odessasteps Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Didn’t see this mentioned (board access limited due to working day shift this week) former mlb umpire Jim McKean passed away on Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolfan in NYC Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Hey, look a Diamondback. They actually exist! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabremike Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 2 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said: Hey, look a Diamondback. They actually exist! "I have to fight stupidity!" I am on the Sabres HF Board so I totally empathize with him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolfan in NYC Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 In case you missed it, yesterday like half of Philly (including WIP) got fooled by a Twitter account claiming to have a picture of a Sportscenter graphic saying Bryce Harper was signing with the Phillies. As we know, the owners have collectively decided to tamp down the market and are refusing to make a serious offer to him and Manny Machado, thus driving up their collective profits. #2021MLBStrike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 COLLUSION~! PAY EVERY PLAYER A TRILLION DOLLARS~! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 4 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said: As we know, the owners have collectively decided to tamp down the market and are refusing to make a serious offer to him and Manny Machado, thus driving up their collective profits. I did like this tweet from Peter Moylan: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 So maybe Peter should have accepted a minor league offer then 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig H Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 So, I'm honestly not sure what to think about all of this, so what do you all think? Have player contracts become just way too high and they should be suppressed? Do you think the players deserve just obscene amounts of money? As much as I don't care for Machado, he and Harper aren't even in their prime years. If you're a GM, there just seems to be less risk on a long term, high money contract for guys that young as compared to some of the older players where a long term contract would take them close to or past the age of 40. I get shit like no one signing Jake last year until late because no one wanted to give him that many years and that much money when he's exiting his prime years. But for Machado and Harper? I lean more towards them being worth it, but the asking price probably still being too high. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Agents - and I specifically say agents because Harper being a Boras client - are working off the "Well player X got this contract so my client, player Y, deserves a big better deal" is a big reason. Because teams have gotten smarter - in regards to analytics, etc... they are changing the marketplace and obviously the players and agents feel like it should be the way it always has. So the ask - which used to always be like 7 years - has now stretched to 10 years. (Which BTW is the Marlins fault. Yeah I said it!) No one not named Mike Trout should be locked up for 10 years. (Harper has a little bit of an injury history that would give me pause. And GMs are clearly scared by Machado's attitude). Also you could argue that Harper plays a position(s) that are easier to fill with cheaper options. (Kinda like how you really shouldn't pay too high for a 1B) Why Harper and Machado (and to a lesser degree some of the other big names) haven't realized that they should take like a 3 or 4 year deal (where they are still getting between $25 - $30 million a year) and wait and see how the knew CBA shakes out is beyond me. And Craig Kimbrel thinking he should get 6 years is still my favorite. How the Chapman deal hasn't blown up yet is beyond me. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 And since I am rambling - I know everyone loves to be all TEAMS ARE MAKING ALL THIS MONEY! GIVE IT ALL TO THE PLAYERS!!! A) No sports league operates this way. We wish it did but it will never change. Like all the folks who scream about how American soccer needs regulation. This is where my frustration with several subject matters starts. It is great that folks are all pie in the sky THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES! WHOO-HOO! EVERYTHING SHOULD BE LIKE THE WEST WING!!!! but yeah... stop. B) If this was football - where guys are basically destroying their lives for our amusement - then I would be GET ALL THE MONEY YOU CAN NOW!!!. It's not - I am gonna weep because someone is only making $20 million a year instead of $27 million 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Cincinnati Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 I don't think the guys ready to serve themselves up as third-party candidates are big fans of the West Wing either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 1 minute ago, West Newbury Bad Boy said: I don't think the guys ready to serve themselves up as third-party candidates are big fans of the West Wing either. That was technically two different loons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamhock Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 The Texas Rangers have announced that they’ll be using artificial turf at their new stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 Rockies and Nolan Arenado settled in arbitration for $26 million for the 2019 season Yes it breaks the record (which was the $23 million Josh Donaldson got last year) Now begins the year long WILL HE RE-SIGN OR BE TRADED!!! dance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolfan in NYC Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Per Jon Heyman, Manny Machado is still unhappy with any of the offers he has. He's still holding out hope for the Yankees to pony up. (lol) Supposedly 8 teams are "checking in" on Harper, but most of those are for short term deals. Though, supposedly San Diego is willing to throw an obscene amount of money at him for a long-term deal. Philly is still saying they are definitely landing one, if not both. A-Rod (!) is now openly saying that Machado & Harper are both victims of collusion