Baseball 2024

Dodgers win the world series in game 5 after being down by 5 runs in the 5th inning. One of the best games I seen in a long time.
 
I thought it was funny how the announcers were trying to build a comeback story for Judge with the HR and the great catch crashing into the wall, and the next thing you know he's dropping a pretty easy fly ball which started the Dodgers rally. You can't pin it all on Judge but they'd have been out of the inning without a run had he caught it.
 
With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Yankees tried their hardest to lose the game and the series.

Gerrit Cole pitched his guts out. Too bad he didn't cover first base on a slow roller. The Yankees might be world champions today.
 
Qs Laptop said:
With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Yankees tried their hardest to lose the game and the series.

Gerrit Cole pitched his guts out. Too bad he didn't cover first base on a slow roller. The Yankees might be world champions today.
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Today?? Naw, they would have to win the next two games in Los Angeles.
 
I don't understand why Boone did not pinch hit for Austin Wells in the bottom of the ninth. He had DJ Lemahieu, a former 2X batting champion on the bench, a guy who has faced Walker Buehler before. Austin Wells was 6 for 50 (.120) in the playoffs.
 
Something happened in the Yankee dugout after the 4th inning. They were still on the winning road that they finally found in Game 4. Then, we started to see rookie mistakes. It was back to Games 1, 2, and 3.

The pitcher doesn’t cover first base. The catcher interferes with a batter. The Dodgers did not get to the Series because they are nice guys who don’t capitalize on their opponents mistakes.

And, FWIW, I think the Dodgers just executed the tough plays better. Example, The throw to the plate in Game 3 to keep the Yankees from scoring was text book perfect.
 
Chuckanut said:
Something happened in the Yankee dugout after the 4th inning. They were still on the winning road that they finally found in Game 4. Then, we started to see rookie mistakes. It was back to Games 1, 2, and 3.

The pitcher doesn’t cover first base. The catcher interferes with a batter. The Dodgers did not get to the Series because they are nice guys who don’t capitalize on their opponents mistakes.

And, FWIW, I think the Dodgers just executed the tough plays better. Example, The throw to the plate in Game 3 to keep the Yankees from scoring was text book perfect.
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Yes, the better team won, and that's coming from a lifetime Yankee fan.
 
Looks like Manfred is at it again. I swear all he must do is try and figure out ways to as Joe Madden put it "bastardize" the game.

Picture the scene. It’s the bottom of the ninth, the Los Angeles Dodgers are down one with two outs and two men on base. Enrique Hernández is due up, but manager Dave Roberts sits him down and sends star man Shohei Ohtani to the plate instead.

That is the essence of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s Golden At-Bat proposal, which he floated in late October during an appearance on The Varsity with John Ourand. The rule would allow each team one chance per game to swap in its best hitter for an at-bat, even if it is not his turn.
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The game is already watered down so much.
 
Apparently one of the team owners originally floated this idea and Manfred is running with it. it's not going anywhere.
 
The Dodgers can already choose to do that: simply keep Ohtani on the bench until the critical at bat.
 
Maybe it's just me, but doesn't such a rule seem like a little league type of rule?

I guess that would be like if Basketball allowed in a clutch moment to allow a team to choose their best free throw shooter.
 
Trooper said:
I sure hope you're right. What a silly (and I'm putting it mildly) idea. Turns the sport into a reality game show.
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Same here. Game is getting more and more unrecognizable.

Stats are watered down. Otani, as much a superstar as he is, being the first player in the 50-50 stat (50+ HRs and Stolen Bases) has an inflated stat. Base stealing now is a lot easier than it was years back.
 
easysurfer said:
Same here. Game is getting more and more unrecognizable.

Stats are watered down. Otani, as much a superstar as he is, being the first player in the 50-50 stat (50+ HRs and Stolen Bases) has an inflated stat. Base stealing now is a lot easier than it was years back.
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Base stealing is only marginally easier than it was years back. The bases were increased in size from 15" per side to 18" per side before the 2023 season. Since the bases are placed 90 feet apart that means the bases are now 6 inches closer to each other than before, meaning they are now 0.56% closer. I would not consider 0.56% difference in distance to be "a lot easier."
 
Maybe each team can have just one stud hitter and have a group of "runners" run the bases? Or perhaps one LHB and one RHB. Maybe throw in a DB (Designated Bunter) to move up the "runners". Lot's of possibilities!
 
A greater effect on SBs than base size has been the rule change that reducted the pitcher's ability to throw to 1B to hold a runner closer to that base. And, FWIW, prior to 1950 MLB permitted "courtesy runners."
 
Qs Laptop said:
Base stealing is only marginally easier than it was years back. The bases were increased in size from 15" per side to 18" per side before the 2023 season. Since the bases are placed 90 feet apart that means the bases are now 6 inches closer to each other than before, meaning they are now 0.56% closer. I would not consider 0.56% difference in distance to be "a lot easier."
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Not only is the base size increased, but I'd say the rules now favor the runner. Rules like pictures can only toss over twice to hold runner on and pictures now contend with a pitch clock. I'd think both would help runner time the pitcher better.
 
GrayHare said:
A greater effect on SBs than base size has been the rule change that reducted the pitcher's ability to throw to 1B to hold a runner closer to that base. And, FWIW, prior to 1950 MLB permitted "courtesy runners."
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easysurfer said:
Not only is the base size increased, but I'd say the rules now favor the runner. Rules like pictures can only toss over twice to hold runner on and pictures now contend with a pitch clock. I'd think both would help runner time the pitcher better.
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On first glance one would think the rule limiting the pitcher to two throws to a base would have an effect. But I disagree, in most cases.

For 95% of base stealers the runner is only going to attempt a steal on a specific count. Usually this is when the pitcher is ahead in the count, say 0-2, or 1-2, sometimes 1-1. The reason is the pitcher, when in a favourable count, can throw a waste pitch, trying to get the batter to strikeout on (usually) a breaking pitch out of the zone. There is no reason to throw a fastball for a strike in these situations. The team at bat know this and figure a slower, breaking pitch in the dirt is a great opportunity to steal.

However, the half dozen players per league with elite speed can go on just about ball-strike count, including fastball counts (2-0, 2-1, 3-1.) These are the guys that pitchers will use the pick off move and throw over to the base to keep the speedsters from taking that extra step. In other words, the speedsters are going to run, better hold them on base by throwing over.

Pitchers don't use the pick off move on guys with decent speed too often. They will throw over if there's a speedster on base but he's going to steal no matter what. This hasn't changed with the rule changes.
 
Soto agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets.

Not counting taxes/management fees, etc, that is ~51 million a year or ~315k per game. Add to that the inevitable product endorsements and he's into some serious money.

Not bad for a 26 year old outfielder from the Dominican Republic that reportedly learned English by using Rosetta Stone .
 
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Life long Mets fan here and am NOT happy about it. What I've seen of him hasn't been endearing. The whole dance in the batters box sets me off. Hoping I get over it or its going to be a long 15 years.
 
Kings over Queens said:
Life long Mets fan here and am NOT happy about it. What I've seen of him hasn't been endearing. The whole dance in the batters box sets me off. Hoping I get over it or its going to be a long 15 years.
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He's a very good player. His antics in the batter's box are silly and immature.

He's very proud of his ability to draw walks. I'm I were a GM going to spend $750M on a player I would want him to hit more HR and take fewer walks. I'm not going to pay a guy $50M a year to take a base on balls twice a game.

He's got an opt out clause that kicks in after 5 years. I'm not sure if it's mutual or one-sided. I don't expect him to last 15 years as a Met.
 
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