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2020 Around the MLB Thread

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The primary intent of the expanded playoffs is to allow a "good" team that get off to a poor start more of a chance to make it to October baseball.. The primary collateral effect is adding excitement to the fan bases of four more teams.. Without fannies in the seats, it's less than what MLB would like..but it's hugely important to the television/cable viewers..

Thoughts?..
 
Mike Clevinger.. was forced to depart from his start for the Padres against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim near Yorba Linda and north of Fountain Valley....

This was NOT a planned event.. the belief is he has another soft tissue injury that will prevent him from pitching in the near term.. details forthcoming..
 
Mike Clevinger.. was forced to depart from his start for the Padres against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim near Yorba Linda and north of Fountain Valley....

This was NOT a planned event.. the belief is he has another soft tissue injury that will prevent him from pitching in the near term.. details forthcoming..
biceps tendinitis per dodgers reporter - i assume that gets treated as with muscle strains - ice/heat first few days and then rest till it goes away - which can take a while
 
Trevor Bauer wanted to pitch on short rest. Cincinnati Reds think it's worth the risk.

Bobby Nightengale
Cincinnati Enquirer


Trevor Bauer has lobbied for years to pitch every fourth day, instead of the typical every fifth day, because he felt his body could handle it and it would benefit his team.

The Cincinnati Reds seemed receptive to it throughout the season and they’ve committed to it with their season on the line. Bauer will pitch on short rest in Wednesday’s series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers and he will likely start Sunday in Minnesota if the Reds are fighting for a playoff spot on the last day of the season.

“I collect close to 50 metrics on myself every single day and they all point to this being the most optimal way to get my body prepared to pitch,” Bauer said. It’s a scientific approach to it instead of just a feeling like, ‘I could do this.’ I have actual numbers to back it up.”

Bauer has a little experience pitching on short rest. He’s done it twice in the postseason (2016 World Series and 2017 American League Division Series) and three times in the regular season. Two of those regular-season starts were driven by unusual circumstances – following a rain-shorted outing and ramping up from an injury – and he did it with the Reds once last September, giving up four runs in five innings vs. Philadelphia.

It’s an unconventional move outside of the postseason, but the Reds are gambling that it will boost their playoff chances. Bauer is a Cy Young candidate and they lined him up to pitch in each of their final three series of the season.

“There’s unknown and risk in every decision,” manager David Bell said. “I think some of that risk is mitigated just because of where we are in the season. At most, we have another month or whatever it would take. We’re confident that he can make it through on short rest all the way through if that’s what’s needed.”

Bauer, who is 4-4 with a 1.80 ERA in 10 starts this year, said he recovered from his last start better than any of his previous outings. He embraces pitching in big games and they don’t come much bigger than facing another team in playoff contention.

“Just everything that Trevor does, the way he prepares, the way he works, the way he knows himself, I couldn’t be more confident with any other pitcher than I am with Trevor going into it, even with the uncertainty,” Bell said. “I think it’s just where we are and it’s worth giving it a shot.”

How much does Bauer’s routine change between starts now?

“Basically, I just take out my bullpen day,” Bauer said. “I go my full recovery day, the day after, my hybrid long toss day, Day 2, and then my day-before-throwing routine that I’ll do (Tuesday), Day 3, and then pitch again. It should give my body a linear recovery period. Three, four days of recovery and I’ll feel great. That’s more uninterrupted recovery days than I normally get leading into start because of that (typical) bullpen and lift day on Day 3.”

One of the keys to Bauer’s success this season is his improved command. He’s walking a career-low 2.2 batters per nine innings. He’s allowed 13 earned runs this season and nine homers (eight solo), so if he’s not issuing free passes, one of the few ways to score on him is to hit a homer.

He noted he leads the league by a wide margin in expected ERA, a stat that takes into account quality of contact. He's induced a league-leading 27 infield pop-ups.

“My command has been the biggest focus because I have the stuff,” Bauer said. “I probably have the best arsenal of pitchers in baseball – top-five, I would say fairly confidently. If I can place the ball where I want it more often, I’m going to have a lot more success and that’s really where my focus has been.”
 
This year is a special case, but I'm totally opposed to post season expansion beyond the ten teams we had previously.

Over a 162 game season no team with a losing record should qualify for the playoffs.

From 2016 thru 2019 eight teams below .500 would have qualified under the existing sixteen team playoff system.

Imagine having three losing teams in one league bracket of eight, which would have happened in the AL in 2017. The NL would have had one that year.

Imagine a World Series with two losing teams playing.

The beauty of baseball is the 162 game season, which allows the cream to rise to the top. Rendering the regular season to not much more than exhibition games for the better teams eliminates the beauty.
 
This year is a special case, but I'm totally opposed to post season expansion beyond the ten teams we had previously.

Over a 162 game season no team with a losing record should qualify for the playoffs.

From 2016 thru 2019 eight teams below .500 would have qualified under the existing sixteen team playoff system.

Imagine having three losing teams in one league bracket of eight, which would have happened in the AL in 2017. The NL would have had one that year.

Imagine a World Series with two losing teams playing.

The beauty of baseball is the 162 game season, which allows the cream to rise to the top. Rendering the regular season to not much more than exhibition games for the better teams eliminates the beauty.
We may have discussed this before, but as much as I'd dislike a continued 8 teams per league playoff bracket, I would love to see 6 teams with the top 2 getting byes...no more single game play in for Wild Cards.
 
14 years - kinda good kinda bad.... But no matter what, kudos for a small market team to keep a player and fan favorite for his entire career.
7 gold gloves, 102 career ops+, and he got a ring
 
I loved to watch Gordon play defense. He is the best defensive LF I've ever seen.
 
in consecutive win #22, Frankie hit that 2 out, 2-2 pitch to left - watching on tv it was hard to see how hard he hit it and how high up the wall it would go - then gordon came into the picture and I knew the game was over --- of course I was wrong, but watching it even today I expect gordon to glove it
 
Well this isn't good for anyone else in baseball. The Florida Marlins got into the playoffs.

They have 2 playoff appearances as wild card winners...

And they have two World Series wins...

Cannot say there has ever been a team with a better record in the playoffs than the Marlins lol
 

Wasn't sure if I should post this here or the WTF thread
 
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