MLB 2014 Season Thread

So what do you guys think of some of these proposed pace-of-play rules?Major League Baseball addresses pace of play in Arizona Fall League - ESPN

For me, the only way I see the pitch play-clock working is if it only is active when there are no runners on base. I also like the limit on visits to the pitchers mound. Fuck those games where the catcher felt like he needed to visit the mound after every pitch (hi2u Boston/NY games). Also, fuck the batters who need to readjust their batting gloves after every pitch. You literally just stood there and watched strike one go by, how could your batting gloves possibly be out of adjustment?

I would love to see a rule added adressing bullpen relievers, and the time it takes them to warm up. I think there needs to be a rule that a reliever can't come into a game after he initially gets up to warm up, until (for instance) 2 more batters have been faced by the guy currently in the game.

A lot of the stalling and dragging out of a game has to do with relief pitching. A team wants to bring in a reliever ASAP, so the guy gets up to start warming up, pitching coach walks to the mound, talks with the pitcher, then a pitch or two later the catcher does the same, then again after another pitch, then the manager finally waddles out and talks for a bit before calling in the reliever. That 1 at-bat just took 10 goddamn minutes as they stalled for a reliever to get warmed up. Hate it. Just tell them that a pitcher has to finish the at-bat they are currently on, + 1 more, and that's a hard & fast rule before a warming up reliever can come in.

If nothing else, then that would put more strategy on your bullpen, go ahead and have guys warming up as of the start of the inning if you want, so they are available to immediately come in. Waiting until the starter gets in trouble, and then stalling, stalling, stalling, stalling, gets old quick.

Hanley Ramirez and Panda-man signed to the red sox.

Hard to believe the Dodgers would not beat that contract for Hanley. Dude has been one of the very best players in baseball the past 5 years when healthy. Hes only 31.

Sandoval I don't care too much for.

Sandoval is a decent player in the regular season, and a god in the postseason, for whatever reason. It'll pay off for the Red Sox if they get to the postseason, it'll be a huge bust if they don't.

Meh, Panda goes through some awful slumps during the season though. He's an extremely streaky player. We'll see how the Boston fanbase reacts to that.

Alex_sl said:

Meh, Panda goes through some awful slumps during the season though. He's an extremely streaky player. We'll see how the Boston fanbase reacts to that.

Click to expand...

yea, he's a wretched regular season player but the hottest post-season player in the league


now, getting to the playoffs without 2 more starting pitchers will be a task for the BoSox

This is post steroids era pay though. Dude hasn't cracked 20 HRs or .300 avg since 2011. Highest R and RBI totals are 79 and 90 and this was in first full season. Career .346 .465 .811 line of OBP SLG OPS. No speed. Total of 19 WAR in 6 full seasons.

Man remember when juicers put up .320/42 HR/125 RBI/900 OPS lines in an average season?

My initial reaction to the news that Pablo was gone was 'I wonder how many SF fans are in their closet staring at their giant panda heads thinking "now what?". So even though he was a big part of multiple championship runs, that is about how much I'll miss him.

I'll miss him, but if they put the money to good use it may not hurt much. Most important hitter during two WS we won, you can't understate that. If he doesn't hit those 3 bombs off Verlander in game 1, you have no idea how that series goes. Baseball is a momentum sport. He had a couple great regular seasons early in his career but it seems he just lacks the focus to consistently put them up even though the talent is there.

I think the A's trading away Donaldson was pretty bad.

Duppin_sl said:

Mariners in the early running for the worst move of the offseason. Again.

Click to expand...

Why do you feel that way? Too old? Too much money?

Duppin_sl said:

Both. Plus Safeco will be problematic for him, and he's basically a DH.

It's a really stupid deal. The only way it's not a DISASTER is if he manages to be an MVP candidate for the first two years of the deal.

Click to expand...

Seems pretty unlikely that he'll be that, but he can certainly still hit a little bit. But yeah that's a lot of money.

Farewell Markakis

Buster Olney abstaining from casting Hall of Fame ballot until voting is fixed

I can see where he's coming from, and it's nice to see a national columnist admit the system is fucked up, but I just don't see how this is really going to solve anything. LeBatard giving his vote to Deadspin last year didn't change anything, this won't either. Unless you get rid of most of these decrepit old bastards who won't vote for anyone who has played in the last 25 years, it won't matter.