MLB 2018

[Gaolee]

I don't want to make our MLB discussion political and have to moderate it, but Paxton was standing for the anthem with his hat over his heart...even though he's Canadian...and was attacked by the overly-patriotic anyway. I'm just saying.

That bird was just providing some reason to pay attention to the Mariners. They had my hopes up. Now my hopes are dashed. Maybe next week my hopes will be up again. That's the nature of baseball. If it wasn't six months of suspense and torture, it would just be a game.

 

[TroyK]

That bird was just providing some reason to pay attention to the Mariners. They had my hopes up. Now my hopes are dashed. Maybe next week my hopes will be up again. That's the nature of baseball. If it wasn't six months of suspense and torture, it would just be a game.

Honestly, I didn't come into this season with hope. I just don't buy into Dipoto's whole scheme. I don't now if I will ever forgive him for LoMo and replacing McClendon with someone who had never managed baseball at at level before. Love the game and want to get behind our team, but I predict that this is not the era. Something will need to change before we have a shot at respectability again.

That can happen when people treat wild animals like that. Poor bird looked confused.
There was no reason to make a political comment at all though.

-Mike

You're right of course, but it's just such a softball. You have no idea how hard it is for me not to wise-crack when I'm gifted material like that. I mean, a bald eagle singling out the one Canadian and landing on him during the national anthem? It's just too easy. I'm not saying that he immigrated here and took an American job, but what other possible reason could there be that I'm not a left handed starter for the Mariners this season? You know it, I know it, James Paxton knows it, and clearly that eagle knows it.

...but of course you are right.

You're right about using wild animals as props too. It's not fair to the animals and in all seriousness, Paxton could have been hurt, even though that was the eagle intention.

 

[toowrongfoo]

A gIANTS game rained out in SF. What's next, snow?

 

[the harp unstrung]

...all that...AND our tickets to Sunday afternoon’s game get us a pair of Charlie Blackmon bobble heads!
Yeah, chances are good that we’ll be dressed appropriately...️

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't understand why they don't make the schedule so that the first few weeks are played entirely in the south and in domed stadiums. I won't go to a night game the first month in NY. Likely I will need a winter jacket and blanket if I do.

 

[two fingers]

I said it last year. The Red Sox made the playoffs with the LEAST number of homeruns in MLB. I speculated that if they even had an average year on the bats theu would have plowed over everyone.

This year the bats are swinging. The runs are scoring. The defense is working together. Pitching, although still less consistent than I would like, is strong.

The Sox may have something for 'em this year if they don't go off the rails.

They have 8 men at or above .300 on base percentage. They are still working pitchers to death. (Tampa Bay's starter had over 50 pitches halfway through the 2nd inning today.)

Fingers crossed......

Go Sox!

 

[toowrongfoo]

What a game! I'm exhausted.

 

[the harp unstrung]

Braves at Rocks!

No denyin’ how sharp the Rockies look in their Sunday purple.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I do think it's funny. MLB wanted to get rid of the cookie cutter done parks. Now, for the most part, they have cookie cutter retro parks.

 

[Gaolee]

A gIANTS game rained out in SF. What's next, snow?

Well, they could be in Minnesota. Mariners won when it was 27 F for first pitch. Key to Mariners winning the World Series - play all games below freezing. It freezes other team's bats and pitching and the Mariners don't notice because they were already there. KC next. Is it cold in Kansas?

Hell yeah, I'm neurotic. I'm a Mariners fan.

 

[TroyK]

... Key to Mariners winning the World Series - play all games below freezing. ...

Almost. The key to the Mariners winning the World Series is hell freezing over...and Dipoto moving on.

 

[Gaolee]

Almost. The key to the Mariners winning the World Series is hell freezing over...and Dipoto moving on.

Well, that, too. Look, the Cubs won a Series. Steve Goodman didn't live to see it, but that's another issue. Maybe I need to write a song about it. Except that unlike Steve Goodman, I suck at writing songs. Oh, well. I'll just stay neurotic.

 

[toowrongfoo]

I do think it's funny. MLB wanted to get rid of the cookie cutter done parks. Now, for the most part, they have cookie cutter retro parks.

I dunno, I like most of the parks. Pittsburgh and ATT that most. The only one I just hate with ghastly putrid hate is the Miami one. It's not a baseball park, it's an echo chamber born from bad art.

 

[GregC]

I do think it's funny. MLB wanted to get rid of the cookie cutter done parks. Now, for the most part, they have cookie cutter retro parks.

Fair, but it's still a better form of cookie cutter IMO. The White Sox' stadium is neither dome nor retro, it's just modern and soulless. When a pack of Elvises parachuted in before one of the games I saw, that seemed sadly appropriate.

 

[the harp unstrung]

I thought that Chase Field?/Park? was awe inspiring.

Coors Field is friendlier.

We’re going to see games in KC, and St. Louis on the way home to GA...but that’s not until the last week of this month.

I miss Turner Field.

 

[GregC]

Cubs took 3 of 4 in Milwaukee, a solid showing. On to the home opener Monday against the red-hot Pirates. No Rizzo, and our #5 starter takes the mound. Yikes.

 

[MJ5150]

The Pirates keep on winning, getting a one hitter from Taillon on a chilly day at PNC Park with just a handful of brave fans in attendance.
7-2 for Pittsburgh so far, and looking good on all fronts.
Why is it still so cold? I'm not expecting 80's in early April in Pittsburgh, but 35 degrees? Come on man.

-Mike

 

[buldog5151bass]

Fair, but it's still a better form of cookie cutter IMO. The White Sox' stadium is neither dome nor retro, it's just modern and soulless. When a pack of Elvises parachuted in before one of the games I saw, that seemed sadly appropriate.

The White Sox stadium was the last before Baltimore, which started the retro boom. I swear, I cannot tell the difference between 95% of Citi Field and the Phillies stadium - green seats, exposed metal framework, green seats, brick walls, same shape, big identical scoreboards in center field, etc. - especially ironic since the market the "great new stadiums". That's why I liked Arizona - it fits into the city much better. Only two architects, and I swear they use the same blueprints. I loved many of the old stadiums, which were truly unique.

 

[ptg]

GO METS! WOO HOO!

 

[two fingers]

Man, that was a great Red Sox comeback yesterday! Down 7-2 until the bottom of the 8th (and I think two outs too). They rallied to socre 6 to make it 8-7. Then Kimbrel did it again. He has turned into quite the closer... a position I would have never figured him for.

I am trying to avoid getting too excited. If there has ever been a team that can go off the rails during a hot run it's the Sox.

I'm really interested to see their series against the Yankees this week. Sox and Yankees is kind of like the Redskins and Cowboys rivalry. It doesn't matter how the teams look or what the rankings are before THAT game. All bets are off. It's personal.

But the bats are hot. The pitching is actually getting more and more consistent. And the defense looks dang near acrobatic. The Sox are the only team in MLB with ZERO errors. You can't ask for better than that.

And with all that, Pedroia, the hardest working man in baseball, is in the minors recovering from injury. When he gets back he'll be chomping at the bit. He should take an already great defense to a "whole nuther level".