MLB 2019 thread

[low]

Originally Posted by Rizon

I can't say I didn't celebrate the annual choking of the Dodgers last night.

I wanted them to get to the WS and pull off the hat trick.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by madjac74

Do you have a stat to prove this?

A stat? No

Just an understanding of the English language and an ability to apply logic.

You said,

Originally Posted by madjac74

Everytime I see him he is walking people all over the stadium and blowing leads.

This clearly implies that you don't watch him all the time.

Also, using a little Bayesian prior - What are the chances that a person watches every single one of a team's games? A low percentage. You've given me no reason to change that prior belief. And spelling his name wrong is a slight bit of evidence that you don't watch all of his games.

And maybe he only walks people when its clutch time...like bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th

In high leverage situations, he did walk 13 out of 76 hitters. That's 17%. One of those was intentional. Hard to fault him for that one. So, call it 12 out of 76, or 16%. Yes, higher than average.

[ForeverRoyalKC]

Was busy last night and didnt get to catch Dodgers/Nats. But when I checked the cell phone for the score and saw the highlights, I had one word. An extended "Woooooooww!"

I did NOT expect that! I was hoping the Dodgers would take out the Cardinals!

[Cobra Mgr]

One of baseball's biggest problems is the media. And it is because of all the 2nd guessing.

Now I'm not here to say Roberts is a good mgr. I have no idea. But the comments I've heard from the "expert" press questioning his use of Kershaw wear me out. I've heard complaining that he used sabermetrics instead of his gut. As if they wouldn't have questioned him if he used his gut instead of the data.

The other line of reasoning is Kershaw's history. That would hold up if they were 2nd guessing using him in the 7th. But that's not the complaint. It is his coming back out in the 8th. Which makes no sense to me since he came in and struck out the batter in 3 pitches. Looks like he was doing pretty good don't you think? It took 2 pitches to realize he didn't have it. How is Roberts supposed to know THAT is going to happen?

That leads me to another point.....How do you manage a team in the playoffs when your ace disappears as soon as the postseason begins? Having Kershaw on your roster is like having your #1 hurler get injured before game 1 and you have to call up some no name from AAA. Only Kershaw doesn't get hurt. He just gets lousy. His ERA is 2 runs higher in October. I'd like to ask all the "experts" that know better what do you do? Do you ignore history? Do you sit him down and risk ruining your relationship for the foreseeable future? Do you think that would cause 2nd guessing as well?

Roberts very well may not be the man for the job. But I don't know how any manager could do well if your biggest gun on the mound suddenly becomes a water pistol every playoff. The person the Dodgers need to get rid of is Kershaw.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

One of baseball's biggest problems is the media. And it is because of all the 2nd guessing.

Now I'm not here to say Roberts is a good mgr. I have no idea. But the comments I've heard from the "expert" press questioning his use of Kershaw wear me out. I've heard complaining that he used sabermetrics instead of his gut.

You should listen to better media

[knightdreamer2k]

Originally Posted by thehef

My post-mortem on the Dodgers...

Time to face facts. The Dodgers are the best organization in baseball, top to bottom. But they are built for regular-season success. They are extremely deep everywhere and can plug in 30-35 good players any time, anywhere, which nobody else can do, and which helps amass 100+ wins over a long season. Having the best 30-35 players in the regular season is great. But having the best five or six players is what translates to postseason success.

In a year or two or three, some of the Dodgers' youngsters may develop into unstoppable forces who can be counted on not just for solid production over the long-haul of a regular season, but for stepping up big in the postseason. It could be argued that Buhler is already there. But nobody else is, yet.

Another way of looking at it is that the Dodgers as constructed include about 12-15 of the best hitters in baseball for the 6th, 7th and 8th spot in your order. Sure, in another contender's lineup, Bellinger would hit higher up, and so might Turner... You can win a lot of games with that many better-than-average hitters. But 12-15 off those guys fitting into 6 or 7 lineup spots in a short series is whole different ballgame. Literally... Similarly, in Bueller they have a borderline (and certainly future) ace. And Ryu was very ace-like much of the season. But while Kershaw (at this stage of his career), Maeda (when in his usual starting role), rookie Gonsolin, and Hill (when healthy) can help you amass lots of regular season wins, they are a collection of #4 starters who make you hold your breath if starting a playoff game. And as good as they are, Bueller (not yet) and Ryu (not quite) are not at the level of "ace-ness" where you would say, "we can ride these two guys to the title" (ala Johnson & Schilling in 2001).

That all said, unlike the last few years when I would’ve fired Roberts because of his idiotic, over-analytics-based decisions, this year I don’t quibble as much with his decisions. I fire him for the Dodgers’ lack of playoff preparedness; lack of playoff fire. The Nationals played like they had nothing to lose and everything to win. The Dodgers of course had pressure on them to not just return to, but win, the World Series. It’s Roberts’ job to have his team in the right frame of mind for that journey. Clearly, he didn’t.

Bottom line: The team is not constructed for, nor is its manager equipped to lead it to, postseason success.

