SPRING TRAINING 2018

CamdenWarehouse:
Pitchers and catcher reporting is not as much fun when your favorite team only has two pitchers.

Travis Sawchik:
Ugh. Sorry, Baltimore

Pablo Sandoval is here, and as usual, you hear him before you see him. Says he is ready for any role, and is even breaking in a catcher’s mitt. Praised the Longoria trade.

— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) February 14, 2018

best shape of their lives: syndergaard, schwarber, betances

ucl tear: tigers prospect bryan garcia

arrival delayed due to visa issues: no one yet (?)

'nine legitimate candidates for the rotation': marlins

The Tigers are off to a good start, jesus fucking shitbag christ.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2018/02/14/norris-kill-makes-stronger/110418992/

Veteran catcher Derek Norris, a non-roster invitee to the Tigers’ big-league camp this spring, hopes that he’s finally, after nearly two-and-a-half years, put domestic-abuse allegations and his suspension last September in the rear-view.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Norris said after the first official pitchers and catchers workout Wednesday. “I think I learned a lot from it. But at the same time, it’s a new year and I am looking to get back on that field and back to the thing I love to do.”

Defensive assistant GM:

“Listen, this isn’t something we condone. I have two daughters and a wife of 30 years. Don’t portray me as somebody who is insensitive to this. I’m very sensitive. But we vetted all the information we could get from the Commissioner’s Office and they were on-board with us signing him.”

i really hope that one day i'll be able to say 'best shape of my life' but the probability is on a downward slope.

schwarber looks skinnier, not sure if that's a good thing though

General Manager Al Avila never spoke to him before signing him, that much we already knew following the club’s feeble, clumsy news conference at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla. Avila said he instead delegated that responsibility to assistant general manager David Chadd, who like Norris, is from the Wichita, Kan., area. He has known Norris and his family for years — Norris' dad is Chadd's mechanic — and so he was tasked with that phone call.

bros before hoes

The Rays are blogging... I mean, Tanking!

https://sports.yahoo.com/rays-announce-rays-tank-really-195039287.html

lmao

nice Mets joke, Brisbee

https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2018/2/22/17032576/mlb-over-under-betting-line-2018

https://deadspin.com/the-best-of-mlb-photo-day-2018-1823234958

The Austin Romine Experience pic.twitter.com/ASq5Qxso0p

— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) February 23, 2018

picture day

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2018/02/22/266970170/photos-of-baseball-players-on-new-teams-in-2018

I think we have a box-score line du jour!

Miguel Socolovich vs the Mets today: 2/3-3-6-6-3-0 1 HBP.

In case you missed it (& if you didn't, why weren't you working?) it went: HBP, single, double, out, out, walk, single, walk, walk

First box-score gem of 2018.

You're welcome

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) February 23, 2018

19yo tatis jr has homered for the padres

dodgers have sent home ~25 players due to an outbreak of flu-like symptoms

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DXIJLjiXkAEtAqr.jpg:small

gabe kapler hates official scorers

get a digital scorebook, dinosaurs

STL 1, BAL 9
Cardinals - Top 7th
FAULKNER PITCHING FOR BAL
Muñoz homered to left.
Knizner singled to left.
Bader hit by pitch, Knizner to second.
Valera walked, Knizner to third, Bader to second.
J. García popped out to first.
Tovar doubled to deep right, Knizner, Bader and Valera scored.
KLIMEK PITCHING FOR BAL
Tovar to third on wild pitch by Klimek.
Mejia singled to center, Tovar scored.
Ortega doubled to deep right, Mejia to third.
Wisdom grounded out to shortstop, Mejia scored, Ortega to third.
Muñoz homered to left, Ortega scored.
Knizner hit by pitch.
Bader lined out to second.

STL 9, BAL 9

pretty intense AA battle

MLBPA Free Agents' Exhibition Game Live Stream at 11am ET

Sawx move to burn Tom Y's corpse

https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2018/2/28/17065206/boston-red-sox-formal-petition-yawkey-way-jersey-street

top overreactions thus far

https://www.mlb.com/news/overreacting-to-first-week-of-spring-games/c-267795296

does anyone else's local broadcast team cover the new mound visit rules 10 to 12 times per game? omfg i'm sick of this shit already

twice in this game, angel hernandez has done the thing where he unilaterally calls timeout in the middle of the delivery

kinda judgmental

https://deadspin.com/royals-host-anti-porn-seminar-for-players-1823597445

back on the field, Rays plan to pitch the bullpen every fifth day

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22677327/tampa-bay-rays-plan-using-four-man-rotation-bullpen-day-2018-season

i'm curious to see how that works out. if the bullpen day is as good as a typical back of the rotation kind of guy and there's a way to do it without gradually exhausting everyone, that could be a useful option to a lot of teams (or at least those with decent bullpen depth)

also

The Texas Rangers said earlier this spring that they were looking at using a six-man rotation this season, but they have since backed off the idea after criticism from veteran Cole Hamels.

