue touches on its fittings, and the single image of an arm on the side.

INT. HOSPITAL

MARK PRIOR steps inside a sterile white room. Several wan faces look up at him. They are all men in distinct white and blue attire. Many of them have their arms strapped up into heavy duty slings.

CLOSE ON Prior’s nostrils, wrinkling in disgust. There is a distinct scent in the air, perhaps BURNT PULLED PORK.

PRIOR: Which one of you can give me five against the Mets?

i hear rumors of a TONY GONSOLIN return

looks like the rain will clear up by saturday in atlanta now

fantasizing about a scenario in which the mets clinch against the brewers and so no need to face chris sale and spencer schwellenbach in a monday double header... let's go royals!

BAH GOD THAT’S DENNIS COOK’S MUSIC

right now the dodgers' opening round rotation would be YY, Flaherty, Buehler, and Knack. their three top starters by IP are all gone (Stone, Glasnow, Paxton.) Kershaw is a mess. it's a curse (have yet to mention Miller, May, Ryan, may as well mention Urias and sure why not Bauer as well?) Time to turn to Kyle Hurt? Anthony Banda(id)?

hearing h.p. is getting ready to put some spikes on

I thought up some names they might bring in on short notice

Yellow Horse Morris

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morriye01.shtml

Pros: a two way player like Shohei, an obvious horse given the nickname, WS winner

Cons: dead since 1959

Joe ‘Muscles’ Medwick

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/medwijo01.shtml

Pros: Hall of Famer, MVP, multiple hall Star, nickname is “muscles”, ex-Dodger

Cons: not a pitcher, dead

Shawn Armstrong

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/armstsh01.shtml

Pros: alive, actually an active pitcher, name is opposite of Dodgers staff

Cons: DFAed by Cubs for WHIP approaching 2, career ERA a shade under 5.

Julio Urias

Pros: alive, former Dodger

Cons: still a wife-beating piece of shit, video released recently makes him look even worse

Trevor Bauer

Pros(?): alive

Cons: piece of shit, managed to somehow miss a start in Mexico due to cholera, tweets like a small-time loser on Twitter, famously shit the bed badly enough in the playoff that the Cubs won a World Series.

A former Pilot would be nice. Diego Segui and Skip Lockwood are still alive.

https://nypost.com/2024/09/25/sports/how-braves-decision-for-mets-series-set-up-nightmare-hurricane-helene-scenario/

The Braves start their home games at 7:20 p.m. not earlier, for example, because there is a flow problem to get people in and out of The Battery area after the standard workday and before a game.

love that there is a NUMTOT angle to this too lol

Jesse Orosco is in Carpenteria or Simi Valley aiui

wow didn’t realize they cancelled both Atalanta/Mets games and so both teams will have two days off now

I ain't been learnin' the knuckleball for no reason

Pretty sure the plan is buehler yamamoto knack flaherty and pray for a 4 game sweep. 5th game would be a bull pen game. We are so cooked.

It is very funny to me that the man in the "Rocky Training Montage", gearing up to be fit just in time to save the team in the play offs is..... TONY GONSOLIN. It's true he might be back in time, but I'd wager one of his or knack's starts will fundamentally be bullpen games.

In the playoffs you only need four starters with all the travel days built in.

Only 3 and 2 relievers if you're the Nats (insane way to win a ring)

this exhibition looks cool

https://www.avam.org/exhibitions/good-sports:-the-wisdom-&-fun-of-fair-play

The Mets & Braves are getting fucked by the rescheduling of their two games to be the day before the Wild Card games start!

it was the braves fault

I wonder if they cancel it if the playoffs are determined by then. Or cancel the second game based on the outcome of the first. Either way, the Mets have to do more traveling than the Braves. Although I guess the Braves have the potential for more than one double header in the next few days.

Season is officially extended! Welcome to the climate-change era.

what the tigers have done is insane

https://i.imgur.com/ZjVcmjL.jpeg

Saturday July 13th, the Tigers had a 0.473 win percentage, playing the Dodgers going into the bottom of the 9th inning down 4-9. They won that game 11-9.
Sunday July 14th, The Tigers were down 2-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning against the Dodgers, they won that game 4-3.

Since then, they have played .620 ball, currently playing .714 ball in September.

Good Guy Dodgers

The real game that turned this season around for them was their last strike, 0-3 scoreline grandslam in the 9th against the Padres, September 5th. As incredible as it is, it was inevitable after they pulled that one out of the bag.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFuF1d3-q4

Walker Buehler is still arguing with Dave Roberts about coming back out for the 6th and we're up to the 4th batter of the inning. Man is hungry.

brutal

The Twins' season is hanging in the balance and this happens pic.twitter.com/WQCr6hwBzn

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 27, 2024

What were the runners thinking there? And then the Twins lost in 13. Tigers are a virtual lock for the WC now.

everything about that play was awful. a terrible bunt, bunted in the wrong direction, and 15-year veteran carlos santana getting doubled off second