All of the above is why, as a Dodger fan, I'm disappointed with the loss to the Nationals, but not devastated. I was not expecting a World Series victory this season, because the team was simply not good enough. Coming up short - maybe not quite this short - was expected. Unlike 2017, when the World Series was theirs to take, and they (primarily Roberts) let it slip away. That was devastating.

I feel you and can relate to you. Plenty of the 2004-2012 Yankee teams were like that. Built for the season but not the playoffs. I do think the Dodgers don't completely meet that criteria because they have had good pitching.
I think there is some mismanagement of players though in the post-season.
You have to put players in position to succeed, and not keep repeating the same mistakes. You have to manage Kershaw in the post season and not put him in key moments. People forgot and well know players such as CC, Verlander, Randy Johnson all struggled in the playoffs. You have to reduce their load and allow them to get comfortable. Dodgers have other players use them.

[Cobra Mgr]

Glasnow serving up BP.

[Cobra Mgr]

Nice to see someone pitch more than 6 innings in the playoffs

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoyalKC

Was busy last night and didnt get to catch Dodgers/Nats. But when I checked the cell phone for the score and saw the highlights, I had one word. An extended "Woooooooww!"

I did NOT expect that! I was hoping the Dodgers would take out the Cardinals!

Seriously? The Cards had a winning record against the Dodgers AND Nationals this year..and Kershaw has always been the Cardinals' b!tch.

[monkeyman576]

Will the AL Champion be over or under -200 against the NL Champion?

[Westheim]

Finally caught up! Watched as much as I could during the LDS which required me to do a lot of one-day-later games. I saw all five Astros games, four of the Cardinals games, Game 5 with the Gnats, and nothing of the Yankees. I am very proud of me!

I think Roberts gets his chair put in front of the door like everybody else. Not because it's his fault, but... well… actually, if you know that Kershaw can't be relied on from the pen with a narrow lead, maybe you shouldn't get him…

And I am *really* hoping the Astros can get their crap together and prevail by beating two of the other three teams, for which I have varying degrees of disdain.

[monkeyman576]

Is it just me or did the announcers jinx the no hit bid by mentioning it while it was still in progress?

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Glasnow serving up BP.

Tipping his pitches by all accounts.

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Is it just me or did the announcers jinx the no hit bid by mentioning it while it was still in progress?

Cards announcers on the radio were doing it from about the 3rd.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Is it just me or did the announcers jinx the no hit bid by mentioning it while it was still in progress?

How's this jinxing supposed to work, exactly?

I've mentioned the hell out of no-hitters that I've watched.

But I've only ever watched a no-hitter on TV or on the internet.

Since an announcer who's actually at the game can, apparently, jinx one, how about the tens of thousands of fans watching a game at the stadium? Is the belief that of the hundreds of no-hitters in history, not one fan at the stadium mentioned it during the game? No father said to his son, or no woman to her boyfriend, "This is pretty cool game to be at. It might be a no-hitter"?. Or no fan of the team being no-hit ever started yelling "no-hitter! no-hitter!" to try and get a hit a for his team? Or what about the team being no hit? No batter ever, after flying out, never, on his way from first back to the thirdbase dugout never jogged by the pitcher and said, "nice no-hitter you guys are working on here, be a shame if something happened it"?

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by CBeisbol

How's this jinxing supposed to work, exactly?

I've mentioned the hell out of no-hitters that I've watched.

But I've only ever watched a no-hitter on TV or on the internet.

Since an announcer who's actually at the game can, apparently, jinx one, how about the tens of thousands of fans watching a game at the stadium? Is the belief that of the hundreds of no-hitters in history, not one fan at the stadium mentioned it during the game? No father said to his son, or no woman to her boyfriend, "This is pretty cool game to be at. It might be a no-hitter"?. Or no fan of the team being no-hit ever started yelling "no-hitter! no-hitter!" to try and get a hit a for his team? Or what about the team being no hit? No batter ever, after flying out, never, on his way from first back to the thirdbase dugout never jogged by the pitcher and said, "nice no-hitter you guys are working on here, be a shame if something happened it"?

https://people.howstuffworks.com/why...eball-game.htm

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

https://people.howstuffworks.com/why...eball-game.htm

From the article

there's no scientific link between superstitious activities and outcome

We should get rid of superstition. In baseball and in every facet of society.

I mean, no one wants to look like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv4H81gEGDQ

https://www.psychologistworld.com/superstition

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by CBeisbol

How's this jinxing supposed to work, exactly?

You could say that about other things within sport but dont want the thread to be sent to OT.

[stl jason]

gotta admit, heading into the 8th I was kinda hoping he'd get the no hitter.... if you're going to go down, might as well do it in spectacular fashion

[Westheim]

I must admit I am impressed by Last Leg Sanchez and Sean Dolittlegood 1-hitting the Cards in a 2-0 choker. That does not speak well for the St. Louis offense.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by stl jason

gotta admit, heading into the 8th I was kinda hoping he'd get the no hitter.... if you're going to go down, might as well do it in spectacular fashion

I can get behind that. Especially since it wasn't an elimination game.