"It's not part of baseball," Hamels said March 3. "I know that's the new analytical side of trying to reinvent the wheel, but I was brought up in the minor leagues on the five-man [rotation], and that's what I'm designed and conditioned for.

cole hamels stfu man

Hamels is such a goon.

I think the Rays' plan may not make it into June.

andrelton simmons just took a tumble at short and hyperextended his shoulder, looks ok but being taken out of the game

looks like the three true outcomes are on the rise again for this year: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/youll-never-guess-whats-happening-in-spring-training/

I'm excited to see how that works out for the Rays. If their starters average 5 IP per start then it won't last through April. If they average 6-7 IP per start then it could get interesting. I've never understood why more teams don't try stuff like this.

Do you think the pen would get too taxed with only a 5 IP avg? I don’t think that is nec fatal. There’ll be an extra arm in the pen to begin with and you’re badically asking 1 or 2 out of seven guys to throw two innings instead of one. Doesn’t seem like that terrible of a plan.

I'll be watching this 4-amn rotation with interest and skepticism. didn't work much for anyone else did it? did anyone other than the rockies try?

I've never understood why more teams don't try stuff like this.

Most teams have several players like cole hamels, + coaches/broadcasters, who are terrified of anything new

(ftr i'm not a traditionalist, i like the idea of the 6-man rotation much more)

also, lol at the Moustakas contract. dude lost out on roughly 10 million by turning down the QO.

xxp they also have players whose contracts may feature performance bonuses/options based on five-man-rotation-type starts and appearances. this would come into play more with ppl's theories of having your best relievers start and throw an inning, etc., but still

tbh tho, i think it's mostly that baseball players are absolutely addicted to ~routine~. (see that crazy ichiro story on espn the other day.) hamels is a dick and maybe we should expect professional athletes to be more flexible, but he's not wrong about himself -- he's spent 15 years preparing himself to pitch every fifth day and it's worked pretty well for him

Teams and front offices have gone along with all kinds of crazy analytics-based ideas the last few years, I'm not sure why the five man rotation remains a sacred cow!

Thermo -- with only 5 IP per starter plus a full bullpen day, the bullpen would throw over half the team's innings over the course of the season. That might turn it to be some kind of record of it happens. Even great bullpens from last year's playoff teams were totally gassed down the stretch and in October. Maybe with some creative roster management and off days they can keep their guys fresher, but it's a tough one. Might as well try though if you're the Rays!

new idea: permanent baseball season, 3 games a week, every week, all bullpen, no starters, no fun allowed

The Dbacks announced that Taijuan Walker will be handing out free tacos at Salt River Field on Monday, first-come, first serve. Tacos he made with his secret recipe, because he loves cooking. There is no corporate sponsorship from what I can tell. It's just for fun. How novel!

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) March 9, 2018

over the weekend I talked to someone high up with the Angels and when I brought up playing-time expectations for the starting rotation he laughed maniacally for a solid eight seconds

— Jeff Sullivan (@based_ball) March 12, 2018

Schimpf is now 0-for-8 w/ 8 K with the Braves and 0-for-22 with 16 Ks during the Grapefruit League season.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 13, 2018

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DYQI7W2U0AUYTxw.jpg:small

Buck Showalter got sunscreen in his eyes and was told to use baby sunscreen. He will not. “I’m not a baby.”

— Jon Meoli (@JonMeoli) March 22, 2018

he is a buck

Patrick:
Good afternoon Keith! Which spring training locale is better suited for you to scout, AZ or FLA?

Keith Law:
Arizona all day every day. One hotel for the entire month. Florida for me is often a new hotel each night. And Arizona has better food, better weather, and better roads. This may flip when Arizona runs out of water in three to five years, though.

do we care about making predictions for 2018? don't we usually do a thread for that?

ready for this season to start already

could this be the end for former mets great francisco rodriguez

Oh ya. Forgot about our predictatron!

made a thread for it.

BASEBALL NEEDS MORE OF THIS

Mookie Betts, during an in-game interview, gets ball hit over his head: “I ain’t getting this one, boys.” pic.twitter.com/McfNeuEnXT

— Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) March 27, 2018

lol that is amazing

when i first read the tweet i thought he wasn't even going to bother going after the ball

MLB should to be doing everything in its power to showcase more player personality.

Dodger Stadium is the new O.co

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2018/03/28/13613/dodger-stadium-springs-a-sewage-leak-time-to-build-a-new-one/

I’m late to the game but lol at the mookie (betts) clip. That is hilarious and awesome

sal perez tore his MCL while carrying his luggage last night