by the owners to drive down the market. (Though to be fair, he may have been to dumb to realize he was accusing them of this.) Pitchers and Catchers report in a week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig H Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 lol Padres Hey Harper, take all this money to play on a losing team where AJ Preller will never get fired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolfan in NYC Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Curtis Granderson to Miami on a minor league deal. The Realmuto talks have apparently heated up again with Philly asking around. SD, LAD, TB, ATL are all still in the mix, but Philly has more good pieces available. Miami's strong preference though is to deal him out of the division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-rule-changes-for-2019-three-batter-requirement-for-all-pitchers-universal-dh-reportedly-being-discussed/ I can already see the purists getting the torches and pitchforks ready for the day (coming sooner rather than later I think) that universal DH is instituted. I think that three batters is too much. Maybe 2. Here's a selection from the Athletic article (behind a paywall) on the proposed changes: As part of a Jan. 14 proposal to the players’ union on pace of play, baseball suggested a rule requiring pitchers to face a minimum of three batters, sources told The Athletic. The Major League Baseball Players Association responded last Friday with its own comprehensive proposal that addressed the players’ concerns on competitive integrity and service-time manipulation in multifaceted fashion, sources said. A lowering of a team’s draft position for failing to reach a specified win total in a certain number of seasons is believed to be part of the union’s plan. A universal designated hitter — something the players have sought for more than three decades, according to commissioner Rob Manfred — also was part of the union’s proposal. Under the plan, the National League would adopt the DH for the 2019 season. The dueling proposals marked an acceleration in the negotiations between baseball and the union over ways to improve the game. Further ideas and potential tradeoffs are certain to be explored in the weeks ahead. The union, with its proposal, addressed the criticism of baseball officials who said they have experienced repeated frustration trying to engage the MLBPA in conversation. If no agreement is reached, the collective bargaining agreement empowers Manfred to unilaterally implement three elements he formally proposed last year, according to sources — a 20-second pitch clock, a reduction of mound visits from six to five and a rule placing a baserunner on second base in spring training games and the All-Star Game when the score is tied after the 10th inning. Baseball’s current proposal includes one slight modification from the above provisions, reducing mound visits from six to four in ‘19 and four to three in ‘20. It also includes an expansion of rosters from 25 to 26 in ‘20, with an accompanying reduction from 40 to 28 in September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted February 6, 2019 Author Share Posted February 6, 2019 Universal DH will happen - I just don't think there is anyway they will do it for this year since NL teams will bitch that they didn't have time to "Properly construct their rosters" One way to appease the union the death over long term, big money contracts is to give more guys jobs - so Universal DH and expanding the roster to 26 goes a long way towards that Per Jeff Passan's post this is what is being discussed (since Athletic story blurs the lines by bringing up things that Manfred likes) Here are the bullet point discussions A three-batter minimum for pitchers A universal designated hitter A single trade deadline before the All-Star break A 20-second pitch clock The expansion of rosters to 26 men, with a 12-pitcher maximum Draft advantages for winning teams and penalties for losing teams A study to lower the mound A rule that would allow two-sport amateurs to sign major league contracts The trade deadline being before the ASB would be stupid... unless they are pushing the game back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted February 6, 2019 Author Share Posted February 6, 2019 BTW - the penalty for losing team deals is apparently some sort of win threshold over multiple seasons (but it is unclear if that means something like "must have one winning season in the last three years" or like "must hit (pick number total here) over the course of four years") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 I'm in favor of most of those rules. I'd rather they lose the DH entirely rather than go universal but that ship has sailed. So make it universal, I guess. I definitely like the 3-batter minimum and roster limit on pitchers. Wonder if that goes across innings? The mound definitely does NOT need to be lowered. The 20-second pitch clock is great if they actually enforce it. I want it enforced, I want repeat offenders hammered, and I want umpires suspended for failing to enforce. Of course, the actual major time sink won't get addressed - the time between hitters. Put a clock on that, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 The 3 batter rule is fine for starters. But does that mean you cant bring in your closer in the 9th inning with any outs because there might not be 3 batters left in the game. Prob other examples too. And are there an injury dispensation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 1 hour ago, odessasteps said: The 3 batter rule is fine for starters. But does that mean you cant bring in your closer in the 9th inning with any outs because there might not be 3 batters left in the game. Prob other examples too. And are there an injury dispensation? My guess is that the rule would end up being "3 batters or end of inning, whichever comes first". The goal is to reduce changes in the middle of an inning, I would think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 I think also to thwart the thing Tampa was doing when they started a game with a reliever and used them for a batter or two before bringing in “the starter.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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